Federal Hiring Program: Public Policy and Management Careers through the Presidential Management Fellowship Program
I am writing to introduce you to a unique federal recruiting program for third year law students, the Presidential Management Fellows Program (“PMF”). The PMF is a gateway to management positions in the federal government and an excellent alternative to traditional law practice.
The program is designed to attract to the federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in a career in the analysis and management of policies and programs. Through the program recent graduates may be assigned to any of a range of federal departments and agencies. Assignments may involve domestic or international issues, business, technology, public administration, accounting, health/medical science, criminal justice, public policy, engineering, environmental sciences, and financial management, to name a few.
Highlights Of The Program
Candidates must graduate between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010 to apply for this years PMF program. Grades are not part of the criteria, but commitment to, and interest in federal service and policy are important. As a fellow you are not guaranteed a job, but have access to more than 80 Federal Agencies who partner with the PMF program to hire Fellows annually. The PMF positions are “non-attorney” positions, in other words, no trial, litigation or “of counsel” attorney positions.
The rigorous two-year paid fellowship includes 160 hours of formal classroom training, challenging assignments, and potential for accelerated promotions, developmental assignments, networking opportunities and a mandatory 4 to 6 month developmental assignment, and optional rotations of one to six months in duration. After the two-year fellowship, fellows may have the option to continue on in a permanent position. Fellows are paid Federal Wages and benefits (starting salaries are usually between $45,000 to $49,000) and participation in an LRAP program.
More information about the process is available online, under the “How to Apply” section, at www.pmf.opm.gov.
IN HOUSE APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Submit your packet to the UO SOL’s Nomination Committee no later than
October 16th, 2009, 3:00 p.m. to the Career Services Office. The UO’s Nomination Committee then submits a PMF Nomination Form for each student the school decides to nominate, no later than Oct. 31, 2009 11:59:59 p.m. EST to the PMF.
Application Process
The whole process has four steps. There is an application step, a nomination step, an assessment step and the finalist selection step.
1. Application ~ APPLY ON-LINE BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND OCT. 15, 2009
You must apply online at USAJOBS à www.USAJOBS.gov. The Official Fed. Gov. job site. Get the application at this link, or on the PMF website under “How to Apply\PMF Application.” www.pmf.opm.gov.
Tip: create an account on the USAJOBS Resume Builder website prior to the application period so you can link your online resume to the application once the vacancy is announced. We have heard that getting your Resume onto the their process is time consuming. You do not want to be doing it during the two week window.
Once you have selected your resume you are taken to the “Application Manager.” This is the actual online application system used to submit and track the progress of your application. Even if you don’t get selected for a PMF position, you’ll have a resume built when applying for other Federal Opportunities.
2. Nomination Step – In addition to applying for the program, you will need to get nominated by the school. Once you submit your on-line application, you’ll need to download the completed application, the PMF Questionnaire, and a Nominating Form. Submit the application, questionnaire, Nomination Form and a letter/state of interest to: Nominating Committee, c/o Rosa Chavez, Career Services; Room 206, School of law. The Career Service Office will forward all of the submitted applications to the Nominating Committee. This year’s Nomination Official is Professor Rebekah Hanley, Legal Research and Writing Professor,
Assuming there are no significant changes to the Program Criteria, your letter/statement of interest should emphasize:
· Breadth and quality of accomplishments;
· Capacity for leadership;
· A commitment to excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs; and
· Potential for future professional growth.
The CSO is happy to review your letter/statement of interest. Please also see us if you have any questions about the program.
3. Assessment and Finalist Selection - All applicants nominated by their schools and found eligible for the PMF Program are invited to participate in an assessment process sponsored by OPM during January and February, usually held in Seattle or Portland, following the application period to determine which nominees will be selected as finalists. At this point, once selected students are referred to as Finalists.
4. Agency Placement as a Fellow – Upon appointment to an agency, the Finalist’s status changes to Presidential Management Fellow. PMF appointments must be made within twelve months of the official announcement of an applicant’s selection as a finalist. For example, finalists for the Class of 2009 were selected on March 5, 2009; they have until March 5, 2010 to be appointed as a Fellow.
Finalists are invited to the PMF Job Fair, held in Washington, DC, to meet with Federal Agency representatives. Participation at the PMF Job Fair is not mandatory; however, well over half of the PMF appointments result from this event.
DEADLINES: (all deadlines are 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, and subject to change)
PMF Website: www.pmf.opm.gov
Thursday, October 1, 2009
- Application for the PMF Class of 2010 opens via a vacancy announcement on USAJOBS or as a link under the “How to Apply\PMF Application” section of the PMF website
- First day Nomination Officials may fax nominations
Thursday, October 15, 2009
- Application for the PMF Class of 2010 closes
Saturday, October 31, 2009
- Deadline for Nomination Officials to fax nominations
- Deadline for applicants to submit supporting documentation for any claims for veterans’ preference and/or Indian preference
Late November 2009
- Applicants officially notified of eligibility and nomination status
- Nominees notified of assessment date, time, & location
January/February 2010
- Assessments conducted nationwide
Late February/Early March 2010
- Nominees notified of finalist status
Late March/Early April 2010
- PMF Class of 2010 Finalists Job Fair (Washington, DC, metro area)
Within One Year of selection as a Finalist
- PMF appointment as a Fellow with an agency must be made within the 12 month period
Need Help? Applicants encountering a problem or who have a question specifically about the PMF application process should send an email to PMFApplication@opm.gov; include name, school, phone number, email address, and detailed description of problem/question. Do not call the PMF Program Office directly. The PMF application process is conducted by a different OPM office.
