.:aaron.helton:.

Are you a graduate student in your last year of school?  Are you wondering how to capitalize on that expensive graduate degree, or even how you are going to pay off the loans?  Does the economy have you looking over your shoulder wondering when the next round of layoffs will be?  Why not work for the federal government?  Your country needs you!  Use your education and skills, get a better job, and serve your country in the process!  Oh, and while you’re at it, maybe you can get the government to pay off some or all of your loans, pay moving expenses, and lots more.  Interested?  Read on!

What is it?

The PMF program is a highly competitive and highly prestigious leadership program that recruits outstanding gradutes students for a two year, full time, paid federal internship.  Its purpose is to source the federal government’s future leaders from the top graduate students in the country.

What are the benefits?

• Good pay: as a PMF, you start off somewhere between the GS-9 and GS-12 pay levels, which in 2009 can be anywhere from about $46,000 to $79,000 depending on where you live.
• Federal benefits: federal agencies offer a wide variety of benefits; each agency offers different things, but you can count on good health insurance at the least.  Also, some agencies pay for relocation expenses, pay back student loans, and may offer starting bonuses.
• Accelerated promotion: Typical promotion path could be appointment at GS-9, one year promotion to GS-11, and promotion at 2 years to GS-12.
• Developmental rotations: PMFs go on at least one 4-6 month rotation, often outside their hiring agencies, to pursue special interests and fulfill specific career enhancement goals.
• Individualized training: PMFs are mandated at least 80 hours of training per year; courses will be dependent on the needs of the agency, but can be tailored to an individual’s long term career goals as well.

Who are PMFs?

PMFs are graduate students who will complete a graduate degree sometime in the application year (September 1 to August 31 of the application year).  What this normally means is that you should be graduating in the Fall or Spring semesters of the academic year in which you intend to apply.  PMFs have a wide array of academic backgrounds and work experience, although in 2009 about 2/3 of the finalists got their degrees in Law, Public Affairs, and Public Administration.  What this means for you is that, if your background is something besides those three, you have a great chance of landing a position without too much competition.  Academic background is important, but work experience and your own interests are even more so.  You should note that becoming a finalist is not a guaranteed job, but if you are diligent and open-minded, you will find something.

What kinds of jobs are there, anyway?

The jobs agencies fill are very diverse and depend largely on the agencies that participate, but you might be surprised at where you might fit in.  As you can imagine, budget plays a big role in the federal government, so finance and accounting are always in style.  IT, especially in the Gov 2.0 climate, is increasingly important, and the government is always in need of those with good business, project management, organizational leadership, and human resources to keep the government doing what it does.  Some agencies use the program every year and recruit large numbers of finalists, and some agencies will try it out for the first time.  It’s always worth talking to agency PMF Coordinators ahead of time to see if they are interested or participating.

How do I apply?

To get started, logon to USAJOBS and follow the application instructions for the PMF vacancy announcement.  Make sure to print out the nomination form so you can take it to your school.  Then contact your school.  Your school will collect the applications and screen for basic qualifications, then forward its list of nominees to the PMF Program Office.  How easy is that?  Oh, and if you’re a preference-eligible veteran, make sure you let the university know; the school has to nominate anyone with a veteran’s preference.  The vacancy announcement will be open from October 1 to October 15, and the school has to have the nominations in by October 31, 2009.

What happens next?

Once the nomination deadline passes, nominees are notified (sometime in November) of their status and invited to take the PMF assessment in January or February at one of the testing centers around the country.  The exam covers critical thinking, writing, and life experiences.  The exam is what determines finalist status, so it is very important to do well.  The number of finalists chosen from the nominees is largely determined by cutoff scores, but veteran’s preference can affect the assessment score.  Sometime in February or March, those selected as finalists are notified of their status and may begin seeking out federal jobs.  A job fair scheduled for the end of March or beginning of April allows finalists to interview with the agencies one on one, and it is not unusual for finalists to have an offer in hand before they leave the job fair (but don’t count on it!).

Where can I find out more?

Visit the official PMF web site.  On it you can find more detailed application information and instructions, available PMF positions for finalists, rotational and training opportunities, and lots more.  Also, I have collected a great deal of information, anecdotal and otherwise, here on my blog (look for the PMF tag for posts specific to the program).

What if my university doesn’t know about the program?

Start with whoever works with scholarships and fellowships for your university or school, then follow up with the director of your program or dean to get things moving.  Many schools have never participated, and they may not know about the program at all; you can help them out by pointing them to this PDF.