PMF Resources

PMF Survival Guide

This is an incredible program. You are being given opportunities now that you are unlikely to have at any other time in your career. Take advantage of these chances and (most importantly) have fun .

Key things to consider as you look for a PMF position:

No one has more influence over whether you have a successful and rewarding experience as a PMF than YOU . Take control.

There is an unwritten PMF code . Current and former PMI/PMFs will tell you the naked truth. They expect the truth from you as well. Everywhere I've gone, PMFs and former PMI/PMFs have been willing to drop everything if I ask for some of their time. Ask them anything and they are likely to tell you the unvarnished truth. Some of what you hear will be in confidence (particularly information about individuals). Use discretion when discussing privileged PMF information. Remember to return the favors when the new crop of PMFs starts calling on you in a year.

The Career Fair

How you approach the career fair and the job search will probably be the most significant phase of the PMF program for you – in terms of determining whether you have a positive or negative overall experience during your two years.

If you are an experienced job hunter, the PMF career fair will be a treat. For the most part, you will be dealing with subject matter experts who will appreciate and share your esoteric interests. Many of the people you will talk to are either current or former PMFs themselves so they understand what you are going through. You'll be able to establish immediate rapport. Often times, the section or department chief will be there doing the recruiting themselves. If you are hired, they will be your boss. This is a good opportunity to interview them as they interview you. There will be professional personnel recruiting as well. Best of all, you will be a hot commodity (more on this later).

If you have one, bring a cell phone to the career fair. You'll find it easier to set up appointments, chase down elusive people, and do phone interviews.

Be clear (well, as clear as possible) in your own mind about what you want. Equally important (and perhaps easier) is to identify what you don't want.

First impressions are everything. The people doing the hiring will not have time to form a second opinion or revise their first.

• Dress Appropriately. Consider accoutrements carefully.
• Consider the audience to whom you are intending to appeal. For example, a clean-cut appearance may be more important to the FBI than USAID.
• Take everyone seriously.

You are in control of the process.

•  Don't get swept up in the chaos of the career fair.

•  Don't accept a position out of a fear that it will be offered to someone else.

•  You can afford to be choosy.

•  There will always be a position available to you through the PMF program – do the math. How many jobs are available to PMF finalists on the website? How many PMF finalists are there?

•  Be courteous and respectful of others. Don't waste anyone's time. If you are not interested in their position, tell them – before they launch into a 20 minute spiel.

Take notes . You will be experiencing information overload and your memory is fallible. Notes will be a way of keeping track of people and reconstructing interviews if you need to. The important elements of information may not be entirely clear right away. It is useful to be able to go back to your notes and see what was actually said. A corollary to this rule is: carry a pad of paper or steno notebook and pen everywhere.

The “ Book ” of jobs available on OPM's website is not the final word on PMF positions. Other organizations, or other sections within participating agencies may be interested in hiring PMFs.

•  Call the HR sections of organizations you would be interested in working for.

•  Search OPM's USA Jobs website. You may be able to find a position offered there and be able to convince them to hire you – it is easier to hire a PMF than someone without this kind of preferential treatment in hiring.

•  Current and former PMFs may be able to identify who you should talk to or point you in the direction of some possible openings you may not have considered.

•  Talk to the manager of the office you'd be interested in working. They may not be aware of the possibilities engendered through the PMF program or they may be able to pull a few strings to open a PMF billet in their office.

•  Don't be afraid to sell the program. Put together an information packet that would be useful to someone not familiar with the program. Put this together with your resume or a biographical summary.

If possible, talk to PMFs who are already working in a prospective office.

•  If they are at an “official” function, be aware that they may be reluctant to paint less than a rosy picture with a supervisor close by. They may even be under a gag order not to talk about anything negative in their experiences at the agency!

•  Find a time away where you can talk in private, preferably after hours in person.

•  Be aware that the PMF code is to tell the unvarnished truth to other PMFs.

If you live in or go to school in the Washington area, take advantage of your proximity to make contact with people in the organizations that you are most interested in before the career fair. You can be certain that they are checking on you. The corollary to this is that your advantage evaporates as the career fair arrives. Everyone is on equal footing as soon as the fair starts. Don't be tempted to put off interviews until the following week if you can squeeze them in during the career fair. Despite what you are told, positions can fill very quickly and you can find yourself interviewing for a position that already has been filled. (Note that this does not apply to the extra-procedural processes like that of the Office of the Secretary of Defense).

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Knowing that you will be the one selected for that ideal position can lead to profound disappointment and a mad scramble to find a position after many have already been filled. Interview lots. If nothing else, the multiple interviews will provide practice for the ones that are for positions that are most appealing to you.

Don't put an agency on hold indefinitely. If you are waiting for word on another position, let others know and ask them if they are willing to wait. If they can't, make the choice. If you are holding open multiple positions, you are not being fair to other PMIs who may also be interested in those positions.

Find out about an agency's requirements for security clearances . Ask what they will be looking for. Each agency has its own criteria. Different positions within an organization may have different clearance requirements as well. For example, DEA is very strict on past drug use and will quantify what is and what is not acceptable. Don't be afraid to ask where those lines are. Consider the answer carefully before accepting a position with that organization. You could find your PMF career derailed if you have problems with the granting of an agency's security clearance.

Nurture a relationship with a current or former PMF who shares your interests. They can be an invaluable source of information that could help you avoid the pitfalls of the job search and the PMF program.

Agencies and Departments are required to live by the minimum standards established by OPM for the PMF program. Most do. Ask around for details about the different agencies.

Some agencies have poor track records when it comes to providing training or rotational opportunities. Find out which agencies are routinely criticized by their own PMFs and take this fact into consideration before accepting a position with them. Consider writing a contract specifying your minimum expectations for rotations and training and have your prospective supervisor sign it before accepting the position. This has been a successful strategy for some who have wanted to work for a particular agency but have known about difficulties past PMFs have had in securing rotations and training.

There is a wide variety in the ways organizations use the PMF program. These are not necessarily the right or wrong ways to run the program, but could have a profound impact on whether or not you realize your expectations.

•  Some organizations use the PMF program as a recruiting tool. OPM does the screening and they hire someone into a permanent billet. These positions tend to be more rigid in terms of training and/or rotations. A plus side of this is that you know what job you will have at the end of the two years.

•  Other organizations hire PMFs into a nebulous slot that allows them to float from position to position to gain a wide variety of experiences. While providing maximum flexibility, there is no guarantee that the ideal position will be available at the end of the two years.

There are obvious (and subtle) advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.