PMF Resources

General Guidance on the PMF Program

•  This is your program. You get out of it what you put in.

•  You will make mistakes. Make them, learn from them, and then move on. Your supervisor expects you to make them.

•  The PMF program has an incredible reputation. People are willing to hire you on the spot because of your status. Don't squander that reputation. No program is invincible. Too many difficulties with PMFs will give ammo to those who would change and limit the program. Have respect for those who will follow you in the program.

•  Get a hold of your own organizational phone book (it may also be available on the intranet, internet, or CD-ROM ). It will be hopelessly out of date, but is useful for illustrating organizational connections. It will give you a way to contact someone who may know how to put you in touch with the person who can really help you out.

•  When interviewing in a particular office, ask if they have an internal phone list. This is the one of the best ways for ensuring you can make contact with the right people.

•  “Your rolodex is your life.” Take the time to keep your contacts list up to date throughout your rotations. The importance and value of your informal network of contacts both in and outside your agency cannot be overstated.

•  People are the key. For your potential rotations and areas of interest, get contact names and phone numbers from everyone you talk to.

•  Get access to the network and internet as soon as possible.

•  If you don't have it, ask for it. The worst that can happen is that you are told it can't happen.

•  Things never go as planned. Fortunately, there is always a waiver.

•  Don't be willing to accept no as a final answer. There is always another way. But, don't do an end run around your supervisor and expect that you won't create some resentment (that will come back to haunt you)

•  Take Metro. With the monthly $100 mass transit subsidy, public transportation is the way to go. Driving may sound more attractive until you realize what Washington traffic is like.

•  You have special status and standing as a PMF. Take advantage of the access this affords. You will not have the same kind of broad, instant access anytime after the internship.

•  Don't be afraid to chart new territory in your choice of schools and rotations, but be aware that you may face challenges if the people you are working for are not familiar with the PMI program. They may not be as eager to give you significant responsibility if they have never had experience with PMFs.

•  Your supervisor or mentor might have the clout to get you into a school or training that might be closed to all but a select few. Ask if they know about special training opportunities.

•  To be treated like you are important, you have to look and act important. The people who walk down the center of the corridors looking up and making eye contact are important. Well, they seem important. At least people get out of the way. Really, self-confidence and self assuredness make good impressions. That good impression may eventually lead to an excellent rotation or the conversion you want.

•  Dress for the position you want to have. Look and act the part of a senior executive in your organization. It will make a difference in how people relate to you. After a couple of weeks in the agency, you will be able to pick out a contractor from 50 meters just by the casual clothes they are wearing. Use this phenomenon to your advantage – have people assume you must be someone important. They will then treat you that way.

•  Treat everyone with dignity and respect. I know. This is a given. The military ranks tell you a lot about the hierarchy and it is easy to rely on the rank as an indicator of how important a person is. Despite what I said about contractors in the last bullet, it may be difficult to tell anything about someone in civilian clothes with any degree of certainty. Don't make assumptions about a person's status/rank based on external appearances. You will meet some very young SESs. A person in civilian clothes may be a flag officer off duty, a contractor, a political appointee, a GS-15, or a mail clerk. You just can't tell. The wrong guess about who or what someone is can get you into some hot water.

•  Be flexible. Your plans should evolve as you learn more about your organization and the possibilities of various rotations and how they fit into your ultimate goals.

•  If you've made it this far, you are extraordinarily good at one or several things. But be assured that there is someone better at it than you. Maintain a sense of humility or you may find yourself humbled.

•  Be up front with people during your rotation. Let your supervisors know your plans, and keep them apprised of any changes. You might feel uncomfortable about talking to them about leaving, but they need to know these things and will appreciate your honesty even if they are sorry to see you go.

•  Start looking for a place to convert right after your 1 year anniversary. Don't start looking at the end of your second year or you may be disappointed.

•  That having been said, don't be obsessive about finding a job during your two years. If you do good work and maintain professional contacts, you will be picked up for a conversion. Have fun and take advantage of opportunities, even if they don't fit squarely in your career development plans.

•  There is absolutely no reason to compete with other PMFs. There are plenty of rotation and conversion possibilities so that you don't have to try to beat out someone with similar interests. You will gain far more from a cooperative approach to the program and your fellow PMFs.

•  We're given four weeks to get on our feet. It may sound like a lot of time, but it will be gone before you realize it. Make use of the entire time. Don't be swayed by offers and promises to cut short your four weeks. You will be better off having used every day of that gift of time.

•  You may want to get business cards with your new postion. They are very useful to hand out to establish contacts and are a professional statement about who you are.

•  Find out if your organization has a newspaper or news magazine. These can be an good way to figure out what is going on in the agency outside of your immediate organization. Some agencies have an online newsletter that will keep you posted on events and opportunities.

When scouting out possible rotations:

•  Consider what skills you will be developing during a rotation. A rotation with a lot of exciting things to do won't be as valuable as one that develops critical skills. Of course, the best rotation will be the one where you will develop skills while you are having a blast. You can talk to anyone during your first four weeks. Don't be intimidated by rank/title/position. Almost everybody will be delighted to talk to you. Those who can't find the time to meet with you will tell you upfront.

•  When planning out your rotations, keep focused. One PMF kept three things in mind when doing her rotations: Experience, Exposure, and Credibility. Even if you don't have a firm idea of where you want to convert in two years, making sure you gain these three things will go a long way toward positioning you for a terrific position.

•  Prepare a bio. It would also be helpful to put together some general information about the PMF program. This should give people some idea of who you are and the process you went through to get selected. Many people will ask you to fax your bio to them before an interview. You may be able to enlist your PMF program coordinator to help you land that coveted rotation. They may be willing to give a personal briefing about PMFs to anyone who needs or would like more information.

•  Remember that rotation scouting is primarily an intel gathering mission. The view from the top is different from the view from the bottom. You don't get the complete picture unless you are able to put all the pieces together. Take the time to talk to the bosses, the bosses' secretaries and the worker bees.

•  Make sure a physical space is available for you. You won't get much out of the rotation if you are sitting down the hall away from all the action without a computer.

•  Ask about training and travel opportunities. If they say something like “I'll see what I can do” or “We'll try to work something out” run away. Nothing will materialize. The best evidence of commitment is past performance. Ask where other PMIs have gone during a rotation there.

•  Ask for specific details about what you will be doing.

•  If you are told that you will be working with so and so, go to them and ask them what you would be doing. Their response may give you some enlightenment.

•  Pay less attention to the title of an organization than to what they are doing. Often these may seem unrelated.

•  Jump at the opportunity to do a rotation at a newly formed Task Force. You will be busy, and will be performing substantive work as an equal member of an ad hoc team.

•  Make sure you have a computer (with access to the internet – yes, hard to believe, but there are still places where you won't have access).

•  Ask about portfolios. Will you have one? Are you taking over someone's while they are on temporary duty?

•  An element that has a key member going on temporary duty or extended leave may free up a large portfolio that you can step in and take right away. You get their desk, computer and their entire workload. This can be quite an opportunity to do things not normally available to interns.

•  Ask about an organization's budget, personnel changes, downsizing, etc. A unit that is shrinking is likely to have lower morale and limited funds. Key point: An organization with scarce resources will spend those resources on it's own people first before spending them on a PMI.

•  Don't be afraid to say no. Some people will recruit you very heavily. Be up front – If you're not interested, tell them. (But don't burn any bridges).

•  A rotation that isn't up to your expectations can be cut short. Don't be afraid to leave (even after a week or a month) if you aren't getting what you need from the rotation. It is important to contact your PMF program coordinator if things start going down hill on a rotation. The coordinator may be able to improve the situation.

•  Many of the senior level people you meet will have agendas they are trying to advance. It is helpful to realize this and ask yourself the question, “Where do I seem to fit into their agenda?” You may find yourself gravitating toward someone who has a vision you share, or staying clear of someone with whom you don't necessarily see eye to eye.

•  Be open to doing a rotation with a remarkable leader in an office where the subject matter may not be the most appealing. A good leader will make things exciting for you. A good portfolio and poor management above you can be a miserable combination.

•  Timing is everything. Some offices operate on a yearly cycle. Time your rotation so that you are seeing the real action. You don't want to rotate into a section just as it is winding down after the big push to get funding approved for its programs. The lead-up to a big event may be your opportunity to have real substantial contributions to the event.

•  If your contact person is a jerk on the phone, or a jerk at your interview, what makes you think they won't be a jerk during your rotation? An office with a great mission and fascinating work probably isn't worth doing a rotation in if the people there are going to treat you like dirt.

•  Reality check. Those offices that have former PMFs and/or a steady stream of PMFs coming through on rotations will generally give you the most opportunities. Agencies where PMFs haven't gone before will be tentative about giving you weighty work.

•  You will find that some senior people who have had no exposure to the PMI program will view you with suspicion and expect that they will have to babysit you for your four months. You take a risk by accepting a rotation within their organization, even if you are eventually able to prove your worth to them.

•  Sell the program. Sell yourself. Convince the doubters that they will gain by having you rotate through their office (And remember your PMF coordinator can help with customized presentations and good handouts).

•  To start a rotation, have your new prospective supervisor produce and sign a memo that states specifically what you will be doing on your rotation. Have them include training and travel you have discussed. It will serve as your contract and will serve to guarantee that you will be doing substantial work. You can write the memo yourself and have your supervisor sign off on it, but it may not carry the same weight as one they created. They may not be as inclined to stick to the intent of your memo.

•  While on rotation, don't wait for your inbox to fill. Someone will fill it, but it won't be really satisfying work. Nor will you impress anyone by showing that you can tread water reasonably well. Stake out your own territory and seek out or create projects you will enjoy working on. You will get more out of those sorts of projects and they will add real value to your rotation.

•  Be aware of your impact on your co-workers and bosses while on rotation. You may find that your new coworkers are threatened by or resentful of your special status. You may get to go on a trip that would have been someone else's slot. You may be getting some of the plum assignments. Your boss may feel pressured to work harder, stay later, or give up parts of their routine so they won't be shown up by ‘the intern'. Be observant and stay aware of the people around you.

Lean on the PMF network when you need help. We really are everywhere. Be there for PMFs who are having a rough time. You are the one who will make the choice to make this a stronger program.

Above all, have fun. This should be the time of your life.