It's been quiet lately in PMF land. That doesn't mean nothing is going on, though. Two bits of information that will eventually affect you, potential 2013 class, deal with the Pathways program and, by extension, the new application system that should be available for this application period.
If you recall, the Pathways program was an attempt to streamline entry into federal service. The biggest changes were 1) the dropping of the nomination requirement, so you no longer have to be nominated by your school, and 2) a change in the eligibility window such that you need only have completed a graduate degree within the last two years to be eligible to apply. These changes are now in effect.
According to what OPM published on the Federal Register in July, the new application system is intended to field some 25,000 applicants this year (and the application process is estimated at 13 minutes). Keep in mind this is nearly triple the highest applicant pool they've dealt with in the past. This should be interesting.
As I did last year, I had hoped to round up a quick count of hires by this point by way of comparison. I didn't manage to get the numbers, though, but will try to update this post in the next day or two to include them. At some point, I know I owe the community the data from 2012's class, but wouldn't you know I've been too busy to sit down and play with it?
Finally, about the application period. I don't really know when it will start this year. It usually starts after people have gotten back to school from summer break, so they'll have time to chase down nominating officials. Since that's no longer part of the process, I'm guessing you all know as much as I do. Stay tuned, I guess. In the mean time, chime in if you're planning to apply this year. I suspect this is going to be an interesting ride.
Oh, and if you're a newcomer (most of you will be), please familiarize yourself with the Comments Policy.
