Friday, April 12, 2013

2013 PMF: Congratulations

663 of you were selected as finalists.  Congratulations, and good luck securing an appointment!

About 1/3 of you have veterans' preference, which is higher than I've seen in the past.  While it's not a guarantee of a job, it does give you an advantage.

In the past, some of your enterprising fellow PMFs have started and maintained a community spreadsheet for listing positions and such.  If you happen to do the same, let me know and I will make sure it's linked somewhere.

Also in the past, I had operated some polls to get a sense of the usefulness of the job fair.  In light of this year's virtual job fair, I'd be interested to compare with other years.  I'm also especially interested in how the sequester and ongoing budget issues affect you all, so I will take suggestions on how best to conduct that survey as well, if all of you are interested.

Finally, I have to say I am incredibly pleased about the way the PMF site is displaying the 2013 finalists list.  I was able to copy it and paste it into a spreadsheet, which means I don't have to spend gobs of time cleaning up the data.  However, I don't have the applicant and semifinalist data in the same state.  Would anyone like to do this?  For now, I don't care about normalizing the school names (for instance, Harvard University versus Harvard Law School; both are Harvard), just getting them into my database.  In fact, I probably have data from other years that I just haven't had the time to clean up, if anyone is interested.

58 comments:

  1. Definitely banking on veterans pref to get me into one of my top choices. Hopefully it does!

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    1. As it stands now if you are a veteran and tell an agency the specific job you want they can only pass you over for cause. Send a certified letter list for the first job you want, then list "If this job is not filled, I want this job (list the next one you want). The agency will them have to give you a job or not fill any of the jobs. Do it for all agencies. Be sure to tell them that if they try to pass over you to forward you a copy of the pass over attempt. These issue at at the MSPB being vetted. There may be change to the procedures.

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    2. In full disclosure, I am not a veteran. However, this advice sounds like some BS. I think doing this will almost guarantee that you will NOT get a job. Veteran's preference is just that, preference. It means that if you have the exact same qualifications as someone else, you will get the job over the other. It does not mean that if someone else is more qualified for the position that they have to give you the job anyway. Demanding that they hire you, or else is career suicide. Good luck to those that pursue this!

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    3. However, there are, or were, provisions in the PMF regulations covering this. While I've never heard of this specific procedure, what I do recall is that, if the agency advertises a PMF position, and a qualified veteran applies, the agency must demonstrate in writing why the veteran was not suitable for the job. In the past, this has occasionally led agencies to do things like NOT list the positions, because these rules only applied when the position was advertised.

      The unfortunate thing is that some agencies fear having to hire less qualified veterans simply because of the preference, or, if they don't hire a veteran who applied, having to conjure up a set of paperwork documenting why.

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    4. Jen, here is some education on vet preference. Vet preference is not just a one up on someone without preference. Having a 30% or more service connected disability on top of being a veteran is a 10 point preference over any individual who is not a veteran. Being a veteran only without service connected disability is a five point preference. This means that even if someone is more qualified, a veteran could still be required to be hired according to the law. This is the way it ought to be.

      I am not saying I am going to send certified letters to each agency I am applying with, but I do know that those of us with preference will probably have a much easier go of getting a position than those without just on the premise that we start with 5 to 10 more points than those who are not former service members.

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    5. Veterans preference is tricky and occasionally conflicts surrounding it get resolved in courts. PMF's are hired under the excepted service authority. Before Gingery v. Department of Defense (550 F. 3d 1347), OPM regulations allowed less stringent rules for passing over preference-eligible veterans in the excepted category. After the Gingery decision in 2009, veterans are equally protected in both excepted and competitive categories.

      When requesting to pass over a 10 points vet the agency must perform the following:
      • Document the reason(s) for passing over the preference eligible.
      • Justify the reason (s) which must relate directly to the veteran's qualifications and/or fitness for employment).
      • Notify the preference eligible of the proposed pass over, the reasons, and of his/her right to appeal.
      http://www.chcoc.gov/Transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalId=2119

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  2. I sincerely appreciate the education as I was not aware of this rule. Again, I am not a veteran; however, I do not have a problem with veteran’s preference, just in case you interpreted that from my post. I am pro military and if I would not have been selected as a PMF, I would be submitting my application to join the Air Force as we speak. However, there will be some positions where I feel that those extra 5-10 points will still not (and should not) mean that you will get the job over someone that is over and beyond more qualified. Regardless, if it is the rule, then the agencies I'm sure will abide by it and they do not need to be threatened.

    My issue was never with the rule, it was with the idea of sending a certified letter (as David suggested), demanding that they give you the position. I think that most agencies would be so offended by that, that they would definitely take the time to write a letter or do whatever they need to do to avoid having to hiring that person.

    This is just my opinion!

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  3. Can someone explain to me the concept of getting "points" toward a job in the program? Do they deal with the point totals we were judged on in the semi-finalist stage? If so, is there any way to find out where we sit on those points?

    Honestly, I probably know a lot less about the program than most other Finalists which is making it hard for me to judge how likely I am to get a position through the program. Further, I can't tell whether I need a previous degree of specialization/experience in what would overlap the agencies I would want to target.

    If it matters, I am graduating with a JD next month and have a Political Science undergrad degree. I am most interested in jobs in HHS but the only medical background I have is a legal commentary I had published in a legal medical journal. Additional things that have me worried are I have no experience in working for the government previously and I also have no veteran preference.

    Anyone want to give me a little help?

    Thank you

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    1. @All,

      Nope, not talking about points we may have received during the selection process to rack and stack us, I'm pretty sure that all went out the window once the Finalists were selected.

      Now, as to vet preference, this is fairly straightforward, sometimes... :>

      If a job is filled using a points-generated registry (basically, they give applicants a number of points for education, experience, etc, and for being a vet [either 5 or 10 points depending upon certain criteria]) then a vet who falls into the highest qualified group must be given the job UNLESS the agency can provide good cause to pass him/her over and select someone else.

      This is a VERY rough explanation and I confess that, even as a 10 point preference vet I don't really understand all the details, and I'm sure someone will correct some/much of what I've written, but I'm sure you get the idea.

      Chuck

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  4. Jen:

    I have a problem with you. Let it pass. Bottom line I am a 30% or more, 10 points compensable disabled veteran. I do not have to compete for a job. If I tell the agency I want the job, I either get the job, or the agency has to attempt to pass over me at Office of Personnel Management for cause. I have never heard of that being done.

    Take a look at David Dean v. Department of Agriculture (2005), and David Dean v. Officer of Personnel Management (2010), then tell me I do not know what I am talking about. I am that David Dean. I am retired Army, retired federal civil service, and I will be 75 years of age in May. I am a finalist from Capella University.

    If I want an appointment,I will get an appointment. Welcome to the real world.

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  5. Jen:

    One more point, in Feeney V. Mass (1979) the US Supreme Court ruled that veteran preference is absolute.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. I deleted my previous post as I should not have responded. I previously shared my personal opinion and I stand by it. This blog is here to help by sharing information, not to debate on personal opinions. I have appreciated the information shared and it is nice to also have a place to vent frustrations. I do not want to clog the post with arguments.

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    2. Jen - what you posted earlier was well said, so thank you. As a military veteran myself of comparable status to David Dean, I am embarrassed that he is a representative of my military. I've been working in veterans affairs for over two years now, and it is people like him who are growing the polarization in veterans advocacy. People join the military because they have an interest in public service and defense (or they got bored in college), but unfortunately that interest gets mucked up along the way; and they tend to get this undue sense of entitlement. As a former light infantryman and Army Ranger, I would never use my experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan as a "weapon" to force people to give me a job like David Dean; rather I would want to use the experiences to showcase my abilities under the most austere of conditions. And that's what I hope hiring manager see when I speak with them. I am certain that you have experiences just as equitable, if not more relevant than David Dean's and my own, so I wouldn't let his shennanigans affect you, or let you think that you won't land in a nice place in government service. Frankly, I'm just a little embarrassed that I'm on the same PMF list with this David Dean person, and that we share a veteran status. For that, I'm sorry.

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  7. Anyway...In case anybody was wondering. I was under the impression, or at least assumed, that the "new" list of pmf coordinators were going to participate in the vjf. I've inquired on at least 6 of them, and none are participating. Seems as though this whole process was a waste due to the sequester. Anyone has has positive insights on job possibilities? Some of us don't have the luxury to wait around.

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    1. I contacted PMF and asked about some things because someone told me I could lose my PMF finalist status if I applied for regular job announcments on USA jobs. This was wrong info but anyway, PMF told me it is up to me, but ultimately securing a permanent position on USA jobs may be better than the PMF program. This is a two year temp employment with the possibility of getting hired after the second year. Permanent postions are just that, so to answer your question I personally would not wait around. I am applying on USA jobs and if I get a permanent offer I am taking it.

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    2. I don't believe that your information is correct. From the site "Upon certification of completion, which permits immediate conversion to a permanent or term position and carries prestige anywhere you go thereafter."

      I understand this to mean that after completion, you will be offered a full position.

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    3. Here is PMF's response I copy and pasted below. I think everyone will get a permanent position in the end, but with the budget crises, they will cut or furlough a PMF before a permanent employee, but I do think everyone will get on full time as long as the this budget crises doesn't get too worse.....here is what PMF said:

      This is a personal choice for you. A PMF appointment is a 2-year temporary position until all program requirements are met and the appointing agency has a permanent position for you at the end of the two years. If you are able to secure Federal employment via USAJOBS, you might be better off in obtaining a “permanent” position and possibly at a higher grade than what agencies are hiring PMFs at.

      Thank you,
      PMF Program Office

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  8. There are a few coordinators from the old list that have said they are waiting for TAS to launch to post positions, so there will be some available. It is likely that most will wait until September to post positions as I have been informed that a new fiscal year begins in October.

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  9. I'm putting this comment down here to address previous comments more generally.

    Keep in mind this is only my understanding and may not reflect the actual letter of any law. In case it's necessary to add this, I am a) a 10-point preference eligible veteran, b) a former PMF, and c) familiar with federal HR, having worked in it for a while.

    What I am not going to do here is debate the merits of one approach or another in securing a federal job using veterans' preference.

    +++

    There are various ways to apply veterans' preference to job applications. In a regular, competitive arena (i.e., you are applying to jobs on USAJOBS and competing with all the other applicants), eligible applicants are given point scores tallying up their education and experience for the job, atop which the veterans' preference applies, for an extra 5 or 10 points. From this, there are some items to note: first, the applicant has to be eligible to apply (this is detailed under the "Who May Apply" section); second, the scoring works according to the fairly standardized KSA formulae, which means when all is said and done, even a veteran will have to be qualified to actually perform the job, and the application of 5 or 10 points is unlikely to make an unqualified veteran score higher than a more qualified non-veteran.

    Within the context of PMF, there are two places in which the veterans' preference applies. First, during the scoring phase consisting of the multi-hurdle assessments, the points apply directly to the assessed score. In such a case, the points will not push any veteran to the top who otherwise scores far lower than a non-veteran. Where the points make the most difference is where there is a comparable set of scores between a veteran and non-veteran. In that case, obviously the points give the veteran the edge. (As an aside, this year's veteran numbers are higher than what I've seen in the past; this is probably due to a larger number of veterans applying in the first place in the wake of better education assistance programs.)

    The second place veterans' preference applies is now, when finalists are looking for positions. This still works as I described in a previous comment. The job must be advertised for a veteran to submit consideration for it. If a veteran submits an application for an announced job, the agency must either hire the veteran or provide written documentation (what Mr. Dean refers to as the pass-over attempt) as to why the veteran was not qualified to do the job. Things that affect qualification include education background (i.e., no veteran with a 10 point preference is going to get a job in a medical field without the appropriate education) and experience (which is a little more subjective, but there are clear cases where it's not.) In all, the preference-eligible veteran must still be at least minimally qualified for the job for the preference to work. It is not a panacea, in other words.

    This is all well and good when you are simply considering two theoretical candidates, both minimally qualified, one a preference-eligible vetern and one a non-veteran. However, all of this kind of falls apart when you have multiple preference-eligible veterans, doesn't it? And given that nearly 40% of you are veterans this time around, it changes the equation somewhat. I didn't do an analysis, per se, of the degrees and veteran status, but I am willing to bet there's a considerable similarity between the degrees of veterans versus the degrees of non-veterans. With what appears to be a smaller pool of potential positions, at least at the outset, this means that the chance is higher that multiple qualified veterans will apply for the same positions. In that case, the agency still must give the veterans the edge, but if the short-list is populated entirely by qualified veterans, what then? Some veterans will be passed over, that's what.

    In short, yes, a preference eligible veteran certainly has to compete for a job, even in the PMF.

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    1. Okay, I kind of broken down by academic discipline, the list is also in descending order with respect to the number of veterans with preference eligibility. The list is also in descending order with respect to the number of the applicants per discipline based on the veterans density. Of course some disciplines will overlap with each other, so in order to weigh the applicants against each other information such as undergrad major, professional experience and skills will be helpful. For those in the bottom of the food chain, most of them have unique specialties especially those all the way down with no veterans competing with them. I hope this information will be somehow helpful :-)


      - Business Management/Administration: 61 Veterans Against 18 without.
      - Law: 45 veterans against 109 without.
      - Public Administration: has 33 with versus 49 without.
      - International Disciplines: 17 with and 44 without.
      - Health Administration/Public Health: 12 Vets against 32 non vets.
      - Defense/Terrorism: 10 With preference and 2 without.
      - Administration/Management Process: All 7 candidates have preferences.
      - Policy Analysis: 7 with versus 25 without preference.
      - Education: 7 with and 12 without
      - Criminal Justice: 7 with and 2 without
      - Human Resources Development/Policy: 5 with and 1 without
      - Information System Management: All 4 candidates have preferences.
      - Accounting/Finance/Budget: 4 with and 1 without
      - Political Science: 4 with and 9 without.
      - Public Affairs: 3 veterans v 8 civilians.
      - Area Studies (Strategic, Judicial, etc.): 3 veterans v. 7 civilians
      - Conflict Analysis/Resolution: 3 with preferences and 4 without
      - Economics: 3 with preferences and 3 without
      - Behavioral Science: 3 with pref. and 1 without
      - Environmental Sciences/Natural Resources: 2 Veterans and 9 non veterans
      - Environmental Policy/Studies: 2 Veterans and 7 non veterans
      - Biological Science: 2 with and 6 without
      - Architecture: 2 With pref. and 2 without
      - Social work: 2 With pref. and 2 without
      - Cyber Security/Information Security: 2 With pref. and 1 without
      - Psychology: 2 With pref. and 2 without
      - Non-Profit Management/Organizations: 2 veterans
      - Emergency Management: 2 veterans
      - Contracting/Procurement: 2 veterans
      - Acquisitions/Contracts/Grants: 1 veterans
      - Marketing: 1 veterans
      - Engineering: 1 With Pref. and 6 without
      - Government: 1 With Pref. and 4 without
      - Community/Regional Planning/Develop: 1 With Pref. and 4 without
      - Diplomacy: 1 With Pref. and 3 without
      - Justice Administration: 1 With Pref. and 1 without
      **********************No Competition with Veterans below************************
      - History: All 5 candidates don't have preference.
      - Sociologists: All 5 candidates don't have preference
      - Epidemiology: All 3 candidates don't have preference
      - Chemistry: All 3 candidates don't have preference
      - Other Subject Areas (as specified in your resume): 2 candidates W/O pref.
      - Communications: 2 candidates W/O pref.
      - Religion: 1 Candidate without Pref.
      - Urban Management: 1 Candidate without Pref.
      - Journalism: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Human Rights: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Mathematics: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Liberal Arts: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Geography: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Energy/Earth Resources: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Comparative Politics: 1 Candidate without Pref
      - Biohazardous Threats/Emerging Diseases: 1 Candidate without Pref

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  10. So the fair is supposed to take place 2 weeks from today. At this point is it still likely to happen, or will it be delayed? I know many of us are either employed or busy with exams around that time. How are we supposed to plan ahead? Along the same lines,with the TAS system still down, will people actually get to look at resumes or would this be something that takes place during the fair?

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  11. So, in consideration of sequestration, do any non-veteran PMFs have a shot at appointment? Any idea of how many PMF positions will be available this year?

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    1. I would say yes, but but if the veteran has experience and the education it is going to be tough I think.....They will get the tie-breaker if everything else is equal....

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  12. OPM needs to get it together. The "job-fair" is two weeks away and there are still no listings in TAS. This is beginning to feel like a terrible nightmare. I just hope that OPM's mishandling of this process is not representative of what we should expect as future federal employees.

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    1. You need to temper your expectations a bit - this is the FEDGOV we are talking about here. I can count at least two occasions where OPM missed their mark already for the 2013 PMF class. So why does it surprise you that OPM is missing it this time, especially considering how they are launching a "completely new" system (TAS)? The Federal behemoth will always let you down. Let this be your first lesson of many lessons as a PMF.

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  13. I see one (rotational) opportunity posted on TAS... maybe it will *finally* launch tomorrow?

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  14. Has anyone received an email from PMF? Under the comments section in my PMF account, it says that within the next few days, I would receive an email from pmfjobfair@ address. I just want to make sure the email didn't get lost.

    Thanks!

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  15. Nope, no email......and yes I see that one job lol.......I wonder how many applications that will get....I'm guessing at least 50 lol

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    1. Just an FYI for the lone position posted in TAS. It is a rotational opportunity only open to current PMFs. Finalists are not eligible to apply :( Although I'm sure it won't stop some finalists from reaching out regardless.

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  16. Veteran Finalist (Class of 2013)
    April 18, 2013

    Google me - David Dean Veteran Preference, as of ten minutes ago there had been 87,500 hits.
    If you wish to discuss something, email me at ddean@sc.rr.com.
    The current Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) procedure is a veteran must directly tell an agency a job they wish to be placed into. The agency has two choices, put the veteran into the job, or request OPM to allow the agency to pass over the veteran. It is almost unheard of for an agency to request OPM to allow pass over of a veteran. I am not aware that OPM has ever allowed an agency to pass over a veteran. Under current procedures an agency does not have to contact you, you must contact the agency. There is a downside.
    If you request placement in a job the agency does not have to fill the job, the agency does not have to inform you the job is not being filled. It is unethical and execrable for an agency to do this, but federal regulatory guidance allows them. There is only one way around this anti-veteran roadblock.
    Always put everything in writing. A verbal statement is worth the paper it is written upon. Request the job in writing. Something to this effect: I request placement in (blank job), if this job is not filled I request placement in (blank job), list all of the jobs posted. They will either have to place you in a job or not fill any of the jobs. Make sure everything is in writing and keep good written records. Do the same for all agency job listing. Send the letter to the PMF agency representative by certified mail. Do not leave anything to chance.
    This procedure is currently been vetted at the Merit Systems Board (MSPB). If I am not happy with that decision, I will appeal the MSPB's decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
    Remember the Pathways program is a continuation of the so call Outstanding Scholars Program and the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP). They were designed to evade veteran hire.
    In closing, every non-veteran finalist wants a job. They certainly do not want you to have the job. In the application, process covers your butt. The person that takes care of him or her in the federal system is well taken care of indeed.
    Remember veteran preference is not a "tie breaker." You go to the head of the line.

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    1. It's always nice to see such camaraderie among future federal employees.

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    2. @ David Dean, what you are suggesting is that those of us who are veterans with 10 points preference should clog the system during the PMF hiring process. This is honestly unethical and puts the other candidates at great disadvantage. If you read the finalists 'posts from previous years you will see that at times positions are withdrawn for no reason. Also, at times many finalists said that they were offered a position but were contacted afterwards because it turned out that same position had to go to veteran with preference. This program is not like other positions to be filled through USAJobs where we compete with thousands of applicants. There is only 663 finalist, and I don't believe the agencies will be playing games with us here. As veterans we have the luxury to get a letter explaining why a non-veteran beat one of us for a specific position. The non-veterans don't get that, they just get told a veteran was ahead of you if they are told anything at all. While most of skills required for each job are almost similar, the duty description should tell you whether you have any experience in doing those tasks.

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    3. As a fellow Veteran, your comments make me sick David Dean. I will not Google you nor would I hire you if I had any say in the matter. We are quiet professionals who ask for no special treatment.

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  17. Aaron Helton,

    As a former PMF can you answer this question? If I get offered a PMF position, can I back out of it if I find a permanent position within the Federal Government? Thanks

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  18. They have a few positions showing up now. Some for the VA in San Francisco and some for D.C. Anyone biting? I'm going to have to wait for a few more to show up......not to mention a that other thing......the....um.....Virtual Job Fair!!!

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  19. Ken,

    I noticed them a couple of hours ago. The VA Health Administration is one of my top agency choices, but San Francisco is just too far and too expensive. The analyst jobs do not appeal to me either as I have no interest in number crunching. I will also wait for more postings and the virtual fair before diving in.

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    1. Jen,

      Me too, the VHA is my 1st choice and San Fran is too far!!!!! I am waiting for something else. Maybe we will get to work together!!!!

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  20. Just received email update regarding job fair

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  21. The format of the virtual fair is still unclear. I asked a couple of questions, and this is the best I got. The fair will be held roughly during business hours EST. some presentations will be available "on demand". Looks like vendors will have "chat sessions" live/streaming (unclear what this means... interviews? Q&A?) PMF says they will release a schedule of some sort, though I don't know when/if this will really happen. Hope this is useful to some of you.

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    1. I posted this elsewhere. I tried to look up some info about this virtual fair and there are some videos out there... here are some helpful links:
      http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvod26_ciw-virtual-medical-career-fair-tutorial_tech#.UXcvi7WG3Qc

      This one was contracted by Veterans Recruiting Services they got over 20 videos
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMU_NBM4dng

      Hmmm, they even doing this in Australia
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfQruAOpipw

      This is most likely the company that is running the VJF
      http://www.on24.com/products/virtual-environments/

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  22. What GS grade is everyone going to ask for since the positions don't list them? 9/11/ or 12?

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  23. I have an issue with building my resume through USA Jobs. The question for average hours per week is a required question and you can only answer it numerically which would lead me to give a fairly misleading answer one way or the other.

    I worked as a law clerk for a firm from May 2011- December 2012. During May 2011-August 2011, I mostly worked 40 hours a week with the only exceptions being two weeks of heavy overtime and then a week and a half where I couldn't work because of a funeral. After going back to school in August 2011, I continued to work remotely for the firm for the next 15-16 months. However,the amount of time I spent working for the firm was quite sporadic with a majority of weeks where I worked none.

    Given the setup, it would seem like I should find out the total hours worked for the firm and divide by amount of weeks but would that be correct?

    I thought about writing 40 hours and then explaining below that the 40 hours were only for that summer but that seems to misleading.

    Any advice? Thank you in advance

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    1. Are we supposed to fill out anything in USA Jobs???

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    2. Anis, I did an updated resume in USA Jobs a couple of months ago. I wasn't trying to wait around for PMF's site, and I was submitting applications on there. Seeing that employers are starting to select us for interviews, I believe some agencies are looking at USA Jobs resumes.

      All Luck, I'm a 3L. I did the resume builder, but then I tinkered with it and converted it to a more traditional government resume, excluding the hours.

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    3. Marine, at least DOD is going to have the pmf finalists apply through USA Jobs. I emailed the coordinator yesterday when they popped up in TAS. Among other things, I asked her about the occupational questionnaire they referred to. Well, I'm pretty sure lots of folks e-mailed her as well asking tons of questions like me. Today, they updated their post to include a kids FAQ section and they state we can only apply through USA Jobs during the virtual fair period. DHHS state anyone interested must contact the coordinator and his resume will be reviewed to see if he/she qualifies for an interview. I guess every agency will be doing their own thing, and getting the USA Jobs profile updated is one of the things we should take care of now

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    4. @All,

      you could always list the different employment periods as different work experiences, giving the accurate number of hours/week for each. As to the sporadic period, give it your best shot, personally I'd list average of all those weeks, then the first thing I'd discuss in the text block is how you arrived at that number. All that said, I wouldn't sweat that too much, they'll be looking at your education (which makes you eligible for a -9 position by itself) then they'll factor in your experience to see if you're eligible for an -11 position.

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  24. Also a shorter question on interview assesment/points-

    Can each agency see how we scored in the interview round and/or what our strengths were in the six core skills that the program was assessing?

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  25. I'm in a linkedin group and it seems many agencies have started contacting finalists. The word is they are data mining our files and sending positions alerts, and or directly calling those finalists they are interested in. Many of those agencies haven't even posted their coordinators' info yet. So I guess the answer to your question is "Yes" the agencies have full access to everything in our application and assessment files.

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    1. Well, this only tells us they have access to our resumes/CVs, but it doesn't necessarily mean they can see our performance in the different assessment stages

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  26. I have two questions hopefully someone can answer. The first one is, didn't some say a while back that the State Dept isn't hiring any PMF this fiscal year? The second question is, hopefully Aaron can answer this, but if we take an appointment in say the Treasury, can we do a rotational opportunity with the State overseas? Does your appointment limit you in where you can go for rotations?

    Thanks to all who answer:)

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  27. You probably know by now, but State's PMF Advisory Council is doing an informational session on Apr 29th (see posted topic).

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  28. Because of a prior engagement I will be late to this event. I have never been to one of these Hangout sessions and want to know if anyone else has. When I am able to join the session, will I be able to scroll through or look through to see what I may have missed?

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    1. This may help....
      If you cannot join the Google Hangout session, or if you would like to participate in an ongoing conversation after the session, please sign up for a Google Group managed by members of the State and USAID PMF community specifically for PMF Finalists interested in State and USAID: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/PMF-Finalists-StateUSAID.

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  29. I just discovered the PMF Program on the FBI's website and am interested. However, is this program limited to just graduate students or are undergraduate students apply as well? I would like to know since I am an undergraduate student.

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