November 5th. That’s the day would-be Presidential Management Fellows can begin their applications for the prestigious program.
The highly competitive and very thorough application process is incredibly hard to successfully navigate. But we here at GovLoop are here to help.
Our team in partnership with the Robertson Foundation for Government, have designed an interactive guide, website and videos to help you get a step ahead.
The website offers a comprehensive resource for every stage of the application process, including:
- Historical program overview and insider insight on the PMF program,
- Tips on the application process and past interview questions,
- Practical advice on the online and in-person assessment,
- Analysis from historical data on popular graduate degrees, top universities, and top hiring agencies, and
- Successfully managing the job fair and placement process.
Andrew Krzmarzick is GovLoop’s Director of Community Engagement. He has worked closely in the development of the Path to PMF Guide.
He told me on the DorobekINSIDER program how the this year’s guide emerged.
What makes this guide special?
“We conducted interviews with former and current PMFs, career advisors at colleges and universities who have had successful applicants as well as PMF coordinators. It’s a very through and expansive guide,” said Krzmarzick.
Forums
“Right now we have 3-4 very active forums that we’ve opened up. There are threads where people can ask questions. Our teams responds to each of those questions. OPM has also verified the authenticity of our answers, so applicants know the information they get from us is accurate,” said Krzmarzick.
Videos
“Each of our videos goes through a portion of the application process,” said Krzmarzick, “applicants get to hear the experiences of people who have been through the program and know what works.”
Difference between our guide and the official OPM Website?
“OPM offers the official information. What we provide is an view and perspecitive from people who have been there. What you get from us is commentary and insider tips,” said Krzmarzick.
OPM Approved?
“The new team over at OPM who are in charge of the PMF program has been very involved. A number of their staff went through the guide and website with a fine tooth comb. So everything is very accurate and up to date,” said Krzmarzick.
Biggest Change between this year and last?
“They’ve expanded the eligibility requirements. Now applicants are eligible if they graduated after November 2010 through if they graduate from their program this summer. OPM is expecting roughly 30,000 applicants. Last year they had about 9,000. But it’s for the same 450 spots. So it’s much more competitive,” said Krzmarzick.
Resume Building
“One of the biggest themes that’s emerged so far is the applicants interest in resume building help. Federal resumes are totally different than resumes you would submit to the private sector. We will be hosting a live interactive webinar on November 13. There you can get tips and ask questions about how to build the best resume. We will also show you all sorts of before and after resumes so you can model yours,” said Krzmarzick.
Read Krzmarzick’s blog post “Advice for Acing the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Application” to learn more tips and tricks.