Public Works

Presidential Management Fellows Program - Deadlines September 23 (Law School) and 25 (PMF Application)

Quick Overview

As many of you know, the Presidential Management Fellows Program (“PMF”) is an excellent way to enter federal government service after graduation.  The Office of Personnel Management runs the PMF program, which was created by Executive Order in 1977 to attract the most talented graduate students from all disciplines to become future federal government leaders.  PMF Finalists apply for fellowships (2-year jobs) with the approximately 80 federal agencies that participate in the program.

Last year, roughly 9100 graduate students from across the country competed to be finalists and about 850 obtained them.  Virginia Law had 4 PMF finalists.  Our alumni PMF Fellows work in agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Space and Missile Systems Center.  Read more general information about the PMF program here.

Selection Process for Finalists

PMF Finalists are selected through the following structured process:

(1)    applying on-line for the PMF program;

(2)    getting nominated by their school;

(3)    taking an on-line assessment that measures leadership skills and judgment; and

(4)    if chosen as a semi-finalist, completing an in-person interview that also measures leadership skills and judgment.  Read here for more information about the selection process.

For the first time in program history, the 4^th phase (in-person assessment) will no longer involve  oral presentations and group interactions at an assessment center.  Instead, trained staff will conduct 2-member panel interviews with semi-finalists that will last approximatley 45 minutes to an hour.  Interviews will focus on behavioral questions. 

Fellowship Placement with Agencies 

Once chosen as finalists, students begin the placement phase. This starts with attending a PMF career fair in the spring at which many finalists find jobs with particular agencies.  For those that don’t, they have 1 year from the the date they are announced as finalists to find an agency match.  It’s important to remember that PMF Fellows are not guaranteed jobs.  Also, jobs for PMF Fellows are typically for non-legal positions, although it’s possible to obtain a legal job. 

PMF appointments last 2 years. Fellows who succesfully complete their appointments are guaranteed continued federal employment.  Read here for more information.

Timelines

Come to our Public Service Center panel on the Presidential Management Fellows Program on September 9^th at 12 p.m.  in WB 105 to ask your questions about the selection and job placement processes.  We’ll have Susan Beall ’11, currently at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to talk about her experiences, as well as our staff.

Read the PMF website timelines and site in full, as there are many details you’ll need to keep in mind. Here are the timelines (student deadlines in orange): Download PMF Timeline

Questions?

Email us at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu and attend our September 9^th panel at 12 p.m.  in WB 105. 

Good luck!  We hope you’ll think about applying.

 

Equal Justice Works Career Fair in D.C.

What better way to finish the week of Fall Break than a quick trip to D.C. to attend Equal Justice Works' annual career fair?  The dates: October 21-22, 2011, with registration closing September 12.  The cost: $25 for students. The Public Service Center will reimburse the first 20 students who register and submit their printed receipt to our office.

If you're interested in government agencies and nonprofits, this is a great chance to interview with many employers under one roof.  Or, you can chat them up at "table talks" and make some contacts.

We'll be attending the EJW conference on those days and would love to see you there.  Here's the link to their career fair webpage: http://bit.ly/pcYibz

Rising

Whether you’re tiptoeing down obscure halls in the law library searching for your interview room or packing up your apartment, you’re all now in the act of rising—as 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls. It’s a busy time. I know, because in the five short weeks I've been back at the  Law  School  as Yared  Getachew’s successor and your new Assistant Dean for Public Service, I’ve met and talked with many of you about your summer jobs and plans for future jobs. I’m already impressed by how much better you are at grabbing your job search by the horns than I was as a student—smarter, savvier, more creative.

Sitting at my desk in Yared’s old office, trying to make sense out of Symplicity, I’m reminded that I’m in the act of rising, too.

My background working as a litigator and transactional attorney with local governments (here in Albemarle and in Henrico) gives me a good sense of what it’s like on the employer’s side of the interview table. But I’ll need to learn throughout this year from all of you and from my great colleagues here at the Public Service Center and Career Services Office. Things like, what do you want to see the PSC offer this year? How can we do a better job of helping you map out your career goals and get there? Stay tuned: in the next couple of weeks we’ll be reaching out to hear your ideas. We’re also putting together a slate of exploratory speaker panels this fall to give you quick windows into the major public service practice areas.

So let me say now what you already know: this year isn’t going to be easy.

Legal aid organizations across the country and even big federal agencies are cutting back in the face of uncertain, shrinking budgets. But know that we are here for you—to counsel, brainstorm, help you with your fellowship applications and networking strategies, your interview skills, your tenth customized cover letter. And if you’ve never been to the Public Service Center but are interested in public service—come. Public service isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you came to law school knowing you wanted to be a public defender or decide as a 3L that  you’re interested in working for the federal government,  we want to meet you  and—hopefully—help you launch that career.

So welcome, rising 1Ls, 2Ls and 3Ls. Let’s meet this year’s challenges head-on—and rise to them.