Career Services Blog

Presidential Management Fellows (PMF): A Great Federal Career Opportunity

September 24, 2009

Are you interested in a great job after graduation? How about one that comes with:

• Great benefits suchs as a salary of $50,400 to $73,000
• Possible student loan repayment of up to $60,000
• Rotational work experience
• Extensive training
• Agreat network of mentors
• Excellent health and retirement benefits
• Working with a federal agency of interest to you, such as USAID, environmental protection agency, or departments of agriculture, commerce, education, health and human services, housing and urban development, transportation, and more

If so, then you should apply for the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF). This is a special paid, two-year post-graduate fellowship program in the federal government that is exclusively for students finishing a graduate program between September 1, 2009, and August 31, 2010.  The PMF program is only one of several excellent post-graduate fellowships that are typically converted to permanent positions.  Find out more PMF at a special presenation on October 1

PLEASE NOTE: You only have one chance to apply for PMF between Oct. 1-15, 2009.

Application Process

1. Create an account and upload your resume with the USAJobs Career Center.  Even though the application opens on October 1, you should do this right now because the process takes a little while.
2. Prepare your Evans School nomination package.  To do this you must submit following four items to the Career Services Office, Parrington Hall, room 109N, or via email to hkrasna@u.washington.edu by 5 p.m. on October 15, 2009:
   • OPM Form 1300: Once you complete the PMF online application, USAJobs will produce this fax form for the nominating official to sign. Print and fill out the form with the following information:
     • Federal School Code: 003798
     • Graduate Degree: Public Administration
     • Nominating Official: Rachel Garshick Kleit
   • Your resume
   • An unofficial transcript
   • 500-word essay on:
     • Why you're interested in being a Presidential Management Fellow and serving in federal government
     • Your breadth and quality of accomplishments
     • Your capacity for leadership
     • Your demonstrated commitment to a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs

If you don't submit the above documents, your application will be rejected.

After you submit the above forms, and if you are nominated by the Evans School, you will be notified about the PMF Assessment Test that will occur in late January or early February 2010.

You can find additional details about the program at EvansJobs under job ID #4246.  EvansJobs also contain information about other fellowships, including those in the federal government, state and local government, nonprofit organizations, corporations with a public affairs focus, and international NGOs under the file "Handouts & Resources for the Fellowships."

Successful Interviewing

May 29, 2009

It takes a lot of time and effort to get an interview for a job or internship. And how you handle yourself in the interview process will generally determine whether or not you get an offer. Bombing an interview is never fun (unless someone else is doing the bombing- like in the videos found here).

The topic of interviewing is broad enough to justify entire books. But below are a few good fundamentals.

Preparation

The best interviewees are exhaustively prepared. So once you've scheduled an interview, research as much as you can about the organization and the position for which you are applying. Know the organization's history, its mission, its position in the greater market and/or community, and its leadership. You should also know the position description inside and out. And you must also know yourself. Your work history, your formal education, your career goals and personal motivations must all be presented in the context of what the organization does and what they are looking for in a given candidate. In essence, you want to focus on the value you bring to the employer.

It's also important to know that the structure of interviews can vary widely. Some can be conversations over coffee, while others are all-day events that include formalized tests and on-the-spot performance assessments. So make sure that the way you present yourself is appropriate for the way the interview is conducted.

Delivery

But in the end, it's the content and delivery of your answers that will most lead to a successful or unsuccessful interview. So below are some frequently asked interview questions, and some notes to help you answer them.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
This is designed to be an icebreaker. A good framework is to talk about three things: where you've been, where you are now, and where you want to go in the future. It's alright to be a little personal, but not too much so. Give them a window into what inspires you to do the kind of work you do. Keep this answer under three minutes.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This is one of the most commonly asked interview questions, so prepare a unique answer for each interview. Your response should demonstrate that you have a career plan and that the position you're interviewing for fits into that plan. The employer's interest is strictly professional. Be honest with the interviewer, and reasonably express how your core competencies will allow you to achieve your short term and long-term goals.

What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
Here the interviewer is trying to determine what you bring to the position. Demonstrate experience with or passion for the types of responsibilities you'll be expected to do in the role you're interviewing for. Don't just state your strengths, but elaborate on them and relate them to the responsibilities of the job you're trying to land. Convince me!

What is your greatest weakness?
The best general strategy here is to tell them about something you've improved upon. Make sure you spend more time talking about how you have improved upon, or mitigated the weakness than on the problems associated with it. When talking about how you have addressed the weaknes, give examples that are painstakingly specific, especially if your answer is "I tend to take on too many tasks/I have a hard time saying ‘no'" or "I'm a perfectionist" as these are by far the most common answers to this question.

Why should we hire you?
This is your chance to truly sell yourself. You should never walk into an interview without knowing how to answer this question. And you should be prepared to demonstrate three areas of alignment:

• Technical: tell them how your experience and education have provided you with the skills to do the nuts and bolts of the job.
• Cultural: explain what it is about their organization that you respect (i.e. their mission, their capacity for innovation, their reputation as a leader) and why that is important to you.
• Professional: describe the potential for a mutually beneficial relationship. How will success in this role help you achieve your long term professional goals?

The Career Services team at the Evans School can provide more extensive guides on interviewing and can also schedule a mock interview to provide you with feedback about the content and delivery of your answers to these and other questions. We can also help you come up with specifically tailored questions to ask your interviewer(s), which is another key element of a successful interview. To find out more, stop by Career Services in Parrington Hall, room 109 or contact us at evansjob@u.washington.edu.

Report from Washington DC

May 1, 2009

This past spring break, 8 Evans School students visited Washington DC to make networking connections. They met with numerous alumni, from agencies like USAID, the EPA, GAO, and many more. We asked them to report back on their experience, and we heard from a few of them as well as some alumni. Here's our first report. If you attended this "field trip" to DC, please send a report for future blog posts to evansdcs@u.washington.edu.

From an international development networker:

I had a busy week in Washington, DC. I was fortunate to meet with people in a number of organizations including USAID, Congressional Research Service, The International Monetary Fund, The State Department, RAND Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and a several others. I found that:

• Number one tip: Don't wait until you're ready to graduate or looking for jobs to do informational interviews. I had at least a couple people say, "Shucks, we could have found a great DP for you."
• While people are definitely very busy, they're still usually willing to talk to an interested graduate student. I also had great luck with people I had no connection with besides an interest in their work/organization.
• Contacts will know lots of places you wouldn't have known to look for openings. Ask about this specifically.
• Almost everybody was more than willing to connect me with their friends and colleagues. It's also a pretty small world.
• For men: I initially tried to get around it, but I'd highly recommend a suit/jacket and tie in DC. I found Zara and H&M good affordable options.
  (It's even cheaper if you return something at the end of the week...)
• Not everybody will understand the informational interview concept.
  Don't be afraid to interrupt and say you really want to know about their experiences. Advantages include less chance for you to say something foolish, you learn what their work is really like, and you build better rapport.
• Don't hesitate to get feedback on your resume if you can. I only did a couple times and wish I had asked more people. Also be sure to ask what makes candidates stand out and how hiring decisions are made. You might be surprised.

From a Presidential Management Fellowship Finalist:

I survived the PMF Job Fair... and I accepted an offer from EPA's Climate Change Division, in the Climate Science and Impacts Branch! I'm very excited about this opportunity because it's in exactly the area I wanted to work.

I met several alumni of various backgrounds; despite the age range of these alumni, all of them got their start in federal government with the PMF program. One alumnus, now a high-ranking director at the EPA, says he was in the very first class of PMIs (the former name of the PMF program)! He started out working with the Department of Defense in Hawaii, dropped out of the PMI program to pursue his PhD, and made his way back into government after that. He's now in the Senior Executive Service (SES), so he talked a lot about understanding the tradeoffs between family life and dedication to work, especially if you have ambitions to make it all the way up to the SES.

Another alumna started out with NOAA's National Weather Service, was able to do 4 rotations during her PMI (which is a lot! almost unheard of) and ended up converting into a permanent position with NOAA's Legislative Affairs. She moved away from DC for a while, and then moved back and got this job with the National Park Service's Legislative Affairs office. She says that once you get into Legislative Affairs, you can become somewhat pigeon-holed (i.e., it's harder to move out of the DC office and into a managerial position in the field, if that's what you're looking for), but it's fast-paced, high profile, and generally pretty exciting work. All of the alumni I met are very nice people who seem very open to talking to Evan students. One was particularly helpful with advice about environmental positions at the PMF Job Fair.

From an alumna at an international development nonprofit:

Things went well during the Evans student visits in DC.

I've been meeting with other job seekers and former Evans students as well, and noticed that Evans students seem to be directed heavily to GAO jobs. The GAO is fantastic, but there are many other DC opportunities as well. I've tried to explain that it's critical to determine if a candidate would like a more analysis-heavy, "desk job" when considering the GAO.

Another question that I've fielded recently from Evans students: I want an international development career with NGOs. Should I be looking at the jobs with "beltway bandits"? In the midst of the economic downturn, these private, for-profit contract firms are still hiring while many NGOs are in hiring freeze mode. You can often get around NGO hiring freezes by looking at consultancies/temporary positions and starting the job process earlier (because it takes longer internally to get exceptions made for the most mission-critical jobs). That said, I'd encourage students and job seekers to stay true to what they want most and envision for their career path as much as possible.

DC Metro Area Online Nonprofit Job Listings:

• Idealist.org
• CareerHQ.org
  Association jobs through ASAE
• Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington DC (YNPNdc)
• dc.oodle.com/job/nonprofit
• www.thehill.com/employment/
• Temp Firms with Many Nonprofit Clients:
  • www.nonprofittemps.com
  • PoliTemps
  • Ruthi Postow Staffing

Summer's Coming: Is Your Popsicle Melting?

April 6, 2009

With summer only two months away, now's the time to kick-start your job or internship search if you haven't already.  Career opportunities are usually very time-sensitive and may come up only once.

By getting focused and deliberately setting aside specific times to focus on job-search related activities, you are less likely to miss important career opportunities. Position yourself so that you are at the right place at the right time, lay the groundwork for your job search, and you will have an exponentially increased number of opportunities.

Not Missing the Obvious Opportunities: Job Search Agents
One way to ensure that you avoid missing important career opportunities is to set up a job search agent. These are automated emails you can set up which will notify you when a new job is posted.  Being the very first one to apply often means you will be more likely to get an opportunity-- being the last one to apply (especially when a position is "open until filled") often means the position will be long gone by the time they get your resume.

EvansJobs allows you to set up a job search agent.  It takes a few steps, but once it's set up, you can arrange to have job listings sent to you on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis; and you can target the search so that only jobs (or internships) in your chosen field, sector, or geographic area are sent to you. Go set one up right now!  If you need help, download the EvansJobs student user guide from the Handouts Section of EvansJobs.

Many other sites allow you to set up a job search agent, such as Idealist, SimplyHired, USAJobs, and the Foreign Policy Association, as well as many individual employers.  You can also sign up for listserves of job postings through the City of Bellevue (including many regional opportunities) by emailing cshanafelt@bellevuewa.gov and the Nonprofit Networking list by emailing NonProfitNetworking@yahoogroups.com among others.

Creating New Opportunities: Getting Out There
Another key way to make sure you stay aware of more opportunities is to meet more people.  For instance, if you want to work for the Gates Foundation, you may have a chance to meet with the Senior Recruiter for the Global Development Program, who is attending the Evans School's Career Night on April 27, a special event open only to Evans School students, alumni, and employers (visit the Evans School Events Calendar to see more details on the numerous other employers who will be attending).  If you have done your homework, you will be able to cite your mission and your vision, and how those align with the mission and vision of the Gates Foundation, with painstaking specificity.  You should also look professional by dressing professionally for the event, having a professional business card at the ready, and being able to briefly state your top skills and accomplishments.

Career Night could also provide you with an opportunity to begin to make a good impression with employers of interest, as well as to gather the essential information about what employers look for in candidates and what red flags they avoid.

Many people meet someone at an event who later introduces them to someone who introduces them to someone else who eventually hires them for a job.  It's like dating: them more you get out of your room and start meeting people, them more career chances you'll have.

Laying the Groundwork: Being Ready for Opportunities Takes Preparation

Activities that need to be part of your job search include:

• Thinking about your future goals and clarifying them into a clear vision and mission
• Identifying your skills, strengths and abilities
• Setting measurable, achievable, time-sensitive goals related to job search
• Writing and polishing your resume and cover letter
• Conducting research on your target employers, your favorite issue area, current events in your field, and important conferences and professional associations
• Reaching out to professionals in your field through attendance at networking events, fairs, cold calling, Linkedin.com, Husky Career Network etc. in order to become a known quantity, develop job leads, and further your research into the field
• Researching and applying to internship and jobs; and getting ready for interviews

Congratulations! You've read this whole blog post.  Clearly, you've got some time on your hands.  Start using that time wisely, by getting ready and out there so you don't miss any career opportunities-and grab the choice chances before they disappear like a melted popsicle.