Become a PMF
Eligibility
Veterans' Preference
To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the
eligibility requirements in Section 2108 of Title 5, United States
Code. For more information on veterans' preference and their
application in Federal employment refer to the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management's (OPM's) Vet Guide at www.opm.gov/staffingPortal/Vetguide.asp. In
addition, veterans may visit FedsHireVets, the
one-stop resource for Federal veteran employment
information.
If claiming veterans' preference during the application process,
applicants should follow the instructions provided in the
announcement for submitting supporting documentation. Applicants
will use "Application Manager" (the system used during the
application process) to upload or fax supporting documents and
track the progress of their application. The deadline for
submission of supporting documentation for claiming veterans'
preference for the 2012 application cycle is September 30, 2011
(the same deadline for schools to submit nominations).
For veterans needing to obtain a copy of their DD-214, Report of
Separation,
you
can
go
to the following website to
submit a request: www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.
Finalists with Adjudicated Veterans'
Preference
The on-line lists of Finalists have preference categories
clearly identified that are viewable by registered agency users on
the PMF website. Additionally, the list of Finalists on the public
PMF website will indicate "Yes" for those Finalists whose veterans'
preference claim was favorably adjudicated.
If a Finalist is a veteran and he/she expresses an interest in
working for an agency, that agency must apply the provisions of
section 302 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, when selecting
and appointing candidates. For purposes of the PMF Program,
"expresses an interest" means that he/she has initiated contact
with the agency in person or by other direct communication and
asked for consideration for appointment to a specific
position. This contact can include dropping off a
resume at the PMF Job Fair, sending a letter by mail/email to the
agency asking for consideration, or delivering it in person at any
agency office that is considering PMF appointments for a specific
position. This does not mean an agency must contact each
veteran on the list of Finalists before offering a PMF
appointment to a non-veteran. OPM strongly encourages
Finalists to contact the agencies for which they wish further
consideration.
Agencies who hire Fellows usually send hiring officials from
their various agency components to the PMF Job Fair, where
Finalists may initiate contact and interview. Each applicant
pool is unique. The applicant pool consists of those
candidates the agency contacts or who contact the agency about a
specific position.
The only way a veteran Finalist may be removed from
consideration for a position for which he or she has expressed an
interest or for which the agency contacted the veteran Finalist is
if the appointing agency can demonstrate that the veteran Finalist
does not qualify for an agency's specific PMF position that clearly
describes the requirements needed for the specific position.
Once a job offer is extended (for example, the Finalist has
accepted an offer and an Entry on Duty (EOD) start date has been
established), that specific applicant pool is closed. Veteran
Finalists who request consideration after a job offer is extended
and accepted will become part of a new applicant pool that will be
established if/when a new position becomes available.
If the agency selects a non-veteran Finalist over a preference
eligible veteran Finalist it contacted or who expressed interest in
a specific position, then the agency must prepare a written
justification as to why the veteran Finalist did not meet the
criteria for the position. Decisions must be qualifications driven
and based on the specific requirements detailed in the
position. The written justification accomplishes two
objectives:
- Veteran Finalists are entitled, upon request, to obtain a copy
of the reasons they were passed over in favor of a lesser
preference or non-veteran Finalist. The written justification is
intended to satisfy that obligation and thus should be written with
the expectation that the veteran Finalist who was passed over may
request to review it.
- Additionally, if OPM officials audit agency PMF processes, the
written justification serves as documentation that veteran
Finalists who were part of the agency applicant pool received
proper consideration.
For more information concerning agency pass over
of preference eligible candidates, please refer to OPM's Vet
Guide at www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp 
.
The appointing agency's Human Resources Office can answer any of
your questions regarding civilian benefits (e.g., health and life
insurance, retirement, etc.). Please do not contact the PMF
Program Office directly on these questions as some benefits are
agency-specific.
UPDATED: 03-28-2012, 8:15 AM (ET)