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An Official Web Site of the United States Government
Saturday, May 25, 2013

Become a PMF

Find a Job

As a Finalist, you are in the final stages of becoming a PMF. Now, with your Finalist status, you're eligible to be appointed to a PMF appointment in a participating agency after:

  1. We officially announce Finalists to all participating agencies.
  2. You complete all advanced degree requirements (not necessary to have graduated), including successful completion or defense of any thesis or dissertation.
  3. You complete any background investigation required by the hiring agency.

The Finalist status expires one year after the date Finalists are officially announced. For example, Finalists for the PMF Class of 2013 were selected on April 8, 2013; they have until April 8, 2014, to be appointed to a PMF position. This means the Finalist must have accepted a PMF appointment offer and physically start by the appointment eligibility deadline.

Next Steps

Photo of job fair

You now have to get hired into a PMF position, pass a background investigation, and go through the agency's on-boarding process. It can take several months to pass a Federal background investigation for a security clearance (if applicable). Because you'll want to have as much control as possible over when you start your PMF position, it is important to plan ahead. Thus, we ask Finalists to take the following steps, which are explained in more detail below:

  1. Review the Memo to Finalists under the Become a PMF\Current Finalists webpage. The memo will be updated to reflect the current class upon selection of Finalists.
  2. Start collecting information for the background investigation (see additional information below).
  3. Check for PMF appointment opportunities in the PMF TAS (Talent Acquisition System). Participating agencies will begin posting appointment opportunities in the coming days. Please check the PMF TAS often.

Updating Your Contact Info

All communications are conducted by email. Both current Finalists and Fellows use the PMF TAS (Talent Acquisition System) to update their personal contact information (e.g., name changes, home mailing address, personal phone numbers, and personal email address). Upon appointment as a Fellow, the appointing agency's Agency PMF Coordinator can update your appointment and work contact information. NOTE: The PMF TAS is the system used to post PMF appointment opportunities, how Finalists will be recorded as PMFs, how rotational opportunities will be posted, and more. Current Fellows from the Classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012 may not yet be able to update their contact information until we transition from the old to the new systems; additional information will be provided once the data migration is completed. 

Updating Your Resume and Application Documents

Once the application period closes, the application system prevents uploading any updated or new documentation, including resumes and transcripts. Finalists may send updated resumes and/or new supporting documents directly to respective Agency PMF Coordinators or hiring officials.

Since the original resume and application documents are used to determine eligibility until selection of Finalists, these remain intact. While resumes are not keyword searchable, agencies may search by several criteria collected during the application process (such as, foreign languages, degrees/disciplines, type of degree, veterans' preference, skill sets and competencies, and preferred geographic location).

If a Finalist has a change to their claim for veterans' preference (e.g., updated supporting documentation), he/she should send an email to the PMF Program Office, along with a copy of the updated documents. We will review and re-adjudicate accordingly.

When a Finalist accepts a PMF appointment offer, the appointing agency's Human Resources Office will validate a Finalists' transcript to ensure all degree requirements have been met before the Finalist can physically start their appointment.

Preparing for a Background Investigation

These investigations can be lengthy and may require you to provide extensive information regarding your background. The most common Standard Form (SF) used by agencies is the SF 85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions. You are highly encouraged to review this form and start collecting the requested data ahead of time. Some agencies require agency-specific forms for this purpose; if this is the case, they will inform you. Common forms can be found under the Forms section.

All new hires into the Federal Government must complete some level of a background investigation before being issued government identification and/or starting employment (e.g., the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Smart Card Program). If you are offered an appointment, the appointing agency's human resources office will send you the necessary paperwork and instructions. The PMF Program Office does not initiate or perform such investigations.

It is common for background investigations to be longer than normal for those with any overseas activity (e.g., attending school overseas, residing overseas, military stationed overseas, etc.).

Depending upon the circumstance, it is possible that prior background investigations will not transfer from one agency to another and many agencies have unique requirements.

UPDATED: 05-22-2013