"The purpose of the Program is to attract to the Federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs." President George W. Bush

The Presidential Management Fellowship, or PMF, is a 2 years' program with a stipend paid by the Federal Government through the office of Personnel Management, or OPM. If selected, it opens an avenue of golden opportunities for candidates, many of whom are quite young. Just check the partial list of departments where you can be placed and how high:

1. Commerce

2. Treasury

3. Homeland security

4. NASA

5. FBI

6. Justice.

A Brief History Of The Federal Management Fellowship

Through an executive order in 1997 and as amended later in the year 2003, the PMF has entered the arena to attract the best talent from an outstanding pool of young men and women who have just graduated from college.

The purpose of the PMF in taking up and conducting the program is to continually meet demand and supply gaps for extraordinary, committed and highly intelligent people from diverse cultures in public service.

One can easily say that the purpose, as stated by the President has been successful if you look at the illustrious alumni. The list, however small here, is nonetheless powerful: Emily Morales, Victoria Paulette-Morgan, Miguel Green, and Athena Krell David Christopher, are just small number of representatives on this distinguished list.

Am I Eligible For The PMF?

Graduates from any discipline and having completed a degree by August 31 of the year of the competition are eligible for the PMF. The candidates must be recommended by schools following demostratable excellence, accomplishments, leadership qualities and knowledge of public policies and programs. The PMF is basically focused on bringing out the best talent from Americans and is thus limited for non-US citizens.

The following are the steps involved in the selection process:

1. Nomination by your college through your application in between August/September. This is before your graduation. There is no limitation on the number of applications the college can accept.

2. The online application includes a record of accomplishment in addition to a resume. You are called for a structured assessment or semi-final, based on the records you submit.

3. A one-day assessment will be held between January and February for testing group participation, written and spoken skills. Qualified candidates are notified by March of the same year about their ranking.

4. Qualified candidates are interviewed by Government agencies in Washington, DC and the luckier ones get offers on the spot.

What Are My Benefits

All selected candidates are appointed at the GS-9 level, and successful first year completion will get you to GS-11 or GS-12, depending on the chosen career length and potential. Fellows are formally trained for 80 hours to acclimatize them to the functional disciplines of the hiring agency. They are eligible for annual and sick leave, student loan repayment, paid holidays, retirement benefits and health and life insurance plans.

The Presidential Management Fellowship program is clearly for high achievers. It has helped launch the careers of many distinguished people in public service, and can do the same for you.