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An Official Web Site of the United States Government
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Become a PMF

Find a Job

NOTE:  The content on this webpage pertained to the PMF Class of 2012 Finalists, which is no longer valid as of 01-25-2013. As the PMF Program Office transitions into a new Talent Acquisition System for the PMF Class of 2013 Finalists, this webpage content will be udpated.

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 2012 were selected on January 24, 2012; they have until January 24, 2013, 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. Monitor the Projected Positions System (PPS) for available positions. The PPS is used by participating agencies to advertise their PMF appointment opportunities. The system is available year-round and the number of opportunities changes throughout the year.

Updating Your Contact Info

All communications are conducted by email. Both current Finalists and Fellows use the PMF Program's Talent Acquisition System (TAS) 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 a new system that will replace how PMF appointment opportunities are posted, how Finalists will be recorded as PMFs, how rotational opportunities will be posted, and more. Current Fellows may not yet be able to update their contact information until we transition from the old to the new systems.

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: 01-25-2013