If you pass the online assessment, as a semi-finalist you will be invited to the in-person assessment. The in-person assessment is a half-day immersion experience that puts Semi- Finalists through a series of group and individual exercises designed to simulate “the day in the life” of a PMF. Candidates will interact with real issues and senior government leaders in four major components: Group Exercise, Press Conference, Behavioral Interview and a Writing Exercise. Semi-Finalists will be observed and evaluated by a panel of assessors in each exercise. The in-person assessment will last approximately five hours and is designed to be a challenging, highly engaging experience. While the schedule includes two short breaks, you should be prepared to have very little “downtime”. The 2013 in-person assessment locations include Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; and, Washington, DC Metro Area (to include Baltimore, MD). Semi-finalists travel and participate at their own expense. Notification will be sent to semi-finalists who are named finalists and a PDF will be posted online. Plan on participating in a full day of activities. Below are a few examples of the types of questions you might encounter:

Writing Exercise

Example Questions:

• What is your motivation for a career in public service?
• Should the federal government charge people for using plastic bags instead of paper?
• Should the government increase internet security protocols?
• What motivates you?

Group Exercise and Behavioral Interview:

Question prompts are of the same variety for both group exercise and behavioral interview. Example questions:

• Tell us about something you have researched, written papers on, or are generally passionate about.
• Tell us about union representation and whether or not workers should be allowed to unionize.
• Take a position on a current event that you have read about and explain how you all would have  solved that problem, or avoided an unfortunate outcome.
• Suggest legislation that would benefit your future agency and tell why it would or would not
• be effective.

Show Off Your Skills During the In-Person Assessment, But Be a Team Player

The key for the in-person assessment is to stay calm and collected during the interview. The interview should take you about one hour. The panel of interviewers will be composed of two or three federal agency representatives. Be prepared to answer questions that will demonstrate:

• your abilities to solve complex problems,
• your flexibility in the workplace,
• your motivations for applying to the PMF program,
• your interpersonal and oral communications skills.

This is your time to shine as a potential PMF candidate. You have already made it this far, and you are getting closer to your PMF appointment.

“When you go to the group interview, you don’t want try to outshine everyone else and put people down. You want to show how you collaborate with people. Even if someone says something really stupid, which they might in the interview, saying something like ‘well, that’s an interesting point, have you looked at it from this view?’ is a good approach. So you’re diplomatic, collaborative and building off what other people say.”

- Bev Godwin, PMF Class of 1982, General Services Administration

In-Person Assessment Advice from PMFs

Here are a few other nuggets of wisdom from people who’ve preceded you:

“The assessors are looking for good team players, who voice their opinions and make a meaningful contribution to the discussion, but who are cordial and who seem like they would be a solid colleague.”

- PMF Class of 2006

“Take a deep breath and relax before going into the assessment. Be well-rested and speak concisely. Respect your fellow applicants and allow them to speak during the assessment.”

- PMF Class of 1999

“Be a team player during the group presentation–that part is about how you handle and resolve team issues more than it is about your speech topic. It’s a long day–wear something that you can be comfortable in, but still look professional.”

- Jeni Webb, PMF Class of 2011, Department of Housing and Urban Development

“Make friends with your cohort of competitors that are taking the assessment with you — everyone is highly qualified — no need to be mean about it. Don’t feel bad if the assessors don’t look up or appear to be curt. They are scribbling furiously to take down their impressions, but I think they have received special instructions on how they are and are/not supposed to interact with the interviewees.”

- PMF Class of 2011

“Stay calm. Don’t necessarily be swayed by the other applicants (everyone has their own idea of how the process works, what they are looking for, or what they have “heard” through the grapevine).”

- PMF Class of 2011

“Be well-groomed, clean and neat. Prepare by reading op-eds in major newspapers on a variety of topics. Remember to make eye contact, engage others, answer clearly and articulately and be on point. Demonstrate that you are a leader, but also a team player.”

- Bridget Shea Westfall, PMF Class of 2005, Department of Health and Human Services

In-Person Assessment Advice from Career Advisors:

The interviewers will tell you exactly how much time you have to answer each question. Keep your answers concise – be sure to answer the question posed to you, but don’t ramble and think you have to take up the entire amount of time allotted.

Some interviewers were friendly, some were stone-faced. You need to be ready to perform at your best even if you’re not being given the normal body language or facial cues that might otherwise provide you with positive reinforcement.

- Tamara Golden, Career Consultant, University of California, San Diego

The assessors are looking for good team players, who voice their opinions and make a meaningful contribution to the discussion, but who are cordial and who seem like they would be good to work with.

- Career Advisor

Don’t try to compete with those around you. Treat it as you would the work environment and act accordingly. If you have a group assessment engage as you would if these were your colleagues.

- Career Advisor

Congratulations: You’ve Been Named A Finalist!

If you pass the in-person assessment and are selected as a Finalist, you will be invited to participate in the Job Fair. Notification of your Finalist status is typically sent via email in late January. Below is a bit more statistical information about the types of people who are selected as Finalists.

One quick note before you peruse the tables and graphs below:
Even if you see that your school, your degree or your target agency is under-represented in the data below, do not be discouraged. Apply anyway and give it your all! The PMF application process is designed to reward merit, so you have just as solid a chance of success as anyone else.

Increasingly Selected Law Students

An increasing number of law school students are applying and attaining Finalist status over the past decade. In fact, the PMF Class of 2012 had an almost equal number of finalists from law schools (160) and schools of public affairs, public policy or public administration (163). For more information about this trend, please check out this blog post:

Source: Graham Drake, University of Kentucky

Data for University locations where PMFs semi-finalists and finalists come from:

What Did the 2012 Finalists Study?

Which Schools Placed the Most Finalists in 2012?

Where Were PMF Finalists Placed in 2012?

 Source: http://www.pmf.gov

TAKE NOTE:

Once you have been named a Finalist, 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 on top of that to pass a security clearance for those positions that require it.

Agency PMF Program Coordinators strongly suggested that candidates view the Projected Positions System (PPS) for available positions for PMF finalists. The PPS is a way for agencies to advertise available PMF appointments and is only for current PMF finalists. Check frequently as new positions are posted and change often throughout the year.

Please also remember that:

• Finalists have 12 months from the date they are selected as Finalists to be appointed to agency positions as Fellows
• Employment policies and incentives are determined by individual agencies
• Finalists who are current graduate students must complete advanced degree requirements prior to onboarding