EA - EAs interested in US policy: Consider applying for the Presidential Management Fellowship by Locke USA

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: EAs interested in US policy: Consider applying for the Presidential Management Fellowship, published by Locke USA on August 23, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. This post summarizes why and how to apply to the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF), a prestigious two-year program that allows recent graduate degree recipients to get jobs in the US federal government. It’s widely considered one of the best pathways into policy. Applications are open annually in mid-September. Hundreds of people go through the PMF each year, including many with STEM backgrounds, despite the historically greater numbers of fellows with traditional policy degrees. If you are interested in applying to the PMF — including if you are still unsure or plan to apply in future years — we strongly encourage you to fill in this form so that we can help connect you with others who have gone through the program. Summary: Why you should strongly consider PMF The Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) program is a prestigious, two-year fellowship that places graduate degree holders in US executive branch agencies. Fellows in the program are typically referred to as “PMFs”. Core features of the program include: PMFs receive good full-time salaries with civil servant-equivalent benefits and are generally promoted each year during the program. PMFs can non-competitively convert to permanent civil service positions after their two years. This is a big deal, as it presents a fast track to highly competitive government jobs and an easy way for agencies to hire a pre-vetted candidate. PMFs can get sponsored for a security clearance. PMFs typically get to rotate to at least one other agency for 3-6 months, which allows them to gain exposure to and connections within multiple parts of the federal government. PMFs receive mentorship and training from advisors outside their chain of command due to the PMF program’s prestige and deep network. PMFs are respected and noticed. People in the policy community expect PMFs to be inquisitive, rising leaders and are happy to answer their emails, take calls, or get coffee. You can do a wide range of jobs as a PMF. Roles that are regularly advertised on the PMF jobs platform include Policy Analyst, Economist, General Engineer, HR Specialist, Management and Program Analyst, IT Specialist, Operations Research Analyst, International Relations Specialist, and many more. It’s therefore a good potential pathway for people with both STEM and non-STEM degrees and with a wide range of interests, including research, operations, and tech development. Who is eligible? The application cycle begins each fall, recently in mid-September. You are eligible to apply if: You have completed an advanced degree (MS, MA, JD, LLM, PhD, MPA, MPH, MBA, etc.) at an accredited institution (international degrees are subject to review) within the two years prior to the application's opening date (e.g. you can apply in September 2022 so long as you graduated after September 2020); or You will complete your advanced degree by August 31 of the year following the application's opening date (e.g. you can apply in September 2022 if you graduate in or before August 2023). There is no cap on the number of times you may apply, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. For example, if you complete an MS and later complete a PhD, you could conceivably apply six times – three for each separate graduate degree. In recent years, there has not been a requirement to travel for any components of the application. This is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, though is subject to the recruitment planning of the PMF Office. While you do not strictly need to be a US citizen to apply, you realistically need to be at least a US permanent resident (i.e. have a green card) to become a PMF. In order to...