Fellows program provides postgraduates a path to a VA Career

Are you ready to launch a career with your advanced degree? Are you interested in public leadership and helping Veterans? If you answered yes to these questions, take a look at VA’s prestigious Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program.

We use the PMF program to attract talented candidates and turn them into talented leaders. After two years, fellows may be able to convert their fellowship opportunity into a full-time position at VA, which helps us grow the pool of exceptional talent serving our nation’s Veterans. The program is a win-win.

Throughout the program, we provide fellows with the training and development opportunities they need to become effective change leaders, including a senior-level mentor. Fellows may create an individual development plan for their program, network with other fellows and contribute to VA’s larger mission.

“While working on my master’s in social work, I knew I wanted to be in an environment where my job would be meaningful and the mission would align with social work’s values,” said PMF fellow Sarah Leder. “My position in the Office of Community Care within the Veterans Health Administration allows me to do that by working on implementing policies to connect Veterans and their families with the health-related help they need.”

Pathways for students

To be eligible for a fellowship, you must be completing, or have completed, a qualifying advanced degree — a master’s, law or doctoral program — within the past two years. You also must complete a rigorous selection process that assesses writing, interpersonal, analytic and leadership skills.

We are always seeking highly qualified candidates to join our workforce and offer many different internship, trainee, fellowship and residency programs for prospective employees to explore. The PMF program is one of three programs in VA Pathways, which aims to recruit talented students and graduates for potential VA careers.

“I encourage anyone passionate about policy and motivated by public service to apply to the PMF program,” said Vanessa Studer, a second-year fellow. “The PMF program provides an accelerated pathway to immerse oneself in the inner workings of the federal government and be an agent of change.”

Benefits abound

In addition to the opportunity to serve our nation’s heroes, VA employees enjoy many other benefits, including  generous time off, a robust federal retirement plan and a wide selection of comprehensive health insurance plans. Other perks that come with choosing a VA career include:

• Flexible work schedules and shifts.
• Diversity and inclusion policies and programs.
• Continuing leadership and other professional development opportunities and mentoring programs.

If you are interested in learning more about the PMF program — or in hiring a PMF Fellow — please visit VA’s PMF program page or email pathways@va.gov.

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