Washington, D.C. -- Federal careers will be launched today when hundreds of men and women begin the ride of their lives as Fellows in the Presidential Management Fellows Program.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is hosting a job fair in the nation's capital to introduce 786 Finalists in the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program to senior program managers and hiring officials, with the expectation that a majority will be offered Fellowships, now or in the near future, at dozens of agencies. Once hired, they will get broad exposure to and support some of the federal government's most vital programs.

OPM Acting Director Kathie Ann Whipple addressed the assemblage of hopeful and enthusiastic PMF Finalists who were eager to leave the Washington Convention Center with a job offer and an agency to call home.

"If you are appointed as a Fellow, you will have the opportunity to work on pressing issues," Whipple told attendees at the event's opening on March 24. "These opportunities will expose you to situations and issues your non-government peers do not have. Your Fellowship can provide you with access to senior leadership and opportunities not normally afforded to others at this stage of their careers."

The PMF Program is the federal government's premier Fellows program. Since its creation by Executive Order in 1977, more than 6,000 men and women from the nation's top graduate programs have become Fellows and moved on to serve their nation at duty stations primarily in Washington, DC, but also across the United States and worldwide.

Finalists in the 2009 PMF class are outstanding graduates from accredited master's, law, and doctoral programs across the country and around the world. OPM recruits from all graduate degree programs, and Finalists possess degrees in disciplines ranging from health and engineering, to public administration and science and technology.

The PMF Program, and its predecessor Presidential Management Intern Program, have been in existence for more than three decades. More than 5,000 individuals applied to the PMF Program in 2009, representing the largest number of applicants in a single year and a 40 percent increase over 2008.

Individuals who are hired by an agency carry the designation of Fellow and serve a two-year Fellowship, during which they may rotate throughout their home agency for maximum exposure to issues and challenges. At times, a portion of a Fellow's rotation may be served at another agency. In addition, all Fellows must complete a minimum four-month developmental assignment designed to hone skills they will need to assume full responsibility in the position they are targeted for upon completing their Fellowship. At the end of two years, successful Fellows are converted into permanent positions in the home agency, generally at the GS-12 or GS-13 level.

Additional information about the PMF Program can be found at www.pmf.opm.gov.