Presidential Appointments Project: FAQ
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How the Project Works
The Presidential Appointments Project serves as a talent bank of openly LGBT professionals seeking appointed positions in the executive branch of the federal government and helps professionals navigate the appointment process.
Applying
- Who is eligible to apply to the Project?
We welcome resumes from any openly LGBT U.S. citizen who seeks an appointment to a position in the executive branch of the U.S. government.
Resume Tips
- Upload your resume now as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) file and answer the required questions. Our system does not allow us to search through PDFs.
- You can update your resume at any time by sending it to presidential [at] glli [dot] org.
- List your professional experiences in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent.
- Provide bullet lists for each experience that highlight specific skills, inputs and outcomes with quantifiable metrics.
- If applicable, include the size of your budget and the number of staff for which you were directly responsible for managing.
- Be sure to include any public service at the local, state, or federal levels of government or volunteer service with non-profits.
- Do not include references or salary information. Generally, purpose or objective statements should not be included.
- Junior and mid-level professionals should strive to condense their resumes to one page. Where resumes and curriculum vita of more than one page, ensure that the page footer includes your name and page number.
- Keep your formatting as simple as possible. Avoid unusual fonts or formatting. Focus on content over style. Use tabs rather than spaces to left/center/right-align content on the same line (see: Set margins, indents, and tabs at microsoft.com).
- The Project will contact you if it identifies any obvious changes that should be made.
Process
- Who will review Project applicants and how?
With the assistance of Project coalition partners, the Victory Institute staff collects, organizes and categorizes all resumes it receives. When appropriate, it will meet with staff from the administration to review and recommend applicants qualified for available positions. - When will applicants know whether or not they are being recommended to the administration?
The Project will make its best effort to contact applicants before recommending them for a particular position. Due to the sheer volume of applicants and recommendations, this is not always possible. - When will applicants know whether or not they are being considered for employment by the administration?
Any applicant under consideration for employment will be contacted directly by the administration and not by the Victory Institute. - Does submitting a resume to the Project boost an individual’s chances of getting hired by the president?
the Victory Institute has no authority or official role whatsoever with respect to hiring any personnel in the federal government. Participation in this program does not mean that the Victory Institute will recommend anyone for any position or that applicants will in any way be advantaged in the appointment or nomination process for any such position. Ultimately, all information submitted by applicants will be shared with the President's personnel office. - Does
the president want openly gay or transgender appointees in the administration?
The Obama-Biden Administration does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by law. (See non-discrimination statement at the bottom of the White House's Presidential Appointments Application) - Should
I apply directly to the White House?
All LGBT professionals are encouraged to apply directly to the White House in addition to applying to the Project. If you feel you do not have a strong understanding of the appointments process or a clear direction for the type of position you would be interested in, you are encouraged to apply to the Project for guidance prior to applying to the White House.
Positions
- What kinds of appointed positions are available?
The president appoints thousands of executive branch employees across dozens of federal agencies, boards and commissions.
For full-time appointments, the levels of employment range from agency staff to Cabinet secretaries and ambassadors that require confirmation by the U.S. Senate. For a complete list of appointed positions in the Executive Branch as of 2008, see “United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions,” commonly known as the Plum Book. A list of open, U.S. Senate-confirmed positions is available at the Washington Post’s Head Count.
Volunteer boards and commissions are generally appointed by the president or the secretary of an agency. Some of these positions require significant time investments and may be compensated. Travel is typically arranged and paid for by the government. Agency-appointed boards and commissions are often announced in the Federal Register, as well as the Federal Advisory Committee Act database.
Grant review bodies are generally appointed by the agency and may require travel, which is arranged and paid for by the government. - How
many positions in the federal government does the Project expect to fill?
The president has the authority to fill thousands of positions. The goal of the Project is to place as many qualified LGBT applicants in those positions as is reasonably possible. - What will I not be able to do as a
result of an appointment?
Most appointees’ dealings with the Federal government during and for a period of time after their service will be significantly restricted to prevent possible conflicts of interest.
Appointment Process
- What can I expect for the vetting
process?
Most applicants under serious consideration for an appointment will go through a full FBI background check in which their employment, professional, personal, travel, medical, financial, legal, military and educational histories will be reviewed and scrutinized. The financial holdings and sources of income for most applicants under serious consideration must be disclosed for review for possible conflicts of interest. After an appointment is made, there is much public scrutiny of appointments, especially for senior-level appointments. For a helpful roadmap, see the National Academy of Public Administration’s Presidential Appointee Roadmap.
Presidential Appointments Project Application
- What should I prepare before starting
the application?
Before starting the application process, please have all of your education information, employment information, references, and desired appointment position available. In addition, please ensure that enough time is set aside to complete the application in one sitting. Not doing so will result in multiple application submissions that will delay the processing of your application. - What if I cannot include all of my
preferred information in the application?
Please keep in mind that space on the application is limited. There is only space allotted to provide the three most recent places and degrees of education, recent places of employment, and references. Please do not submit an additional application in order to include all of this information. There will be ample opportunity to provide in-depth information in your resume. - What should I include in my resume?
The Project highly recommends including information about your advocacy for LGBT equality or involvement with LGBT organizations in your resume. This can be accomplished under a header such as “Other Experience” or “Community Involvement and Affiliations” towards the end of your resume.
More About the Presidential Appointments Project
- What is the Project?
The Project serves as the talent bank for openly LGBT professionals seeking appointed positions in the Obama administration. Its mission is to advance equality by ensuring that qualified LGBT individuals have a voice in government. - Who does the Project partner with?
The Presidential Appointments Project is organized by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, in partnership with:
- Council for Global Equality (CGE)
- Federal GLOBE
- Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)
- Gay, Lesbian & Allies Senate Staff Caucus (GLASS)
- Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
- Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
- LGBT Congressional Staff Association
- National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
- National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
- National Coalition for LGBT Health
- National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
- National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
- National Organization of Gay & Lesbian Science and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP)
- National Stonewall Democrats
- Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
- Pride at Work
- Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN)
- Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE)
