The Plum Book

This is a post I made to the discussion board this week for my School Counseling Internship.

It may not come as a shock that, back in November, I applied for a job with the Obama administration. This was an act of patriotism and blind optimism on my part for two reasons;

1) I am a Canadian Citizen (which surprisingly didn’t disqualify me immediately) and…
2) I have a Syrian born Brother-in-law, fresh back from a trip to Cuba (I love you Hassan!).

This latter issue may also not eliminate me immediately, but I am no one’s fool. I watched every episode of the X-files.

No one has called me yet.

During the course of my practicing due diligence in the research of any potential role I may take in this new administration, I found the Plum Book.

“Every four years, just after the Presidential election, the United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly known as the Plum Book, is published, alternately, by the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Government Reform. The Plum Book is used to identify presidentially appointed positions within the Federal Government.”

The Plum book describes almost 7000 positions form entry level to the highest posts that are filled by presidential appointment at the beginning of a new Term. The Plum Book got it’s catchy name (and spiffy cover color) from the idea that government jobs are “plum jobs”. Not surprisingly, a government job is no way to get rich (you have the qualifications of a brain surgeon), and your tenure will change with the next presidential transition. However, I viewed it as a once in a lifetime chance to contribute to the greater good and quite an experience to add to the resume (that thing that is on all our minds and desk tops).

Continuing on with my research, I found that the Plum Book had a companion, called the Prune Book. This is the balancing counterpart to explain how to survive the many challenges facing presidential appointees.

Here is where I come to my point and tie it all up with a tidy bow for our school counseling discussion board (hang in there with me). In perusing some sample chapters, I found a list of personal qualities recommended to assist in surviving Washington that I felt had a relevant application to our new positions as school counselors. They are as follows;
Chapter: How to survive in Washington;

1. Team work
2. Humility
3. Focus
4. Patience
5. A sense of humor

As we embark on a transition of our own, we each have to forge our own way and find our niche, exercising our strengths, and finding ways to turn our weaknesses into opportunities to grow, helping in big, splashy ways, or in tiny, everyday kindnesses. I think this is excellent advice. When reflecting on this list, I also think it is a good reminder that school counselors are called to be agents of change as much as any elected, appointed or civil servant in Washington.
Now get out there and change the world!

The 2004 Prune Book Top Management Challenges for Presidential Appointees
John H. Trattner with Patricia McGinnis, Brookings Institution Press and Council For Excellence In Government 2004 c. 117pp.