Government Shutdown Affects Some Students’ Interest in Government Careers

With Congress still at an impasse over a deal that would end the government shutdown and extend the nation’s debt limit before the looming Oct. 17 deadline, several undergraduates said the recent government instability has affected, for better or for worse, their interest in pursuing careers in government.

“I’m thinking about whether working for the government is working for an effective institution anymore,” said Benjamin J. Hughes ’14, who is considering a job on Capitol Hill or at a federal agency after graduation. “It seems like it’s really hard to get things done in Washington right now, so as somebody who’s looking to get stuff done, it doesn’t seem like that’s as attractive an option as before.”

Kent W. Toland ’14 said that several governmental stalemates over the past few years have soured him on the prospect of pursuing a career in federal government, an industry which he thinks has been made ineffective by extreme discord.

“I’ve had thoughts on these things before the shutdown, and this has very strongly confirmed that,” Toland said. “Just from my perspective, it really makes me much more likely to pursue a career in state government.”

On a broader scale, however, Office of Career Services Director Robin Mount wrote in an email it is “too early” to evaluate the impact of the government shutdown on students’ long-term career plans. If the recent instability does spur any broader decline in student interest in government work, Mount wrote, the phenomenon will be undetectable until the spring, when seniors typically apply for federal jobs.

Mount noted that an OCS informational session on careers in government scheduled for next Friday has not been altered in light of the shutdown, though the attendance of some governmental office representatives at the meet-up may be affected.

“Some attendees have said they now have more time and are looking forward to attending and others are waiting to see what happens next week with the shutdown to see if they will be able to attend,” Mount wrote.

Mount also expressed optimism that the recent instability will not discourage student interest in working in government.

“At OCS we would encourage students to step up and help to make government better for their generation and the future,” Mount wrote. “Harvard students work hard, are smart and have good ideas so we would encourage them to be part of working towards future solutions.”

To this end, some students interviewed for this article said they see the government’s recent instability as an opportunity to personally step in and make changes themselves.

Kathryn G. Walsh ’14, a former intern at the U.S. Small Business Administration, said she still plans to work as a policy writer or political adviser in Washington D.C. after graduation.

“There are things that need to be fixed and I think I could help fix them,” she said.

Like Walsh, Timothy E. Davis ’16, who aspires to be a politician, said the shutdown has made government “more exciting.”

“Everyone who gets into government wants to begin a career where they have the potential to make a difference and to make a change,” he said.

Sietse K. Goffard ’15, chair of the Institute of Politics’s National Campaign, said that while he remains inspired about working in government even in light of the shutdown, the recent instability has prompted him to look internationally for governmental career opportunities.

“The shutdown hasn’t affected my general perception of government and why I would want to engage in public service,” said Goffard, who hopes to work for the United Nations. “What it has done has made me rethink if I want to work in American government or some other aspect of government and public service that’s not as susceptible to politicking.”