Liberal Undergrads Reconsider Post-Grad Employment in Trump’s Washington

Victor E. Flores ’25, the former president of Harvard College Democrats, spent his 2024 travelling up and down the East Coast to mobilize Democratic voters before the November election.

“But I will also admit that a part of the reason for this was also to scope out post-grad opportunities,” he said. “Ideally, of course for me, seeing a Democratic president in 2024 and then the following four years, to hopefully have either a role in the administration, a role in D.C. in a Democratic-friendly environment.”

But as President Donald Trump enters the third month of his second term, Flores and other Harvard students are increasingly hesitant to pursue careers in the federal government after graduation.

“I feel like a lot of the values that I have are not being appropriately represented in our government, at least on the federal level,” Flores said.

Flores is one of the majority of Harvard students who identifies as liberal. According to The Crimson’s survey of the Class of 2024, over 50 percent of graduating seniors identified as “progressive” or “very progressive.” And nearly 90 percent of surveyed students said they had an “unfavorable” view of Trump.

Saba Mehrzad ’25, former treasurer of the Institute of Politics, said that she plans on going into the private sector since she does not “politically align or socially align with the current administration.”

Mehrzad also noted concerns with government job security, as the Department of Government Efficiency has fired or laid off thousands of federal government employees since January.

“I can’t imagine that many students feel like these positions are really stable right now, just because of the news that's coming out of DOGE every day,” she said.

The Trump administration has fired employees across several federal departments and independent agencies — including 20 percent of the Agency for International Development workforce and over 12 percent of employees in the Social Security administration.

Flores also said that concerns over job security fuel skepticism for students interested in public service.

“Is public service the right route? Is it a route that will provide me with security in the immediate or the long term, or is it becoming increasingly unstable?” he said.

Jack A. Kelly ’26, a Government and Applied Mathematics concentrator, said he is concerned by Trump’s decision to “disregard this precedent of keeping expert career employees.” But despite his worries, Kelly said he still plans on going to D.C. after graduation.

“I’m planning on working for an agency in the federal government that is independent of the President, which makes things interesting, because President Trump is trying to test whether there can be truly independent federal agencies,” he said.

Pratyush Mallick ’25, former president of the Harvard Institute of Politics, said the current political environment is “a catalyst for how people are rethinking their career paths.”

“It will shift the focus for students seeking national level politics and focus more on creating change or impact at a local level,” he added, noting that he is increasingly interested in working for city or state governments.

Owen Ebose ’25, a Government concentrator and research assistant at the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, plans to apply for jobs at the local and state level in the Boston area.

“Luckily, states are quite independent. Cities are quite independent,” Ebose said. “So, I can wholeheartedly disagree with the federal government and refuse to work in that capacity but then find common cause in, potentially, the state government or the municipal government.”

“That’s why I’m more looking in that direction,” he added.

Ava K. Pallotta ’25, a double concentrator in Government and Sociology who worked for a nonprofit backing the Harris campaign, said she is now “more interested in local level work” rather than federal jobs.

“I think I found myself just disillusioned with electoralism and how top-down it can feel,” she said.

Pallotta said she plans to teach at a middle school for Teach for America post-graduation, and looks forward to “getting involved with my local teachers union and continuing to volunteer at the homeless shelter.”

“Something that me and my friends who study Government talk about often is just the idea of not losing sight of the local level,” she said. “Even though it’s very invaluable that Harvard gives us opportunities to work at higher levels in government, it’s important to consider individual communities and groups.”

Isabelle G. King ‘25, a Government concentrator who interned in the U.S. Department of State last year, said she plans on taking another route — pursuing a Master’s degree before returning to the federal government.

“I guess I’ve always known that it would be challenging to find a job in the federal government directly out of undergrad. The two exceptions are the military and the Hill,” King said, referring to jobs in Congress on Capitol Hill.

Ultimately, Mallick believes that this moment presents a call to action for Harvard.

“It’s a call to action for Harvard to say that now more than ever, alumni should consider running for office,” he said. “Alumni should consider working in state and local government, and it’s a unique opportunity for Harvard to create a call to action for the broader community.”

— Staff writer Tanya J. Vidhun can be reached at tanya.vidhun@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tanyavidhun.

—Staff writer Victoria D. Rengel can be reached at victoria.rengel@thecrimson.com.