A wave of recent executive orders has triggered mass layoffs within federal agencies, from the Department of Education (DoE) to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The effects of these layoffs have rippled from Capitol Hill to the Kenyon community, impacting both alumni in civil service roles and soon-to-be graduates. However, the Career Development Office (CDO) has encouraged students not to panic — and to instead develop relevant skills and explore positions beyond those in the federal government.
In light of President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce, thousands of workers have been fired, with CNN and ABC News estimating that over 100,000 federal positions have been eliminated. These firings encompass a range of departments, with 84% of the Housing and Urban Development Community Planning and Development staff slated to lose their positions and a workforce reduction of over 50% within the DoE, according to the DoE website. However, not all initial firings stuck — approximately 24,000 fired federal workers have been reinstated in the past week due to a recent ruling by a federal judge.
According to Assistant Director of Career Development Lori Gastin, while current reductions to civil service positions are extreme, they are not entirely unprecedented following a change in administration. Gastin cited former President Bill Clinton, who reduced the federal workforce by over 300,000 employees with federal buyouts and other initiatives, as an example. “There will be changes. Some of them will be good, some of them will be bad, some of them we will hate,” she said in an interview with the Collegian. “And every time that a new administration comes in, that’s kind of how it goes. Almost half the country is going to have to bend.”
Gastin mentioned that members of the Kenyon community have been impacted, citing both a current student whose research position was rescinded and an alumnus who lost his role in the Office of Personnel Management. However, she also explained that other alumni remained unaffected. “One of our interns, who graduated just a couple years ago… works for the Federal Reserve, and I have been in touch with him a few times recently. Everything’s pretty much business as usual.”
One aspect of the firings that has attracted criticism is a perceived lack of adequate explanation or reasoning prior to termination. One Kenyon alumnus shared his experience being fired from a federal position in a LinkedIn post, criticizing the lack of consideration for employees prior to being let go. “Like many other probationary employees, I was fired with no consideration for existing laws, policies and regulations that have governed our society for years,” the post read.
Current students also expressed frustration with how federal defunding has affected both their career plans and the missions of different federal departments. “The [refugee resettlement] organizations I’ve worked with in the past are no longer receiving the money that they use to help communities in the United States,” Lillian Brouwer ’25 said in an interview with the Collegian. “They’re also not hiring anybody new… so it’s impacting me, but at the same time, it’s impacting these communities.”
Gastin suggested multiple courses of action for students planning to eventually obtain a federal position. First, she advised students to look to other areas of government that currently have more open positions. “Experience can be found in other areas: local government, state government. There are also great nonprofits. These are good places to gain the kind of experience that you will need if you want to go into public service.” She noted that while employment opportunities in legislative and judicial organizations sometimes appear on the hiring website USAJOBS.gov, the best course of action is to look into a specific agency or organization directly. Students seeking public policy internships can also attend a CDO-organized campus visit with the Columbus Partnership on April 10.
Gastin advised seniors to focus on developing relevant skills while they wait for greater availability of civil service positions. She stressed that interested students should keep an eye out for federal employment, while also being flexible with the current job market. “Focus on looking for jobs that help you develop your transferable skills that you’ll be able to take with you when the opportunity comes back around for you to jump into federal employment,” Gastin said. “And keep an eye on it. Don’t assume that it doesn’t exist.”