Making the Connection: Early Career Outreach Pays Off for the Public Sector

The government workforce is getting on in years.

The average age of federal employees is 47, while just 7% of federal workers are under the age of 30.

Such statistics are not lost on government employers, and the public sector is making a concerted effort to attract more of the kind of young talent it needs to help lead government agencies into the future.

In January, for instance, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released guidance on how federal agencies can increase opportunities for paid internships, fellowships, apprenticeships and other programs designed to help students and early-career individuals pursue a career in civil service.

In June, OPM launched its Federal Intern Experience Program, with OPM Director Kiran Ahuja calling on government agency leaders to promote the initiative, which offers training, experiences, information and support to help early-career talent succeed in their internships, acquire new skills and advance in their government careers.

And, within the past year or so, a number of states have relaxed or altogether eliminated degree requirements for many state government jobs, while OPM has also proposed updates to its Pathways Programs as a way to clear additional public sector career paths for early-career talent.

Federal Job Applications are Increasing

Some new data suggests that these efforts are paying off for the public sector.

Handshake recently evaluated data gathered from a total of 508 employers registered with the Handshake platform, which connects students and young talent with career opportunities.

The analysis found that Handshake job postings from federal employers have increased by 22% in the past year, with total applications to federal employers more than doubling in that same span. The number of applications per open federal job has increased by 55% in that time, compared to a 38% spike across all industries, according to Handshake, which found business, computer science, and civics and government majors accounting for the largest share of federal applicants. Students in more niche majors such as cybersecurity and epidemiology “submit a significant share of their applications to federal roles,” according to Handshake.

The Handshake analysis also found that the number of applications that students from minority-serving institutions are submitting for federal positions has doubled year over year, with applications from students at historically Black colleges and universities up by 110%. Overall, Washington, D.C., boasts the highest concentration of federal jobs, naturally. But Handshake found opportunities for early-career talent existing across the country in cities such as Chicago, New York, Atlanta and San Francisco.

While claiming that young professionals seeking their first job haven’t historically prioritized public sector positions, Handshake sees that changing, noting that government employers “can offer many things today’s students and new grads care deeply about, including job stability, pay transparency and the opportunity to play a role in addressing critical social and environmental issues.”

In return, “early-career hires are bringing in-demand skills and new ideas and perspectives to government agencies,” Handshake added. “As more young professionals step into these roles over the next few years, the positive impact on everyone—government leaders, early-career talent and people across the U.S. who rely on government services—will only continue to grow.”

Feeling Positive About Public Service

Another recent report suggests that the young professionals who have chosen the public sector path have had a positive experience so far.

The 2023 survey from MissionSquare Research Institute polled 1,004 state and local government employees age 35 and under, assessing motivations for working in the public sector, attitudes about current finances and financial outlook, views on employer benefits, thoughts on retirements, morale and job satisfaction, and retention issues.

The data MissionSquare uncovered finds many of these young workers feeling positive about their careers in public service, as well as shedding some light on what first drew these younger workers to public service and what they ultimately want out of their work. The study also finds that many younger public service workers value the same things about their jobs that their more experienced colleagues value—and are dealing with the same day-to-day stressors.

The survey found that a majority of public service employees (64%) generally hold a positive view of their jobs, expressing satisfaction with their job security, community service and the quality of their colleagues, according to MissionSquare Research Institute. Nearly half of the young workers surveyed (48%) said they’re likely to recommend a public service career to friends and family, and 46% said they plan to stay in public service until retirement.

“Younger state and local government workers as a group tend to be mission-driven, with many having initially chosen a job in public service in order to make a meaningful impact,” Rivka Liss-Levinson, MissionSquare Research Institute senior research manager, told Public Eye. “This public service motivation, combined with benefits to working in state and local government, such as job stability and the ability to serve one’s community, make public service a desirable career choice for many younger individuals.”

Enjoying the Experience, But Also Stressed

Asked what they prioritize when sizing up a would-be employer, the largest number of respondents (67%) said they most value being in a workplace that allows them to contribute to community improvement, with 65% saying the same about strong team dynamics (65%), followed by intellectual engagement and alignment with personal values (both cited by 64% of respondents).

When asked what initially attracted them to their current roles in public service, the largest percentage (32%) cited job security, with another 29% saying they sought work/life balance. An equal number (28%) pointed to health insurance and job satisfaction as the biggest draw.

These findings suggest that many younger workers are feeling positive about their public sector employment experience. But that doesn’t mean that younger workers aren’t also feeling the same type of pressure their older counterparts feel.

For example, more than three-quarters of survey respondents said they’ve felt significantly or somewhat stressed in the past six months. More than 60% consider personal finances their primary stressor. An even larger number (70%) believe their benefits are competitive, but just 53% feel the same way about the wage they’re currently earning. More than three-quarters of survey participants (77%) acknowledged a need to save more money for retirement, but also said that competing savings priorities and debt are their biggest obstacles to doing so. A majority of respondents (70%) consider their level of debt to be problematic, with 22% saying their current debts are a “major problem.”

Liss-Levinson notes that there are multiple approaches that government employers and HR teams can take to help reduce the burdens, financial and otherwise, that younger workers are currently carrying.

“In fact,” she said, “the report concludes by describing seven tips for attracting and retaining younger public sector workers.

Many of the recommendations, such as showing appreciation and recognition, providing financial wellness resources and prioritizing employee mental health and well-being, address this significant stress.”