In his very first week as President, Donald Trump enacted a number of surprisingly aggressive moves on several of his key fronts (issuing blanket pardons to everyone charged in the January 6 Capitol attack, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, firing over a dozen independent inspector generals, canceling security details for key former government officials who he doesn’t respect, eliminating DEI and LGBT+ departments/information, etc.). More recent developments include those aimed at adding muscle to the “America First” promise (imposing a 10% tariff on China and only temporarily pausing a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada, shuttering USAID,) and dramatically reducing the size/cost of the federal government. Undoubtedly the most significant move was having the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issue an email titled “Fork in the Road”, directing that a substantial majority of federal employees return to 100% in office work and outlining a “deferred resignation” program that promises a number of attractive benefits to employees willing to tender their resignations by February 6. Additionally, under the umbrella of increasing government efficiency (the mandate of the Department of Government Efficienc, helmed by Elon Musk) a pause was ordered for all federal grants and loans. And yet another cost-cutting measure underway looks to abolish the Department of Education. The cumulative evidence of all the preceding makes it clear that more surprises may be in store. Adding to the uncertainty, the ultimate impact of a number of these initiatives is murky – in part because their legality is in question, in part because the wording of the directives is unclear, and in part because the initiatives themselves are sometimes revised or rescinded before they can be implemented.
President Trump’s promise to be disruptive to the historic role of the federal government is indeed being fulfilled, and how the new role will be defined remains to be seen. In the near term, which of these initiatives will be challenged in court, and how will those challenges be decided? Longer term, what impact will tariffs have on the economy? How significant will the disruption in the labor force caused by deporting illegal immigrants have on such sectors as construction and agriculture?
In the meantime, the uncertainty is starting to delay employment decisions in almost all fields – even in such previously sacrosanct areas as defense. And areas seemingly far afield from federal job reduction (e.g. retail, health care, tech) are starting to fear the impact of possibly severe layoffs on the area’s disposable income/purchasing power and on the reliability of revenue and income projections made as recently as December 2024. This at a time when the number of people looking for jobs is skyrocketing – either due to their forced resignations as their departments/organizations are closed are slimmed down, or to their voluntary resignations to take advantage of the promised “Fork in the Road” benefits, or because of their philosophical disagreements with the Trump administration’s priorities and plans. The competition for employment is going to be fierce, particularly so who are contemplating career shifts, as potential openings dry up (until the outlook is clearer and hiring can be done more confidently) and tens of thousands seek new jobs in a shrunken market.
HOW TO DEAL WITH “THE FORK
My advice to those likely to be impacted by the developments of the last week (and that encompasses a significant minority, if not a majority, of people in this area) – is to prepare a solid, multi-faceted plan whose goal is to secure new employment in a reasonable time frame. Even if your employment feels secure, the unprecedented unpredictability and uncertainty at play right now demand an active response. There should be three fundamental pillars to this plan.
First, start refreshing your close-in network (or double down on your efforts to strengthen it), which will be the key asset to utilize in exploring job opportunities. Don’t be immobilized by an unwillingness to “ask a favor” of a well-established connection – now is the time such connections are essential in identifying possible opportunity. The majority of jobs are landed utilizing such connections, NOT by churning out dozens of applications in the hope that something will “stick.”
Second, update your resume and emphasize the impact you’ve had in your roles, not simply the functions that you’ve fulfilled. Use verbs that connote initiative and improvement (such as “built,” “created,” “launched,” “led,” “facilitated,” “organized,” etc.). Minimize the use of such passive statements as “responsible for,” oversaw,” “participated in,” etc. This is particularly relevant to government employees, whose resumes have emphasized positions held and responsibilities entailed, per the USA Jobs guideline, rather than results. And, very importantly, when applying to posted positions tailor your resume to the job description, mirroring the key words used. AI can be helpful in developing your resume, but it can tend to “oversell” so beware of having it paint a picture of yourself that is fundamentally inaccurate.
Third, utilize LinkedIn, ensuring that your profile is complete and persuasive, much like your resume. It offers an excellent way to identify second degree connections (I.e. people connected to your direct connections) who can provide you with vital insider information about things like organizational culture, your potential direct supervisor and red flags to consider. For those who dislike social media and so have eschewed LinkedIn, keep in mind that the platform is a vital business tool and is mistakenly lumped in with actual social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.