U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, joined students Nov. 12 for “Your Federal Career Starts Here,” a fireside chat hosted by the TCU Center for Career & Professional Development in the Brown-Lupton University Union Auditorium. 

Just 7% of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees are under age 30, compared with 23% of the U.S. workforce overall. Kupor and Secretary Duffy are working to close that gap, and came to Texas Christian University to make their case directly to students.

Michael Boes ’10, chief MAHA officer at Steak n Shake and a former senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, moderated the conversation.

Kathy Cavins-Tull, vice chancellor for student affairs, welcomed the audience and tied the evening to TCU’s mission of educating ethical leaders and responsible citizens. Kiki Nyoh ’25, assistant press secretary at OPM, returned to campus to introduce the panel.

Both panelists emphasized that the federal government needs more early-career professionals and has not done enough to show students the span of opportunities that exist across the vast workforce.

“We need smart people who care about this country, who want to do great things,” Kupor said.

Kupor spent his career in private sector technology and venture capital companies before serving in the administration. He said that work taught him an organization’s success often depends on having the right people in the right roles, and he has the same mindset for government roles.

He told students a first job should offer the chance to work on interesting and challenging problems. A few years in government, he said, can build skills that serve graduates whether they stay in public service or move to the private sector.

“Come here for a couple years, give it a shot, see what it’s like,” Kupor said.

Duffy began as a district attorney in Wisconsin and said the experience he gained in the courtroom mattered more to his career than the salary. He encouraged students to weigh the experience a job offers alongside the paycheck.

“I need young, smart people that are coming in, willing to serve,” Duffy said. “You can do it for a lifetime. You can make a career out of it, and that’s wonderful.”

Duffy pointed to the range of work at the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees aviation, highways, rail, shipping and commercial space launches. He highlighted a $12.5 billion effort funded by Congress to modernize the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control system, along with the department’s role in regulating emerging technologies such as drones and autonomous vehicles.

Boes shared a similar view from his own path. The TCU alumnus spent 15 years in the private sector before joining HHS and told students he learned more during his year in government than in all of that time.

Kupor also outlined changes to federal hiring. Applicants are now evaluated through skills assessments, and OPM has removed degree requirements from jobs that do not necessarily need them. The agency is also working to recognize high performers and hold employees accountable, which he said creates the kind of culture ambitious graduates want to join.

Asked what they look for among job candidates, Kupor pointed to communication and teamwork alongside technical skills. He encouraged students to seek out leadership roles and campus organizations that build those abilities.

Duffy said he values a great attitude and grit, and he looks for applicants who have worked through challenges to get where they are.

Before the panelists took questions from students, Duffy encouraged the audience to pursue internships in Washington as a way to find out whether government work suits them.

“It’ll be an experience that you’ll never regret,” he said.

To learn more about available roles in the federal government, go to earlycareers.gov.