Jared Kushner said working in the government is a career accelerator, not a sacrifice.
The former White House advisor said on an episode of the “No Priors” podcast published Thursday that a stint in Washington can be more valuable than a job at the hottest AI startup or tech giant.
“You’ll definitely make a contribution,” he said. “You’ll learn a ton, meet a lot of interesting people from different backgrounds, and you’ll definitely leave with a different perspective.”
The financial upside may not match an OpenAI offer letter, but Kushner — who is Donald Trump’s son-in-law — said the real payoff is experience: “Once your mind expands, it never returns to its original size.”
“It’s a two-year business school stint,” he added.
The appeal isn’t just altruism. The upside is building networks, understanding how government actually works, and returning to the private sector with sharper instincts about regulation and policy, Kushner said.
“You’re obviously leaving behind a lucrative career, but you’re going to leave hopefully in a better place,” he added.
Kushner also said Trump’s team is tapping more private-sector talent than before.
“There’s a great group of people from the private sector who are there every day renegotiating contracts,” he said, adding that they’re “saving a billion here, a billion there.”
Kushner did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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Federal jobs losing appeal among recent grads
Kushner’s comments come as interest in government work wanes among younger job seekers.
Handshake data shared with Business Insider in an April report shows that federal employers were the only sector to see year-over-year applications decline in the second half of the school year. Applications for federal roles dropped 40% compared to the previous year.
A key factor behind the decline is a wave of executive orders under the Trump administration. The creation of the Department of Government Efficiency brought job freezes, large-scale cuts, and an atmosphere of uncertainty that dimmed the federal sector’s appeal.
Federal workers told Business Insider in a July report about the emotional turbulence that has rippled through the workforce. Jill Hornick, a Social Security field office employee for 34 years, said the DOGE cuts left her reeling. Her emotions, she said, shifted from denial to acute pain, “like a death in the family.”
The employees left behind also told Business Insider that their responsibilities continue to grow. Many feel burned out, with little time during the day to take breaks, eat lunch, or catch up on work between meetings.
