150+ interviews, zero job offers: Iowa job market ‘rough,’ says grad

I’ve written before about how the Iowa job market is abysmal right now, which is particularly hard on new graduates and those just trying to get started in their field.

Now, one of those recent grads is confirming just how bad it is in Iowa.

Sophia Gilligan Shubatt of Dubuque just graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law and is a newly licensed attorney.

But in the past nine months, she’s applied to “more than 150 jobs.” Of those, a handful granted her an interview. She’s received no job offers.

“So here I am, back in my parent’s basement in Dubuque,” Shubatt said.

I asked Shubatt to tell us more about the job market these days for graduates like her.

Here’s her response:

“The job market (for me, at least) is rough.

I became a lawyer because I saw the injustice built into our system and I wanted to make a difference. Three years ago, when I started law school, there seemed to be countless paths for me to do that. But America in fall 2022 and America in fall 2025 are two very different places. …

The attack began immediately when the administration took office and implemented a 90-day hiring freeze, causing government agencies to rescind offers for early-career federal workers. This included the Honors Attorneys Program, which places new law school graduates in entry-level positions throughout the government.

Since January, the administration has laid off hundreds of thousands of government workers, primarily those who served as watchdogs, provided aid to Americans and foreign countries, or served as any sort of check on executive power.

Many of these positions were eliminated entirely, and those that still exist will be filled with MAGA loyalists. (“Patriotism” and a desire to “advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities” are essential metrics for hiring positions graded at GS-05 or above. This means any new government employee starting at a salary above $30K will be evaluated on their political alignment. See OPM memo p. 9-10).

So, not only are there fewer jobs available for people like me, but now I am also competing with thousands of experienced government workers who are suddenly back on the job market. …

The most frustrating part isn’t the lack of opportunities that align with my values, it’s the abundance of jobs hiring at twice the salary of those I’m applying to—if only I’m willing to go against everything I believe in. It’s the bombardment with propaganda like this.

If I wanted to be a prosecutor or a prison guard or work for ICE, DOJ, the FBI, the CIA, Homeland Security, you name it—there’s listings all over LinkedIn. But if I want a job protecting people’s civil rights or helping our most vulnerable neighbors, I’ll just have to keep searching.

When it’s easier and far more profitable for me, as a new attorney, to become an ICE agent than it is to find a job with a legal aid organization, people should be alarmed.”

Are you a recent graduate or recently unemployed? What’s the job market been like for you? Email me.