Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is hiring. The Tesla CEO, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, who was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to head DOGE, are using their social media platform X to recruit candidates. They’re looking for “high-IQ small-government revolutionaries” willing to work 80-plus hours a week on unglamorous cost-cutting tasks.
The official DOGE account has gained over 1.4 million followers since its launch and posted a job opening, thanking the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in joining the department. “We are so grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE. We don’t need any more part-time idea generators. We need ultra-high IQ small government revolutionaries who are willing to work 80+ hours a week on unsexy cost-cutting tasks. If that’s you, send this account a direct message with your resume. Elon and Vivek will consider the top 1% of applicants,” they wrote on X.
The job requirements are high, with no specific education or professional experience required, but applicants must be willing to work long hours on cost-cutting tasks. Both Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy have pledged to personally review the “top 1 percent” of applicants, although the selection criteria remain unclear. To apply, applicants must send their resumes via direct message on X, but only users with a verified X account, which requires a monthly subscription of $8, can send messages.
The role, while demanding, comes without compensation, as Musk himself made clear on X. “It would be boring, make a lot of enemies, and come with no pay. What a great deal!” he wrote.
For his part, Mr. Ramaswamy said, “That is in contrast to many government officials who: (a) do little or nothing, (b) tell people only what they want to hear, and (c) make more money than the value they create.”
President-elect Trump announced DOGE with the goal of cutting federal spending, eliminating excessive regulations, and restructuring federal agencies. Operating outside of formal government structures, DOGE will provide “advice and guidance from outside the government.” Trump has set a deadline of July 4, 2026 for DOGE to complete its mission.