As a new grad, the USDS was my top choice but I was constantly stonewalled by recruiters saying that I wasn't experienced enough.
For the USDS engineers on the thread--does the work really require 5+ years of work experience? Is there really no place for a passionate and moderately-experienced junior engineer in the organization? I would quit my job in a heartbeat if I got an offer.
It does help to have a few scars, in that many of the problems also have organizational aspects to them. So it's not just the ability to code; it also helps to have seen a lot of dysfunction within companies, bureaucracies, etc.
The projects in which we are most successful are those where we have been able to quickly bring a lot of relevant experience to the table, not just knowledge and skill.
For the USDS engineers on the thread--does the work really require 5+ years of work experience? Is there really no place for a passionate and moderately-experienced junior engineer in the organization? I would quit my job in a heartbeat if I got an offer.