Pros
Considering the education level necessary to get a job at Amtrak (ie, GED or High School diploma), the pay is wonderful. Union protection and benefits are also nice for the most part. And the job (I work on board the trains) is always interesting; it sure beats working in an office all day!
Cons
Lifestyle is hard. You're always on call and on the road anywhere from 4-7 days a week, but that's typical for all railroads. What is especially shameful on Amtrak is the complete and utter incompetence of management, from the top levels down to the local supervisors. They have absolutely no vision for the future, and also no idea how to build employee morale. Negative feedback is the only feedback you'll get at Amtrak. Managers seem much more interested in keeping a low profile and keeping their jobs than actually improving the company and working conditions. They will outright reject any suggestions on how to make things better or even save the company money! Even though it's a job I personally love, I couldn't recommend working at Amtrak to any of my friends or family for any reason other than the money, and that's a pathetic reason to work anywhere and be treated as poorly as we are at Amtrak.
