Pros
Exceptional benefits-health insurance, annual leave, sick leave, 401k Consistent schedule Stable work Good work life balance Lots of opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds Hilarious stories- there is always something crazy someone did/said.
Cons
No opportunity for growth- expect to be in the same position for decades until someone retires and you are lucky enough to get picked among everyone else waiting for a promotion. Leadership fails to keep up with advances in technology/ 25+ years of doing the job the same way/refuses to change despite innovations to make the job more efficient Subjective performance appraisals—no rhyme or reason. It’s who you know and who likes you. Play office politics right, DON’T just keep to yourself/do your work, schmooze with management to get a great review. You’re pushing paper through—don’t expect to help people working for the government. Raises only occur every few years and are only based on the previous year’s performance appraisal. Working for an elected official means you have essentially no HR department other than for benefits. You’re on your own. Have a concern about management? Talk about it in therapy.