Pros
This job offered great benefits. The health insurance, retirement matching, $4/month gym, and other health benefits (free weight watchers, etc) were appreciated. This job provided me with many opportunities to learn new skills including navigating government bureaucracy.
Cons
Management often has no leadership training. For several months the director of my program was out, leaving me to fulfill the role. This came with little gratitude and no compensation for working outside of my pay scale. As a young professional there are few ways to move up in the company. Older employees sit at their desks doing little work during the day, but because of their seniority (and the union) they are not reprimanded or asked to leave. Oftentimes I found myself doing 2-3 jobs to cover the slack of others. Additionally, with no merit based raises, there is no motivation to perform well. Stellar contributors are given the same pay increases as lackluster employees. Motivation and enthusiasm are slowly sucked from employees, and if you show a hint of excitement the old-timers are there to remind you that working here is nothing to be excited about. This is a challenging place to work if you are a hard worker.