Pros
Like-minded colleagues, competitive benefits (medical, dental, vision, life) package, excellent 12% employer contribution (no matching!) retirement plan for trust employees, laid-back work atmosphere, availability of professional development workshops/trainings, flexible working schedules (compressed, teleworking, etc.) can be negotiated, all Federal holidays off, commuter and transit benefit subsidy, commuter bicycle reimbursement, potential for travel depending on position
Cons
Entry-level salary ($37,113; grade 5, step 1, DC area) could be much better; while the trust employee pay scale is equal to the Federal GS pay scale, trust employees are not necessarily subject to same regular grade/step increases that Federal employees have; trust employees not eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) which is better overall than the trust employee retirement program; less job stability (i.e. year-to-year contracts) for trust employees compared to Federal employees; Federal government shutdowns will impact your work schedule/pay if and when they occur