Pros
-Impact of your work -relationships developed with your co-workers -401k, insurance, pension after 5 years -ability to be flexible in using time off -opportunities for advancement if you are willing to move departments or assume new roles. if you complain about lack of advancement opportunities, you are more than likely just too scared to move out of your comfort zone -pay for performance is a huge step forward for great employees, as long as evaluations are fair and unbiased
Cons
-inability to move quickly. on anything. it is just a reality of government work. government work does not have the freedom that private sector has in adopting new ideas or implementing up to day practices. it's getting better, but will always be behind private sector. know this when you are looking at working for the government. -promoting/advancement opportunities are there, but there is a lack of motivated and qualified employees that actually want to supervise or manage. that ability to manage people is a special skill, and it is not found in great quantities in government agencies. Those that have that skill many times can be overlooked for someone with seniority. -there can be a superiority complex shown by upper level management. i don't think that is a trait only found in government, but it can be painfully obvious in such a structured atmosphere as state government. more engagement of upper level management will lead to move motivated and engaged employees. -if you think government work should pay like private sector, you don't understand the role of government. if you pay what private sector pays, the budget for that comes directly from the tax payer. it's a catch 22, in that the pay is usually poor for what the job is, but if you pay the equivalent to private sector, the public complains that we're payed too much with their money.