Pros
It's hard to beat the stability of a career with the federal government. I joined GSA out of college in a "ladder" position that guaranteed annual pay grade increases for the first three years. Great benefits, no more than 40 hour weeks, and flexible scheduling/telework options made the job quite attractive financially, and from a work/life balance perspective.
Cons
I received a tentative job offer six months before the supposed start date, and Human Resources did not finish my onboarding process and present me with an official offer letter until four days after my intended start date. Even then, my first paycheck was late. On several occasions I witnessed political appointees push half-baked ideas that affected large swaths of the workforce, without seeking the advice of the experienced career public servants around them. SES employees hesitate to try new things or experiment for fear that any failure will earn them a verbal lashing in front of Congress.