Pros
The only good part of working with FSA is the huge amount of vacation/sick time offered, and working with the farmers. The work FSA does for producers is really important, and most of them really appreciate it.
Cons
Too many to count, but I will put an abbreviated list: -Low pay: I worked for FSA for 4 years, and I was only allowed to progress up to a Grade 6 Step 3. For the amount of workload I was expected to handle and all the extra hours I put in, this is way, way, way below market value for someone working this job -Workplace hostility: If you are lucky to work in a CO where the CED does their job, consider yourself lucky. If you don't, then realize there is nothing you can do about it. Going up the chain of command will get some small results, but those will be very slow in coming, and expect to spend a lot of time defending why things need to be changed -Extremely high workload: In the four years I spend working on my programs, I was never caught up. Payments were always delayed, paperwork was slow, and farmers were frustrated. I am a very organized person, but I inherited a mess from my predecessor. I was expected to handle the workload of at least two people, and that is a similar case for everyone in my state. The entire agency is hilariously understaffed. -Opportunities for advancement: There are none. If you are hired as a PT, that is what you will be expected to stay as. You can apply for a CED In Training position, *if* one is opened in your state, but understand that state offices are more inclined to hire someone from outside the agency. This agency is going to make itself obsolete in a few years unless its rebuilt from the bottom up. It will not be able to retain high-value employees with the current structure. The best thing I can say is stay far, far away. The benefits are not worth the loss of your mental health. Management doesn't care about you, and will make you afraid to leave. Private industry has surpassed what the government can offer, and you deserve better.