Pros
I worked at the IRS for 33 years. I retired in 2019. I was a mid level analyst and first line manager. I learned in my first year that if you work hard, produce useful results, work hard to get along with people and collaborate, you will likely be able to move up. Even more importantly, you will get to work on projects you like and make a positive difference to culture and business results. I loved many of the projects I worked on. Most were innovative, sometimes only in a small way, yet they brought new improved ideas and methods. The people I worked with were amazing. Loving, friendly and helpful. Federal employee benefits are very good. Good retirement package and important to remember, the federal government unlike state and local governments and private companies, can print money! So the retirement funds never disappear (unless Congress votes to do so, but there will be lots of federal employee voters voting against those legislators!!) Many pay raises are automatic. The beginning pay for any position is just the first year's pay. 2nd year you get an automatic raise. 3rd year. Then every other year or every 3 years. If you work hard and do well, you will have lots of other jobs you can move up into.
Cons
Bureaucratic yes. Paperwork and mandatory annual trainings. Some old fashioned systems. But I have found over the years, that my friends working in private industry frequently have similar problems with their organizations, and sometimes it's even worse!
