Pros
Great work/life balance: Overtime is rare, and most of the employees do the typical 40 hour work week (sometimes even less). Depending on the department, they also allow telecommuting. Worthwhile mission: Contributing to causes that directly impact the 50+ really gives you a sense of pride and purpose DC office is centrally located downtown Above average benefits: 401K + pension (provided you work there for atleast 5 years), health insurance, fully paid 4-week sabbatical called Renewal (after a tenure of 7 years), tuition reimbursement of up to 8K annually Other perks: Newly remodeled gym right in the office, full-time employees typically get their own offices (instead of cubes) , professional development training (in addition to the tuition reimbursement)
Cons
Company culture is more focused on consensus building and keeping everyone happy, and the emphasis on this tends encourage mediocrity and stifle innovation and thinking outside the box Processes and attitudes tend to get bureaucratic and slow - I've been in meetings where we discuss the same UNRESOLVED issues for 6 months There are a lot of folks who just float on by in terms of the quality of their work yet still manage to stay with the company for 10+ years; this indicates to me that poor performance is not just tolerated but also accepted as the norm Many employees are here just to retire, and you definitely get the play-it-safe mentality (those who are just here to do the bare minimum on their jobs instead of embracing challenges and making a big difference) Promotion opportunities vary by department, but for the most part is non-existent (unless you apply for a different position within the company)