Pros
Intelligent people working for the Institution (refer "belligerent comments" below) Some folks are genuinely passionate to reduce global poverty and achieve its mission Compensation is great (especially those who don't want to be held accountable to goals)
Cons
The World Bank is a poor place to spend 3-5 years on a fixed term contract if you have 15-20 years of professional experience under your belt, particularly if you are coming from the private sector. You will be working alongside and perhaps supervising staff who can be negative and belligerent, working with bosses who are outright bullies and dealing constantly with politics and optics between Directorates and Vice Presidencies. I learned nothing technically, aside about how to write in a Washington DC tone which is not an appreciated skill elsewhere in the world. I view my time at the World Bank as a complete waste, and time that I will never get back. Sure looks great on the CV, but if it is true professional growth and development that you are looking for, then look elsewhere. Working for a Fortune 500 in a senior role, I have had to relearn many managerial skills unappreciated, downplayed or even belittled at the Bank: pragmatic and quick decision making, explicitly scoping out what is in and out, execution based on plan-do-check-act (versus the Bank's plan-plan-check-plan approach), open and transparency with my team members and strong internal networking (without having to go to the VP first).