We need more good people in public service, you should join!
Pros
Great benefits, many public service opportunities to make a difference in your community. Certain rules around the benefits and HR can provide for good work-life balance, depending on the department you're in. Lots of need for innovative workers as much of the workforce retires in the coming few years, you should join! You could be running the place in 10 years! Speaking of an older workforce: lots of institutional experience and deep knowledge. I'm very proud of the forward-thinking initiatives King County has worked on, such as ESJ, climate change, and process improvement. It is a leader in local government as these things go.
Cons
The culture of different departments varies, some pockets are very healthy, others can be challenging. It can also depend on how deep down in the hierarchy you start. Sometimes the rules that we, as a community, came up with together over time may not make sense any more, but it takes a lot of consensus-building to change them. Most work that involves any planning or collaboration can feel like it calls for an overwhelming amount of consensus-building. Sadly, some might say King County is a leader in local government for innovative work because the bar is not very high..
