Pros
Pay was great and I was automatically promoted to the next step, with a commensurate raise, after 52 weeks. Didn't need benefits but federal benefits are also quite good. Hired to serve one county; eventually assigned to serve five--approx. 3500 sq. mi. A challenge but also a great opportunity for networking and getting to know area influencers. Job was a mixed bag in some ways. Home-based position--good; COVID shutdown and confinement to home with no outside contact permitted--not good. Supervisor in another part of the state--good; lack of feedback and access--not good. Being on my own to figure out what worked within my assigned territory--good; being on my own to figure out what worked within my assigned territory with practically no help or direction--not good. Finding more experienced colleagues who could provide support and guidance--good; HAVING to find and rely on them--not good.
Cons
The job was full-time/temporary, 40-hrs/week, M-F. Somehow (my own fault, I'm sure...) it always extended into my weekends. As a professional trainer myself, the best I can say about the training provided was that it was uneven, poorly planned, and badly designed and executed. Especially for TECHNICAL training requiring a new employee to how to use an unfamiliar program or system or piece of equipment, be sure to provide ACCESS beforehand! Having an expert TELL employees how to do something they've never done before isn't the same as HANDS ON learning! The job was often chaotic; and what was urgent one week was irrelevant the next, because someone had changed the priority or the process. Possibly the worst part of the job was the rigidity of the regulations controlling everything we did. "Nature of the beast" and understandable, perhaps; but this job was not designed for the creative, innovative or free-wheeling individual. ALSO: Though I am typically self-directed and a very quick study, I often felt frustrated and at a loss. Supervisor: "Magnificent work. You set the bar for everyone else." Surprise to me, since the only time I ever heard that was the day the job ended and I was released!