Should I accept an honors program position with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel? Practically everyone is saying not to join the federal government right now, and I get why. But current issues aside, this is (or at least was) my dream job, and I'm trying to think long term.
I work in commercial litigation at a mid-sized firm right now (1850 billable), and I actually mostly enjoy it, but I don't think I would want to work at a firm once I have a family. This IRS position seems like a good opportunity to get into a government tax position that will hopefully get better by the time I have kids.
On the other hand, it feels like the benefits just don't outweigh the cons. It would be almost a $70k pay cut. That could be worth it to me if it was truly 9-5/9-6, no work in the evenings or on weekends except for trial, but it sounds like that's not a guarantee anymore. I'm not willing to work the same/similar hours for that kind of pay cut. At the same time, I feel like this is almost a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to get a non-billable job in tax law (an area I've always thought I wanted to practice in).