been in 9 years in it field n still u looking for fed job, then definitely u should go ahead. the reason im telling u this ..if someone works in IT for more than 3 years, he gains he definitely gaines some position in that company unless its a QA/ Ba / developer hire n fire job ..with all these years of experience u should be at be a manager or someone who directly reports to the CEO, but since ur looking to go for a fed job ( which is normally a entry level or one step higher ) ur definitely not happy with the position ur holding in present company. in this case i would suggest u change fed job for secure future, wood work life balance n tension free life. all fed job is stress free, eventually doing nothing all day. yes career advancement is sluggish( u r anyways having in private company ) n lots of politics but this will not hurt ur position.

people who dont dream big n whose stability is main concern these jobs are rewarding