Pros
Aldi does a lot for employees and also expects a lot in return. Total compensation cannot be beaten and the management team can be outstanding. I loved the huge amount of responsibility and the varying days/weeks/months. Every store has its own personality and quirks, which made each day a surprise in some aspects. The DM job is all inclusive and anything and everything that happens within your stores is your responsibility. The experience gained cannot be matched anywhere else, especially for a new college grad.
Cons
Aldi is incredibly demanding and you are expected to get everything done and achieve the financial goals no matter what, period. What used to be very simple and challenging has become overwhelming and unreasonable. The same store conditions and financial results are expected to be achieved with the same number of hours used while the product line has grown tremendously, new programs are constantly being introduced, sales volumes are increasing, new employees and management staff are constantly being added, and on and on. The company is changing, but the job is not changing along with it. Productivity is still king, but customer satisfaction and store conditions are supposed to be king as well. Everything cannot be 100% all the time, but that is what is expected. Store Managers and DMs are 50-hour salaried employees, but no one gets the job done in 50 hours. Work-life balance is nonexistent and the DMs that find success are those who are single with no children or who choose work over family. Advancement also depends on the status of your division. Outstanding DMs in a poor performing division get passed over for more mediocre DMs in a top-performing division.