Pros
Good work/life balance and opportunity for growth and career advancement Alcoa encourages employees to rotate jobs every few years to continue to build a variety of different skill sets and understand all aspects of the business. Most people find a permanent job at Alcoa with good benefits and never leave, which is good if you are after job security and want a comfortable living. The corporate culture is fairly laid back, with consideration given for outside of work activities. But, there are deadlines that people are expected to meet depending on the department. As long as you focus on getting work done, there is no need for face time.
Cons
Alcoa is a large corporation. Therefore, there is a lot of bureaucratic yellow tape to get through in getting things done. It is also easy to get lost in the shuffle, and outstanding work can sometimes get overlooked. Career advancement within Alcoa will most likely occur through "paying dues" either by working in a remote location or at a variety of different jobs to gain a broad business background. I know many current employees that have had to take jobs in far flung manufacturing facilities to gt the background before returning for their ideal corporate position. The company has some evidence of meritocracy, however, there is a definite sense of seniority throughout the organization.