I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Tesla (Fremont, CA)
Interview
If you want to work at Tesla; you need to be persistent. I have applied numerous times since graduating college in 2010. I interviewed 2 times prior to the 3rd, which finally resulted in an offer. Knowing someone who works there will help you get noticed by the hiring managers. Everyone is extremely busy, so don't take it personally if they say they are going to call you the next day and it ends up being the next week. It's nothing personal. People are just very very busy.
The interview/ hiring process:
1.) Spoke with the recruiter and set up a phone interview with a senior Engineer.
2.) Interview with senior Engineer. If you know what you are talking about then this should
be enjoyable. They are getting a first glance at your personality and technical prowess, so be
honest and don't try to embellish.
3.) Spoke with recruiter and set up on-site interview a couple hours after the phone interview.
The time between the phone interview and the on-site was less than a week.
4.) On-site interview: This was a really cool experience for me. I interviewed with 2 Engineers and
2 Managers. Again, it's not hard if you know what you are talking about. If you don't know the
answer toa question; say so. Honestly is a good trait. Also, I'm really into EV, so I think I asked
about 80% of the questions, which put my mind at ease and gave them a good idea of where I was
at technically. Be totally transparent.
5.) Contingent offer about a week later.
6.) Essays for Elon: You need to write up 3 projects that you have done for Elon to review. Be honest
and do not embellish. In retrospect this was a lot of fun.
7.) Background check.
8.) On boarding process.
The whole process was a great experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
It wasn't the typical uncomfortable interview across a table. It was more of a conversation. Tesla isn't your typical vertical organization, and the mindset is similar to Google, so they want people who have the tech skills (tons of people), but personality plays a huge role.
Pretty good the interview went really well ,My core strength is my ability to collaborate effectively across teams. In my last role, I bridged gaps between marketing and sales, ensuring projects aligned with both goals. I also have strong problem-solving skills
Fast-paced, demanding interviews with deep technical grilling, real-world problem solving, cross-functional questions, and culture fit. Expect high standards, rapid iterations, ownership mindset, and emphasis on execution over theory. Technical analysis and development are the key
The interviewer was very confident but sometimes wrong! It makes no sense for him to be the one judging the next candidates. I quickly lost hope in their system and decided not to continue if that reflects the team.
