I applied on the career website and received an email from a recruiter. I then had an initial phone screen, followed by phone interviews with a manager and a senior manager. These interviews were standard, focusing on describing past experiences and how I tackled specific problems. They asked one or two questions not directly on my resume, but these were aimed at assessing my problem-solving approach rather than being intentionally difficult. They seemed to like what I had to offer and flew me out to the Fremont factory.

At the factory, there was a written exam that tested skills and analytical thinking relevant to the role. Fortunately, I was informed about the exam in advance and had time to prepare by reviewing old engineering and job notes. The exam was challenging, but it appeared to be designed to gauge skill levels rather than to weed out candidates. There were questions I couldn't answer due to time constraints and knowledge gaps, but I focused on what I knew and answered to the best of my ability.

Afterwards, I had one-on-one interviews with everyone on the team. Sometimes, multiple engineers from potentially collaborating departments were present. These interviews were excellent opportunities to speak with Tesla Engineers and gain insights into the engineering challenges at Tesla. The engineers I spoke with were down-to-earth and highly knowledgeable in their respective fields, representing a mix of experienced manufacturing professionals and highly educated recent graduates. The questions covered my past experiences and hypothetical situations. Essentially, if you genuinely worked on and significantly contributed to the projects and problems listed on your resume, you would have no difficulty answering. Again, the intent was to understand my experiences and potential value to the company, not to trick me. I did not get all questions right with certain interviewers, which made me feel a bit discouraged towards the end. Following these interviews, I was given a brief factory tour before departing.

After some time, I learned that I had successfully passed the on-site interview process. I then had two additional one-on-one interviews with senior managers. These questions were directly drawn from my resume and focused on my experiences.

Unfortunately, I received no further communication after this stage, effectively being ghosted. I later discovered online that this is a common practice at Tesla, with rejection letters not being sent. While I felt a bit disappointed, I had an overall positive experience and met some great people.

Main Takeaways:

• Be honest on your resume. If in doubt, do not include it.
• If you don't know something, be honest rather than attempting to fabricate an answer. These interviewers are sharp and can easily detect dishonesty or exaggeration.
• Be prepared to extensively explain why you want to work at Tesla.
• If you don't know an answer, use engineering and problem-solving principles to guide your response. It's better to attempt an answer and admit mistakes than to simply say "I don't know."

I hope this brief guide was helpful. Don't get discouraged if you don't secure an interview or progress in one. Stay positive and persevere; try again until you succeed. I believe they would rather hire someone who is hardworking, passionate, and persistent, even if not academically the strongest, than a top student who is lazy and seeking prestige.

Multiple NDAs were signed, so I cannot discuss any questions.