Process
A recruiter emailed me with the job description. We had a phone call chat two days later. During the conversation, they scheduled an interview with a Senior Equipment Engineer for four days after that. The interview included basic questions, a request to describe my resume, and a few technical questions related to it.
The recruiter called back the next day to update me on the interview. They asked me to travel to Reno, NV for an on-site interview, scheduled for four days later. Before coming to the interview, I had to prepare a presentation on one of my projects that had a big impact.
The trip was completely paid for by Tesla, including flights, hotel, car, and food.
The on-site interview was seven to eight hours long, including a 20-minute presentation and six one-on-one interviews with other equipment engineers and managers. The following day, the recruiter contacted me to say they were not moving forward with my candidacy.
Word of advice:
Don't get your hopes too high, even if you reach the on-site interview stage. They look for "Passion for the job" and "Potential to make an impact, based on EXPERIENCE."
Questions
Why Tesla?
What is a perfect job for you?
What is a perfect day at work for you?
Basic questions on PLC, HMI, drive faults, and real-life control system problems that you solved or improved.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the Tesla Equipment Engineer role in Reno, Nevada.
Success Rate
Tesla's interview process for their Equipment Engineer roles in Reno, Nevada is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Tesla's Equipment Engineer interview process in Reno, Nevada.
Tesla Work Experiences
- 4.0Good learning opportunitiesEquipment Engineer • Current EmployeeReno, Nevada, United StatesNovember 3, 2025Pros: This being my first job gave me plenty of learning opportunities. You can explore as much as you can, and learning and growing is encouraged.Cons: Very fast-paced and sometimes feels pointless, as leadership decisions are always followed, and nothing you do matters. For me personally, equipment engineering very quickly felt meaningless. I feel like there isn't much impact I am making, which causes demotivation to work. One year feels more than enough to switch into a more diverse and cross-functional role.
- 2.0Great company to come from, but not to be in.Equipment Engineer • Current EmployeeReno, Nevada, United StatesJuly 29, 2018Pros: People at Tesla are very open and accepting of change. It's one of the best and worst things about it. If you happen to land in the right fit team for you, it can be the best thing ever because although you work long, unpredictable hours, you'll get to do a lot of what you love. Also, there are some managers who protect their teams from the surrounding chaos of the company. I wasn't fortunate to have a manager like that, but I knew of some.Cons: Work-life balance is given no consideration; expect to be at work or on call 24/7, even worse when you are good at your job. Employee turnover rate is high. Most engineers will tell you they don't expect to be at the company in two years' time, even those just starting. Tesla really fails when it comes to developing its employees. There is no care into what projects individuals want to do and lean towards. Everyone just needs to be carbon copies of good controls engineers, and that's what every manager wants. It also doesn't help that motivation is through fear. Elon is more feared than respected. The drive is to never show up on Elon's radar. I heard someone put it quite well: "Tesla is a great company to come from, but not a great company to be in." Any job you take after this will feel like a vacation. Teams are pushed to be homogenous and not heterogeneous, meaning that everyone is meant to be a cog of the same size in the wheel. No thought at all is given to differences between individuals. Things like team diversity or using individuals' strengths to their full capacity are things for other companies that have visions past the next three to six months.
- 4.0Growth, Budget, Long HoursEquipment Engineer • Current EmployeeFremont, California, United StatesOctober 31, 2025Pros: A lot to grow. Visibility with higher management. Good budget. Good incentives.Cons: Long hours. Not enough base pay.
Tesla Interview Questions
