Tesla

Mechanical Engineer Interview Experience - Palo Alto, California

April 1, 2014

Positive ExperienceGot Offer

Process

The interview process involved:

Three phone interviews with HR.
Two technical phone interviews with Mechanical Engineers on the team I would be working with.

I never went in for an in-person interview.

HR interviews were basic questions about previous work experience and background. Technical interviews dove deeper into past projects and asked a few technical questions related to past projects I had worked on.

Overall, the process was simple and straightforward. There were no trick questions or surprises.

Questions

Asked how the strength-to-weight ratio of aluminum and steel compared.

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Interview Statistics

The following metrics were computed from 16 interview experiences for the Tesla Mechanical Engineer role in Palo Alto, California.

Success Rate

25%

Pass Rate

Tesla's interview process for their Mechanical Engineer roles in Palo Alto, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.

Experience Rating

Positive50%

Neutral38%

Negative13%

Candidates reported having very good feelings for Tesla's Mechanical Engineer interview process in Palo Alto, California.

Tesla Work Experiences

Are Tesla engineers overworked?

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: While this was the preconception I had before I joined, after being on the team for a year, I don't see that this is the case for myself. As an intern, every minute was engaging, and each project made me feel that much more important in the scope of my team.

Cons: There is a steeper learning curve for interacting with new teams, understanding terminology, and figuring out who to ask questions or find answers without bothering too many people. Fortunately, my team has been gracious enough to help me through my struggles.

Are Tesla engineers overworked?

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: While this was the preconception I had before I joined, after being on the team for a year, I don't see that this is the case for myself. As an intern, every minute was engaging, and each project made me feel that much more important in the scope of my team.

Cons: There is a steeper learning curve for interacting with new teams, understanding terminology, and figuring out who to ask questions or find answers without bothering too many people. Fortunately, my team has been gracious enough to help me through my struggles.

This company has changed for the worse

Mechanical Engineer • Former Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: In some areas of the company, you might get to develop exciting technology.

Cons: Unorganized, high stress based on unrealistic timelines, high fluctuation of mid/upper management, and poor leadership and planning from the executive team.

This company has changed for the worse

Mechanical Engineer • Former Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: In some areas of the company, you might get to develop exciting technology.

Cons: Unorganized, high stress based on unrealistic timelines, high fluctuation of mid/upper management, and poor leadership and planning from the executive team.

A fantastic learning experience

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

February 14, 2012

Pros: Incredible people and incredible technology.

Cons: Disjointed at times, and it can be rather intense.

A fantastic learning experience

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

February 14, 2012

Pros: Incredible people and incredible technology.

Cons: Disjointed at times, and it can be rather intense.

Are Tesla engineers overworked?

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: While this was the preconception I had before I joined, after being on the team for a year, I don't see that this is the case for myself. As an intern, every minute was engaging, and each project made me feel that much more important in the scope of my team.

Cons: There is a steeper learning curve for interacting with new teams, understanding terminology, and figuring out who to ask questions or find answers without bothering too many people. Fortunately, my team has been gracious enough to help me through my struggles.

5.0
Are Tesla engineers overworked?
Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
May 15, 2022
Pros: While this was the preconception I had before I joined, after being on the team for a year, I don't see that this is the case for myself. As an intern, every minute was engaging, and each project made me feel that much more important in the scope of my team.
Cons: There is a steeper learning curve for interacting with new teams, understanding terminology, and figuring out who to ask questions or find answers without bothering too many people. Fortunately, my team has been gracious enough to help me through my struggles.

This company has changed for the worse

Mechanical Engineer • Former Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

Pros: In some areas of the company, you might get to develop exciting technology.

Cons: Unorganized, high stress based on unrealistic timelines, high fluctuation of mid/upper management, and poor leadership and planning from the executive team.

2.0
This company has changed for the worse
Mechanical Engineer • Former Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
April 8, 2020
Pros: In some areas of the company, you might get to develop exciting technology.
Cons: Unorganized, high stress based on unrealistic timelines, high fluctuation of mid/upper management, and poor leadership and planning from the executive team.

A fantastic learning experience

Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee

Palo Alto, California, United States

February 14, 2012

Pros: Incredible people and incredible technology.

Cons: Disjointed at times, and it can be rather intense.

4.0
A fantastic learning experience
Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
February 14, 2012
Pros: Incredible people and incredible technology.
Cons: Disjointed at times, and it can be rather intense.

Tesla Interview Questions

Course Schedule

Determine if it is possible to finish all courses given prerequisite relationships between them. Essentially, detect if a cycle exists in the course dependencies.

GraphsRecursion

Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters

Find the length of the longest substring within a given string that contains no repeating characters. The substring must be contiguous.

StringsTwo PointersSliding Windows

Minimum Changes To Make Alternating Binary String

Determine the fewest modifications needed to transform a binary string into an alternating pattern (e.g., "0101" or "1010"). You can change '0' to '1' or '1' to '0'.

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