The recruiter contacted me within one day after applying. This is where the good news ended.

I was sent a "take-home quiz" that they ask of all engineers, and that supposedly Elon Musk reviews. When I asked to speak with the hiring manager first, they dropped the quiz requirement because, "You are too senior anyway."

OK. The hiring manager didn't have time to speak by phone, so he asked for an on-site interview.

When I arrived at HQ, it took about 20 minutes to park because the valets were clueless. I circled the building twice before just parking somewhere, disregarding the signs, since I was already running late.

When I checked in, the recruiter who was supposed to greet me was 10 minutes late. He apologized, stating he had a busy day, and said the hiring manager would come down to pick me up.

OK... The hiring manager came down. The guy was clearly under a lot of stress and wasn't friendly at all. There was no small talk, no usual offer of water/tea/coffee. He took me into a conference room and asked to "voice over the resume."

I asked if there were any specific questions he wanted to explore, but he just wanted me to recite my resume, going all the way back to college (I have over 20 years of experience after college).

He then said that their culture is very intense and that Elon can fire folks after just one bad conversation. I don't know why anyone would want to work in this environment.

They don't even have that many perks, and from what I hear, they don't pay very well either. The only perk is that you get to test-drive a Tesla occasionally. Big deal...

I cut the interview short and said it was clearly not a fit for me.

Recite your resume by heart.