Pros: It's really evident that people love their work and will do whatever it takes to get it done. Some people will happily work until 7 or 8 p.m. every day. Communication is really unique at Tesla, and for a company of its size, there's a culture of free communication. As an intern, I would email and talk to senior managers and everyone else, if that was the right person to talk to. Interns can be anything from people working on some really deep R&D projects to just another full-time employee.

Cons: The offices are very crowded, and sometimes resources are limited. The work is very long, without some benefits of some of the other big companies in Palo Alto.

Pros: Very interesting projects. Intelligent, interesting people.

Cons: Long hours, nepotism, and a lack of direction from mid-level management.

Pros: Intense culture, but move quickly.

Cons: Lots of changes in priorities.