Tesla

Genuinely one of the best jobs I ever had. There was real room to experiment with new methods and technology rather than just following a rigid playbook. Leadership was open to trying things that hadn't been done before. The company also took real care of its people day to day when it came to the benefits and flexibility.

There's a noticeable boys club dynamic in how advancement actually works. Doing excellent work and putting in real effort will keep you employed and respected by your immediate team, but it won't move you up. They will love the extra work you do, but they will never pay you for it. Advancement depends heavily on whether your manager is actively advocating for you and keeping your name in front of the right people. If you don't have that kind of vocal champion, a lot of strong work can go unnoticed at any level that actually matters for promotions.

There is a lot of talent sitting quietly inside teams that never gets surfaced because it depends entirely on individual managers choosing to advocate for their people. Leadership shouldn't wait for that to happen organically. Build a more structured way to identify and elevate strong performers that doesn't rely so heavily on whether someone happens to have a manager willing to sing their praises.