Excellent opportunities if you search hard enough, but the high turnover exists for a reason
Excellent opportunities if you search hard enough, but the high turnover exists for a reason
If you're talented at social engineering, Tesla is a great place to make connections. It's a large company with a diverse range of personalities and talents, and there are some true gems in the haystack. Once you find out who those people are, get in their good graces and start absorbing like a sponge. Finding a good manager to report to at Tesla isn't easy, but if you manage to find one, you can have a successful career while also avoiding the 60-hour weeks that many managers at the company will expect of you.
Some of the worst worker appreciation I've ever seen in my decades of work. I watched a lot of employees get taken wholly advantage of.
Some managers are excellent, but others will lean hard into any shred of imposter syndrome to get people working nights and weekends without a single thank you. False promises abound. Promotions are often based on favoritism instead of merit. This leads to an environment that promotes "yes-men" and hurts the company in the long term.
Productivity is often valued over growth, and the consequence is that many employees are treated as consumables to be juiced and thrown away rather than treated as long-term investments at the company. Compensation in general is quite poor relative to comparable positions at other companies, so expect to take a serious pay cut. With the same talent and resume, it's not uncommon to find a position somewhere else that pays 30-50% more and treats you well.
In the past, Tesla was a great resume builder, so the tradeoff might have been worth it. These days, the reputation is different, and the company doesn't attract the same talent.
Come to Tesla if you're dying to work on electric cars and you can't get in at one of the competitors. Don't come to Tesla if you want to be appreciated for your contributions.
Keep a look out for lower-level managers who make their engineers take the fall for their mistakes. If projects have to be repeated and timelines extended because management is bullheaded and won't listen to the wisdom of their direct reports, and those same managers blame the extended timelines on their direct reports for "not burning enough of the midnight oil," you have a problem.
Additional Ratings
Was this helpful?
Tesla Interview Questions
Tesla Interview Experiences
Reliability Engineer
I had two phone interviews, followed by the on-site. Most of the on-site interview questions were irrelevant to the position. The interview itself was a fairly standard, five-hour affair. I gave a presentation in the morning, followed by a pretty to
Reliability Engineer
The phone interview lasted for only 30 minutes. This is the first stage of the interview. Later, a scheduled Microsoft Teams meeting followed with an interview with a manager or someone who is a lead in that role.
Reliability Engineer
30-minute phone call, followed by an onsite interview consisting of five one-on-one sessions (30 minutes each).
Reliability Engineer
Palo Alto, California, United StatesMay 1, 2019I had two phone interviews, followed by the on-site. Most of the on-site interview questions were irrelevant to the position. The interview itself was a fairly standard, five-hour affair. I gave a presentation in the morning, followed by a pretty to
Reliability Engineer
Austin, Texas, United StatesFebruary 1, 2022The phone interview lasted for only 30 minutes. This is the first stage of the interview. Later, a scheduled Microsoft Teams meeting followed with an interview with a manager or someone who is a lead in that role.
Reliability Engineer
Fremont, California, United StatesJanuary 1, 201430-minute phone call, followed by an onsite interview consisting of five one-on-one sessions (30 minutes each).
