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Learning Experience: Very smart coworkers. Frustrating environment

Test Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Tesla for 2 years
March 1, 2013
Palo Alto, California
3.0
RecommendsNeutral OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros
  • Great pastoral setting in Deer Creek with horses all around.
  • Free cereal and soda.
  • Smart and fun coworkers; lots of trips planned outside of work, hanging out, and exercising together.
  • Oftentimes, you can get a lot of responsibility if you seek it.
  • Opportunities to pick up many new skills if you are self-motivated.
Cons
  • Very difficult to switch groups; internal mobility is low.
  • Effective mentorship and growth opportunities are nonexistent for junior engineers. A lot of engineering is done "on the fly" by inexperienced people.
  • Decisions from executive management often seem arbitrary and designed for short-term stock goals, as opposed to long-term strategy.
  • Tendency to hire overqualified people for mundane tasks, not follow through on promises made during recruitment, and then fire those who get pigeon-holed into working on things well below their pay grade.
Advice to Management

Engage core engineers more frequently, rather than only sitting in closed-door meetings with middle management all the time.

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