I applied online via the Tesla careers page and was contacted by recruiting a short time later. First step was an email with some “hard criteria” questions (availability, 6-month full-time internship, enrollment status, start date, etc.). After I replied, I had an online interview.
The interview itself was professional and friendly. We talked about my background in mechanical/electrical design, EV/high-voltage topics, CAD skills, and some basic questions on mechanics, materials, and DFM/DFA. They also asked about how I approach problems, how I work in teams, and why I wanted to join the High Voltage Distribution team.
Technically, I felt the fit was good and the conversation went well. However, in the end I was rejected because my German language skills were not strong enough for what they needed in that team. This was communicated politely, but it’s important to mention: even for an internship, German fluency can be a deciding factor, depending on the team and role.