I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at Tesla
Interview
I went through interview with recruiter and then with team manager. Recruiter focused on my resume and asked me about internship experience and projects I joined. Team manager asked more about internship related to the position, more detailed things. It would be better if you have any idea about manufacturing at Tesla.
I applied online. The process took 7 months. I interviewed at Tesla (Fremont, CA) in Nov 2012
Interview
Applied about six months before being contacted, then was enthusiastically courted to interview and tour the facilities. Did five distinct interview, and toured the facility with what would become peers. None were particularly difficult or unusual, though several were interrupted by a "crisis" on the production floor that required one or more of the interviewers to take a break and go solve the problem (usually a late or missing part). It was clear that they are swamped, overworked, and understaffed, and desperately need help. Unfortunately, during one of my tours, my guide said that the expected work week was about 80 hours, including nights and weekends, and that this pace was forecast to remain constant for at least the next eighteen months, as the company was fighting for its life to make the shift from a a proof of concept to a mass production company.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
After one of the interruptions, the interviewer asked what I would do to resolve that particular problem. It was very hard because the right answer was to stop treating the symptoms and go after the cause, but the interviewer was at least part of the cause, so that wouldn't have been a well-received answer...