Tesla

Role: Mechanical Engineer

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: 2025-01-13

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Hard (due to breadth of topics and demanding process)

Rounds: Screening call, 1-hour virtual interview, 90-minute open-book test, 30-minute presentation, panel interview (6 back-to-back interviews)

Topics Asked: Engineering fundamentals (statics, dynamics, vibrations, stress/strain, materials, basic circuits, PID control, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics), Specific past engineering experience (presentation), Behavioral questions

Experience:

This Mechanical Engineer interview process at Tesla was extensive and ultimately resulted in rejection.

Initial Screening: A screening call was conducted.

Virtual Interview: Followed by an hour-long virtual interview.

90-minute Open-Book Test: This test covered a wide range of engineering fundamentals including statics, dynamics, vibrations, stress/strain, materials, basic circuits, PID control, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics. The candidate, despite 8-10 hours of studying, only answered about 12 out of 22 questions, which was still sufficient to pass to the next phase.

Presentation and Panel Interview: The next phase involved a 30-minute presentation on specific past engineering experience, followed by an on-site panel interview with 6 people, consisting of 6 back-to-back interviews.

Outcome: The entire process took three months. After three weeks of silence and multiple follow-ups, HR communicated that they decided not to proceed, and no feedback was provided.