'Working for Tesla Motors.

[SDTricket]

Hello Everyone.

I would like to introduce myself as Matt. I am an Electrical Engineering major studying at UCSD. I also have a "HUGE" interest in cars, preferably electric cars. I dream one day to work for an electric car company too. I would most likely want to work for Tesla, due to their superiority in EVs. If there are any engineers on this board who work for Tesla, would you please give me some advice on how to obtain this job in the future. I am currently a junior, and I need to pick a specialty. If anyone could give me advice on what part of electrical engineering Tesla is looking for that would be great. I know it is most likely a competitive job, but I want to start preparing as soon in advanced as I can. Thank you for any help I can receive.

-Matt

 

[SByer]

I don't know if you'll get any Tesla employees responding (that would be cool), but I think the shortage out there is for high-power EE. Digital especially, but analog still has its place. I know from friends that the laser industry is seeking some of the same. I'd bet there are other places for high-power handling as well (smart grid anyone?).

Take that with a grain of salt, as I'm 'just' a software guy.

 

[TEG]

Tesla Jobs Link

 

[augkuo]

I think if you actually worked on a car that would be a big plus on your resume - you have a student group that I'm sure is building another electric car -

UCSD Engineering Students Drive Into the Future With Electric Racecar

As for classes - here are my suggestions (not necessarily all of them!)

100. Linear Electronic Systems (4)
101. Linear Systems Fundamentals (4)
102. Introduction to Active Circuit Design (4)
107. Electromagnetism (4)
118. Computer Interfacing (4)
156. Sensor Networks (4)
161A. Introduction to Digital Signal Processing (4)
161B. Digital Signal Processing I (4)
161C. Applications of Digital Signal Processing (4)
163. Electronic Circuits and Systems (4)
164. Analog Integrated Circuit Design (4)
171A. Linear Control System Theory (4)
171B. Linear Control System Theory (4)
190. Engineering Design (4)
191. Engineering Group Design Project (4)


Good luck!

Hello Everyone.

I would like to introduce myself as Matt. I am an Electrical Engineering major studying at UCSD. I also have a "HUGE" interest in cars, preferably electric cars. I dream one day to work for an electric car company too. I would most likely want to work for Tesla, due to their superiority in EVs. If there are any engineers on this board who work for Tesla, would you please give me some advice on how to obtain this job in the future. I am currently a junior, and I need to pick a specialty. If anyone could give me advice on what part of electrical engineering Tesla is looking for that would be great. I know it is most likely a competitive job, but I want to start preparing as soon in advanced as I can. Thank you for any help I can receive.

-Matt

 

[SDTricket]

I don't know if you'll get any Tesla employees responding (that would be cool), but I think the shortage out there is for high-power EE. Digital especially, but analog still has its place. I know from friends that the laser industry is seeking some of the same. I'd bet there are other places for high-power handling as well (smart grid anyone?).

Take that with a grain of salt, as I'm 'just' a software guy.

Thanks for your input. Honestly, cars are my passion, and I want to stick with them. But thank you for your feed back. I hope I can get an employee to respond here.

I think if you actually worked on a car that would be a big plus on your resume - you have a student group that I'm sure is building another electric car -

UCSD Engineering Students Drive Into the Future With Electric Racecar

As for classes - here are my suggestions (not necessarily all of them!)

100. Linear Electronic Systems (4)
101. Linear Systems Fundamentals (4)
102. Introduction to Active Circuit Design (4)
107. Electromagnetism (4)118. Computer Interfacing (4)
156. Sensor Networks (4)
161A. Introduction to Digital Signal Processing (4)
161B. Digital Signal Processing I (4)
161C. Applications of Digital Signal Processing (4)
163. Electronic Circuits and Systems (4)
164. Analog Integrated Circuit Design (4)
171A. Linear Control System Theory (4)
171B. Linear Control System Theory (4)
190. Engineering Design (4)
191. Engineering Group Design Project (4)


Good luck!

Thank you very much for your response. Yes I have worked on cars, and I have taken automotive classes in the past and plan on rebuilding an F22 engine over my winter break.

 

[hcsharp]

A woman from the town next to us got an advanced degree from Dartmouth. Wrote her thesis on some kind of power electronics application. Got involved in some cutting edge research. I think also got involved in the design of one of the electric F1 cars. Graduated and went to work for Tesla. Now living on the left coast. I heard she's developing some very cool stuff for them.

 

[vfx]

...I have taken automotive classes in the past and plan on rebuilding an F22 engine over my winter break.

A conversion car would take you further. The Tesla parking lots have many.

 

[Lloyd]

Thanks for your input. Honestly, cars are my passion, and I want to stick with them. But thank you for your feed back. I hope I can get an employee to respond here.


Thank you very much for your response. Yes I have worked on cars, and I have taken automotive classes in the past and plan on rebuilding an F22 engine over my winter break.

Did you mean a Honda F22 or the one shown below?

If it's this one I'm very impressed!!

 

[Doug_G]

Did you mean a Honda F22 or the one shown below?

View attachment 3480

If it's this one I'm very impressed!!

Yeah, that came to my mind as well. But for the record, that's a Pratt & Whitney F119 engine, which goes in an F22 Raptor aircraft.

Actually the full name is F119-PW-100. Wikipedia has that designation with an "L" on the end... not sure what it's supposed to designate, or maybe that's an error. Way back when I helped design part of the engine it didn't have the "L".

 

[SByer]

And, as I get to read a number of resumes and interview a number of people, one of the only things that ever jumps out at me from a new-grad resume is personal projects. If you're not following your passion at home... how is it your passion again?

(Even better are personal projects done with friends as a team!)

 

[ckessel]

And, as I get to read a number of resumes and interview a number of people, one of the only things that ever jumps out at me from a new-grad resume is personal projects. If you're not following your passion at home... how is it your passion again?

Because perhaps you have a life? A family? Hobbies? Something that makes you a well rounded, stable, mentally and emotionally healthy person?

Sorry to be so direct, but this concept that "Well, if you don't occupy your spare time with it, you must not really care" needs be crushed. It's a horrible concept. The greatest engineers I've met through 20 years in the industry all have hobbies outside of life. Many, for some reason, are accomplished musicians. Martin Fowler, a great leader in software today, often posts pictures of various non-software things in his blog because good people have interests beyond the job.

I'm a software engineer. I love my craft, I can't imagine doing anything else for a living. I take it incredibly seriously and know few engineers that have learned the craft, it's history, it's people, lessons learned, etc, to the level I have. I think understanding the history of your profession is important.

I don't code at home hardly ever, unless I'm going through a spell at work without any programming activity. I program and design for 40 hours a week. In my spare time, I read books, I play board games, I have a family, I enjoy computer games, I play volleyball. If you think someone is only passionate if they spend every waking moment on one single activity, you're dead wrong.

Being completely focused on one item to the exclusion of all else is typically considered compulsive or obsessive.

 

[vfx]

A young new grad does not have those family obligations and has more to prove. Internships working for free, sweeping floors. You want it bad enough? Show it.

 

[ckessel]

A young new grad does not have those family obligations and has more to prove. Internships working for free, sweeping floors. You want it bad enough? Show it.

So he's not allowed to get married? Or play sports? Or read books? Or volunteer at their church or other such place? You're view is young people must slave 120 hours a week as some sort of rite of passage? What about a grad that's gone through college later in life? My mother wasn't able to complete school until nearly 40 due to other factors in life. Must she ignore her children, her husband, to satisfy your perception of passion? She's now one of the most respected people in the state of Oregon in her profession. You'd condemn that level of ability to unemployment because their non-work activities didn't fit your narrow concept of passion?

The point isn't to make someone prove themselves by their willingness to absorb suffering. The point is to hire good people. The best, the brightest, often have varied interests because they have the capacity for it.

I really, really hope you aren't in charge of people somewhere. That callous mentality of "suffer to show you want it" doesn't see people as human.

 

[Doug_G]

And, as I get to read a number of resumes and interview a number of people, one of the only things that ever jumps out at me from a new-grad resume is personal projects. If you're not following your passion at home... how is it your passion again?

(Even better are personal projects done with friends as a team!)

+1. The best engineers I've ever hired are those that started out doing electronics projects in their basement. They're into engineering because they love it, not just because they think it'll be good for a paycheck.

 

[vfx]

... You're view is young people must slave 120 hours a week as some sort of rite of passage?....

Yep. That's what i'm saying. When you are young and want a career in a desirable field you have to give up a private life until established. Obviously it's not the only way-in as luck and who you know can play a big part, but going in cold that's the way to get noticed.

By the way, I don't know if working at Tesla qualifies as one of those most desired careers like acting or doctor, musician, party planner, travel writer, critic, race car driver, etc.. But what I'm describing is certainly part and parcel of bootstrapping which is the mode that Tesla is in now.

 

[ckessel]

Yep. That's what i'm saying.

I can only shake my head in sorrow, that you'd believe extracting a pound of flesh is an appropriate indication of talent.

 

[vfx]

...you'd believe extracting a pound of flesh is an appropriate indication of talent.

Not just an indicator, just a way to stand out from all the other bodies that are "indicating" in the room.

 

[Robert.Boston]

There's a real difference here that isn't getting acknowledge: if I'm hiring someone established in a field, I wouldn't necessarily care about "personal projects." But if a newly minted BA/MA/PhD is interviewing and tells me, "I'm really passionate about ___" but has done nothing to demonstrate that "passion" other than take a series of classes? Sorry, I read that as a "passion of convenience" for that interview. So, IMO, our OP undergrad is well-advised to take up a personal project to demonstrate his passion for cars. If his passion is even more narrowly focused on EVs, show us by doing!

 

[augkuo]

If you're a hiring manager at Tesla and you've got two new grads from the same school, same GPA, same classes but one was on the EV team and the other sang in the church choir who would you hire?

 

[ckessel]

If you're a hiring manager at Tesla and you've got two new grads from the same school, same GPA, same classes but one was on the EV team and the other sang in the church choir who would you hire?

I'd favor the one with better grades and the best demonstration of competence during the interview and/or internship and with the best references.

If a young Elon interviewed with you for an EV job, but his side projects were in rockets, would you toss him aside for lacking passion in EVs?

Hiring good people isn't a trivial "check hobby activities off a list" kind of task.