People interested in applying to Tesla now must be aware of several things.
My comments are particularly applicable to engineers. As Tesla continues to grow to support all of its upcoming activities (read the news) one of its biggest challenges is management. It is very apparent that the culture to a degree is shifting from a "start-up" mentality to a very particular vision of what proper management should look like. This includes leveling, improving documentation, enforcing best-practices, etc. There is one very big drawback that anyone looking to join a cutting edge company should be wary of: this is slowly KILLING the original culture of doing what is necessary, thinking outside the box, promoting cross-group interaction. Elon won’t ever let this culture shift touch the side of innovation and technological advance thankfully. This I am certain of as it would kill the heart of Tesla's edge.
I have been fortunate enough in my career that I just made it onto the "old Tesla' side of the team. This is a group of people who recognize there are management challenges and there is need to improve on those now, but also understand there is a need to minimize internal politics to remain one team. It is also a team of individuals that have leveraged and maintained a particular amount of political pull to keep that system in-line to a degree. Let me draw on one generic example. A large group discovered a flaw that was in part due to decisions made along with another group, and instead of approaching the problem with a “let’s fix this” attitude, they “strategically waited” until the other group confronted and accepted responsibility before acting towards resolution. This, in my mind, is unacceptable.
What I have been witnessing in the transformation of the company is a greater dependence on politics. Be prepared if you are an associate level engineer to be told exactly what you are allowed to do. And if you are senior level, know that you are entering potentially shark-infested waters depending on what division you are working for. Ask as you apply and interview to learn more about the dynamics.
The last downside is compensation. Tesla targets average pay, nothing less, nothing more, unless you are a rare candidate with such specific expertise that no one else like you exists. If you are that individual, you will be treated well (senior manager, exec, VP level). As a new hire, you do not have as much of an edge with your options. Your strike price will also be significantly higher than “older” Tesla colleagues. You will get paid enough to live on, but without the added bonus of ISOs at your side helping to ease the pain as you work tirelessly each and every day, you will find it more difficult to make it at Tesla.
The company and used top talent and let them go off to other companies after they were burnt and ground to ashes. I’ve seen some of the best engineers leave under these circumstances. And as many other reviewers have mentioned, if you decide to take a job with this promising company, know you WILL sacrifice work-life balance, your family with see less of you, and you will have to make sacrifices while you stay at Tesla. You will get down and dirty. In return you will hopefully receive bonuses and rewards for your hard work and you can say you were part of it all, changing the mindset of all people, and shifting the paradigm and direction of personal-vehicle technology.
