How to get into Tesla or SpaceX
Question for those working at spacex or tesla. As a normal ordinary SWE, what skills do I need to pick up to be able to get into those companies as a SWE?
What required skills are advertised in the job descriptions ?
If you’re Indian waiting 150 years in GC backlog, SpaceX is not an option.
Whet kinda weird replies are you guys posting. The question was intended for some insider insights. :/
Best bet is to get a referral to a team that has headcount. The most challenging part is getting Elon's approval.
What factors does he take in to consideration in order to approve? Also why he has so much time to mind the hiring stuff?
He's surprisingly thorough. Might look at your education, for example and look at your college's ranking, what you studied, job history. The recruiter will ask you your top accomplishments to present to Elon as well. Some people even have to write a cover letter to Elon! No idea how he has the time for this... candidates end up in limbo because they need Elon's stamp of approval before getting the offer. It could take weeks to months before an offer is extended cause he's a busy guy.
Both are mechanical engineering companies. There's some of the best deep learning teams in the world in Tesla, but SpaceX is mostly C, written directly for the hardware. Check out their careers section on their websites for open jobs, it'll tell you how you need to prepare.
Looking at the careers section you'd see we actually write mostly c++ and python for linux. Software is very similar to game dev (real-time, lots of quaternions)
Tesla is a good gateway company. It gives your resume a bump for sure. Stick around for a few years and apply elsewhere
Only go to SpaceX if you are there 100% for the mission
Not in SWE (I'm a mechanical engineer). I would not recommend Tesla; wait a few more years for the company to mature and stabilize.
Don’t do it.
Why?
Terrible work hours and mediocre pay. But, I will say, the people I’ve met there have been some of the brightest and most dedicated people I’ve gotten to work with. 8/10 would recommend. SWD at SpaceX aren’t as numerous as other companies like FANG, so it’s just luck honestly