How I Got Into Series: Tesla

The text below is a summary of a video in our How I Got Into Series.

Who is this person?

Parth Sareen is currently a student attending the University of Waterloo where he studies Mechatronics Engineering. Before Parth’s internship at Tesla, he had gained significant experience in the technology field where he interned at other companies such as SCP Labs as an IT Developer, Ritual as a QA (Quality Assurance), and Data Analytics Engineer, and Deloitte as a Software Engineer.

His expertise has allowed him to balance not one — but two major positions in the realm of engineering. He is currently working as a Software Engineer at Tesla, along with being a Program Manager at a startup company called Personify.

How did this person get into their company?

At Tesla, Parth currently works on energy systems which requires him to perform functional programming with cloud technology. After only a month and a half at Waterloo, Parth had already gained an interview at Tesla as a Hardware Test Engineer working on the company’s Power Packs. Unfortunately, he did not pass the interview the first time around, but that only lit a fire under him. After continue to grind for the position, he eventually ended up getting the internship where could work on his main passion of moving the earth to a more sustainable future.

A tip that Parth recommends to people looking into the same field is to participate in side-projects to build up your repertoire. This will allow you to show knowledge in a specific industry without actually having a job. Some examples of good side projects are hackathons or creating a fully-fledged product such as an iOS app. It’s also important to make sure that recruiters can see what you built, so make sure to publish and release your product so you can have metrics to showcase during an interview.

How to get into that position?

Tesla is a very team-specific company, which means that applicants will have to interview for specific teams that each have a different entry process depending on how they correlate with your day-to-day work. It’s important to research beforehand what team you’re going to be a member of so that you can be prepared for any questions they might ask.

However, an even more important quality that recruiters want to see — is passion. Tesla is looking for candidates that are passionate about the mission statement and how you’re going to contribute to their company. For Parth, working at Tesla has always been about his passion for clean energy and making the world we live in more sustainable. Skill is one thing, but also being able to show what you are passionate about is something that can definitely set you aside from other people during interviews. Parth’s biggest suggestion is making sure to actually share and be vocal about your design projects. You can build the best product in the world, but if you’re not showcasing the world then no one will know it exists.

Tips for anyone who wants to join the company?

Parth suggests using LinkedIn or internal job postings (like the ones at Waterloo) to reach out to recruiters and conversate with them. Leveraging and building a personal connection with the people who are going to be interviewing will make you stand out amongst the thousands of others applying for the same position. These recruiters will remember the extra effort you put in which can help you when applying for another internship later down the line. When reaching out, try to ask them questions such as “What are you looking for in an intern?” or “How do I become an ideal candidate that you would want to hire?”. This gives you the opportunity to show that you’ve been working towards the qualifications they’ve given you.

Any additional advice?

Parth advises that people should think of themselves as a brand and how you are pitching yourself to employers. One way you can create your brand image is through LinkedIn or Medium. These platforms provide the space to write about computer engineering or share any takeaways about a project you’ve completed which can showcase your knowledge to peers, recruiters, and managers. No one will know you’re good talent unless you show that you are through your experience and credentials.