Dreaming of a career with Elon Musk’s visionary electric vehicle giant Tesla? Then you’ll have to compete for one of three available jobs if you’re in America, because the $547 billion company just quietly cut thousands of listings.
Until recently, according to Tesla, there were more than 3,400 job postings in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico, most of which were in California, Texas and Nevada. Quartz Analysis archived pages.
All roles starting with Prototype Vehicle Operators for Construction Carpenters have since been eliminated, and all that remains are three spots in Tesla’s manufacturing development program.
But it doesn’t look like a full-time job—at least at first glance—as two advertisements boast that successful applicants will need to complete between 7 and 16 weeks of training (depending on whether you’re applying for a job in Texas or California) before he has the “opportunity to transition” to a production assistant position. No promises.
Meanwhile, according to Tesla’s website, the opening of the third Nevada Manufacturing Development Program will last only four to six weeks and is specifically labeled as an internship.
Still want to be part of Musk’s vision for Tesla to be the future “autonomy solution” for self-driving cars?
Then you will have to “bend, lie, bend, reach, squat, kneel, squat, twist and crawl for long periods of time, including up to 12 hours a day.” according to the job description.
Hopeful new hires will also need to be able to “carry 20 lbs. go up and down stairs,” be prepared for “exposure to hazardous materials,” and be willing to work a flexible schedule, “including days, nights, nights and/or weekends.”
Luck has reached out to Tesla for comment.
Trouble in Paradise at Tesla
Make no mistake, Tesla has big goals—Musk says the company will succeed in its mission to solve the autonomy problem even if it “gets abducted by aliens”—and the company employs more than 140,000 people at the end of last year help achieve these lofty ambitions.
But in recent months, after recalling millions of its cars and watching auto sales begin to decline, the company was hit by layoffs, hiring freezes and executive departures.
“WITH [Tesla’s] rapid growth, there has been duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas,” Musk wrote to employees last month, as he explained that at least 14,000 workers would lose their jobs. “There is nothing I hate more than anything, but it needs to be done.”
Since then, employees have received layoff notices in waves over four weeks. “I keep waiting for Elon to send another email and tell us that they are finally done laying people off,” said one current Tesla employee. Business Insider.
Just last week, Musk fired the entire Tesla Supercharger team, including his most senior female executive, and unapologetically told workers that he would “absolutely hardcore” with layoffs and cost cuts.
“While some executives are taking this seriously, most are not yet,” added the tech billionaire, who also owns SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Then Tesla’s top human resources executive (and another of the company’s most senior women) Ellie Arebalo handed in her notice, joining a handful of other senior executives who voted with their feet and left the now-tumultuous tech firm.
Even Drew Baglino, the company’s former senior vice president in charge of powertrain development and a leading contender to replace Musk on the Tesla throne, has profited. Baglino recently liquidated virtually his entire stake in the $181 million company, days after leaving the company.
Now the company has cut its summer internship program to cut costs, and young ambitious employees have been told their offers have been withdrawn just weeks before they were due to start work.