Dream Job: Elon Musk's Tesla Motors and SpaceX rank high for next generation of engineers

When 60 Minutes interviewed Tesla Motors [NASDAQ: TSLA] CEO Elon Musk was asked how he describes himself, Musk responded, “I usually describe myself as an engineer, that’s basically what I’ve been doing since I was a kid.” And when the American Society of Mechanical Engineers profiled Elon Musk they noted: "While Mr. Musk does not have an engineering degree per say, he holds degrees in Physics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, few dispute his assertion, in response to his focus on technical details as CEO of Tesla and Space X, 'I'm an engineer, so what I do is engineering. That's what I'm good at.'" 

Clearly Musk likes engineering. But, do engineers like Musk? It appears so. When considering their dream job, undergrad engineering students love Elon Musk's high-profile companies, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Take a look at the top five "ideal" employers that engineering students voted for in a recent survey by Universum. Elon Musk's Tesla Motors and SpaceX both ranked in the elite top five dream jobs for engineering students out of 230 companies.  It's no wonder -- Musk has always been vocal about the importance of engineering and his admiration for engineers.

So can Elon Musk really attract top engineering talent to Tesla? Forbes* reported that, "Universum head of research and insights for the Americas Kevin Troy noted that they [engineering students] are leaning away from more traditional employers and pursuing careers at companies like Tesla.” In addition, he explained: "Space, software, and engineering companies (both new-guard engineering companies like Tesla and traditional ones like Boeing) remain highly attractive to these students."

With Elon Musk doubling his forecast for Tesla's vehicle production when he announced this week that the "2020 target for [Tesla] vehicles is closer to a million" -- the need for top talent has never been greater. That said, it's remarkable to see so many young engineers enamored with Tesla. 

What was Universum's research methodology? "Universum takes a look at the employers by which students on the cusp of joining the workforce are most intrigued. To determine the companies currently providing the most coveted jobs to students at American universities, Universum surveyed nearly 72,223 undergraduates at 359 universities in 165 areas of study, including [11,544] engineering majors. Students were surveyed over a five-month period... identifying companies for which they would most want to work." To view more of the companies on Universum's list, check out the chart below -- and yes... Tesla beat Apple. 

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*Source: Forbes / Business Insider