In 1881, Tesla moved to Budapest to work in telecommunications. He was connected with Tivadar Puskás and the Budapest Telephone Exchange, which was being established at the time.
When Tesla arrived, the exchange was not yet fully operational, so he initially worked as a draftsman in the Central Telegraph Office. Once the telephone exchange began functioning, he became its chief electrician and worked on improving equipment and the growing telephone system.
The wording can cause a minor historical confusion: some accounts describe his first Budapest post as work at the Central Telegraph Office, while others emphasize the telephone company or exchange. These refer to closely connected stages of Tesla’s Budapest employment, not different cities. Budapest is the canonical answer.
His Budapest period was brief but important. It gave him practical experience with telephony and electrical machinery, and it preceded his move to Paris in 1882 to work for the Continental Edison Company.