I have told this story many years ago on the PNJ, but I worked my way through school. I had a break between the summer session and the fall quarter of about four weeks, and I thought I would try to get a job at a Bearing Plant as a machinist. I had worked three years on cars in dealerships as a lot maintenance job which involved no heavy mechanical, but changing oil, batteries, and no real skilled mechanical work.
I walk in the personnel office, and I was shocked I asked for an application, and they actually gave me one. At that time most employers would say they are not hiring, and not even give you an application. As I sat in the personnel office around 9am in the morning, a sense of panic set up in the office. Apparently two employees were involved in an auto accident which would have them out for weeks. About three employees called quitting, and another person broke an arm. As I am filling the application out, I counted 6 lost employees that Monday morning. Suddenly the personnel manager who is fielding his secretary's telephone calls hangs up the phone, and asks me would I be available to start right away. I said yes. He glances at my application and says.....oh....you are in graduate school, why are you applying when you will leave in a year or less......I tell him I have a year of study left, and six months of thesis work, and I could make a two year commitment. He hesitated, and then he said....well take this mechanical written test. So, I am as happy as a lark......I can ace almost any test....this should be a no brainer.......well he comes back and says kid you got a 54 on the test and failed, but I am in a big jam, can you get your physical and start tomorrow? Yes sir. That job changed my life, and all those gear ratios and pulleys, and things I really never paid much attention which gave me a clear message, I am not as smart as I think, and sometimes dumb luck does have a lot to say in our lives.