Made for it

Last week I was following my boss and a coworker up on some production equipment. The narrow staircase passed under a low pipe, causing the others to duck, but let me pass unbowed. The incident made me think about how I am genetically predisposed to my current job.

1) I am small; therefore I fit in small places. Yes, we all know that I am short and otherwise reasonably dimensioned, but such things don't matter when you sit in a cubicle all day. On the other hand, when you're trying to wedge yourself into the cabinet under your simulator to rewire the control system, walk under low hanging pipes, or allow large pallets of glass pass in a narrow hall, being small carries a distinct market advantage. It more than makes up for not being able to reach certain things.

2) I am predisposed to warm environments. The factory floor is commonly 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature known to melt people from silly states like Rhode Island and Ohio. I, in contrast, have good southern blood in me that thrives in the environment. I could bask in the glow of the sealing fires all day without passing out. I regularly comfort myself with the fact that although winter may be cold, I will always be able to go to work and be warm.

3) I was meant for lots of fast paced work. This may not be genetic as much as conditioned, especially from Olin, but I quickly grow bored if work is not hands on, fast-paced and more than I can handle. Despite several offers from central research, production really does always have something going on, something breaking. At 42,000 light bulbs an hour, how could it not be interesting? Desk work can wait until I'm old.

4) I can pull a good southern twang with the best of them. Although I am generally very careful about how I speak when having intellectual conversations, I am generally surrounded with people who live in Kentucky and probably always have. These people speak with very Kentucky accents and may not have an education that includes finishing high school. Speaking with the good Texas drawl brings me to their level, making me speak their language, facilitating true communication. Growing up in Texas was actually good for me after all.

5) I am a female and this is an anomaly. I prefer not to use this as an advantage, but I understand that in reality it is. Manufacturing is largely male and I am female. I wear khakis like all the other engineers, but I get more help and only need to ask for things once. I may not care for the reason I get these things, but it does make my job easier.

There are other reasons I like my job, but these are the reasons my job likes me.