Realities: Not everything a student learns pertains to their field of study

There is no such thing as a free coffee.

After I had cycled through student assignments in most of the Human Resource functions, I finally got the opportunity to go to the department aptly named to match the college major I had chosen or had been chosen for me (semantics). I had loved HR as a "people person" and now was ready to make my foray into the world of processes.

The Industrial Engineering Department was on the north side of the building in the front corner of the plant. It was adjacent to the security entry and had large windows that displayed life on the outside. These windows were perfect for checking the weather, pondering the details of your next project, or just taking note of who had arrived late or was leaving early. There were two different parking lots in front of the plant, one for hourly workers and one for salaried workers…never the two should meet. The Industrial Engineering Department was two rows of offices separated by a long aisle in the middle. The top half of the office walls were comprised of tall windows that stretched to the ceiling. If you had "made it" in your IE career, you had an office to yourself. There were three of those, occupied by the same people during the entirety of my five years at that plant.

If you had not ascended to leadership, you were in rooms of 2-5 people, each with multiple desks and large drafting tables. The windows between the offices were a convenient way for the two supervisors and one superintendent to survey the area without leaving their desks, checking the productivity and comings and goings of the IE's…which, at that time, were a relatively homogeneous group of 40 to 60-year-old men.

Each Engineer was assigned to a production department such as final assembly or soft trim, or an indirect department, such as janitorial or maintenance. There was even an Ergonomics Engineer, which was quite the advanced role back in the day.

On my first day in Industrial Engineering, I was quite anticipative about what tasks my assigned career would consist of. My supervisor greeted me, whom we'll call "Ted," and told me that my first assignment would be to learn how to make the coffee. I proceeded to follow Ted into the closet that housed several cupboards, a sink, and a coffee can filled with dimes, which was the designated amount to be deposited for every cup that you were to "enjoy." It was a closet frequented by the IE's and the Production General Supervisors and Superintendents. They felt this brew was far superior to the cups available in the machines strewn throughout the plant.

Ted showed me where the filters were and how to fill the water reservoir. He even shared his little secret that sometimes, he used the grounds twice to further the coffee funds. When he had finished this most impressive tutorial, he told me I was now qualified to make the department's coffee, an essential duty.

I asked him which day I would be put on the schedule and which day was his turn. He did not provide a verbal response but turned bright red.

My next assignment was to draw a location change for one of the plant restrooms.