When Selena got back the results of her aptitude test, she wasn’t sure what to make of the results. She thought it may suggest something like administrative assistant work, or perhaps would show that she had great spacial thinking skills. Instead, it suggested that Selena was best suited to work with spur gear manufacturers. Selena had never even heard of spur gear manufacturers, but now she was being guided to make that sector her life’s work. She scheduled an appointment with her guidance counselor and set out to learn exactly what gear manufacturing is all about.
First, Selena realized she really needed to improve her grasp on what a gear is. She learned that they are one of the oldest ways to transmit motion and there are several different types, including bevel gears, worm gears, and those spur gears that her aptitude test highlighted as her true calling. Spur gears are also known as straight gears and they are one of the simplest form of gears. She also learned that they are often used in conjunction with other gears, including worm gears.
Once she gained some foundational knowledge about what gears are, Selena realized why the test had indicated she was so well-suited to work with spur gear manufacturers. First, she was really skilled at assembling things. At holidays, she was always elected the one to assemble new toys or furniture. Second, she really enjoyed science and engineering. Gear manufacturing was not just as simple as making lots of the same types of gears. Instead, gear manufacturing was often about doing custom gears exactly to the needs of your client. This meant understanding the measurements, materials, and construction that was perfect for each unique need. Selena loved problem solving and had always been great at spacial thinking and math.
When Selena met with her guidance counselor, she explained all she had learned about gear manufacturing over the past few days. The guidance counselor was impressed with her research and pointed out to Selena that the fact she was interested enough to learn more showed that this was a great potential path for her. After encouraging Selena to pursue additional education to insure she could one day be in charge of spur gear manufacturers, Selena breathed a sigh of relief and felt certain about the direction of her future.
