I had an incident when I was an computer design engineer that would sort of fit what it describes. My technical work had ended on the project had wrapped up & there were no other technical spots available except for one that required the need for being competent in calculus which I wasn't capable in & had just squeaked by in college without really ever learning how it worked. The company wasn't getting in any new contracts as aerospace contracts were coming to a screeching halt.

So I ended up in the Policies & Procedures group, facilitating a group on how to keep track of software updates. I felt like a glorified secretary & hated the position more than I had ever hated anything I had ever done.....by Thanksgiving I was starting to have serious anxiety problems. The manager decided that every one in that department HAD to write up a proposal for the national conference that was being set up for the next April.......I got out every possible book & notes & I threw together all the fancy buzz words I had learned over those last 6 months. To my SHOCKED SURPRISE....I got a call from the group that was picking presenters right before Christmas break to let me know that my presentation had been chosen to be presented ......I had no idea what in the world I was talking about.....I just knew how to put buzz words together & BS my writing to sound impressive......but I guess they thought I really sounded like I knew what I was talking about. I never told the department manager that I got the phone call.

I had a total breakdown just after the first of the year & after the bad earthquake we had that January....never did go back to work & they had found out about the proposal being accepted & had to let them know I couldn't possibly do it.