New-York tribune., 1912-03-17
A Maligned Occupation Which
Nevertheless Pays Big
Salaries.
BY Mary Marchsll.
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
Here Is one of the most msligned OF all
occr~a,ions. but for the woman who Is
e. to it 1t holds out the opportunity
large earnings In fact, in the list OF
possirle vocatlons for women that OF sales
agent ranks away Ip toward the top as far
as remuneration goes.
Probably you hold up your hands IN
alarm at the mere mention OF the word
! agent" More than likely YOU have visions
of tE. bedraggled. worn-faced women VINO
come around selling havoring extracts
annie corers. can openers or sewing ma
! chimes This is one kind Of agent, TO be
! sure but Il is not the only kind
! The trouble with the whole agent business
that u.s. as a profession for women-ls
/ that as a usual thing women don't go at
| il with deliberate notion that ii Is pro-
| fession just as much as opera singing OF
! 1ressmaking or school teaching and that
# needs a definite sort OF ability and
definite sort Of training to begin with.
TOO often women become agents only al
! for they have failed TO win out at so many
other occupations that they haven't
spark Of enthusasm-the touchstone OF
success for the agent, by the way-left III
their makeup. They perhaps try IN VAIN 10
do housekeeping, stenOgraphy or 10 teach
school, and as they look day after day at
the help wanted" advertisements in search
of a lob they think they could I'LL, their
weary eyes finally rest on the agents
wanted" advertisements--fOr there are al
ways many advertisements for agents
in every list Of help wanted-and they
decide as last resort 10 try the agent
business Needless to say, these women
are lust the sort that usually make dre3ry
! failure and not at all the kind that big
publishing houses and manufacturers are
wiling TO pay large salaries to.
1 When YOU see an advertisement Tor
! bright attractive. we'll dressed saleswom-
an willing to travel, one able TO earn 10
| a week besides her expenses you may De
, sure that the down-and outer who takes up
agent work az a last resort Is not the wom-
an who is going to get the job. The sue
cessful applicant will be the girl who is cut
out TO do such work and likes 1t. the girl
with good health, good sense and enthusl-
asm.
few years ago an energetic young
I woman OF about twenty-five finally made
her way from the country town where she
had been raised to New York with the
| intent Of making her living with the brush.
! She had received no end Of encouragement
! al home In fact. ii was on the savings
Of the money she had made selling her
! water color landscapes that she went TO
! the city She had no doubt OF her success
! that Is. not until she had been I'm New
! York about a month. had used up her last
dollar and had accepted as way to ward
of starvation a position at $40 week IN
the office o. large advertising concern.
Here she was employed from morning TIL
! night ilnng In the details OF drawings
that other people mapped out in cata-
logues and circulars There were positions
for better paid artists in the office, to be
sure, but they were all filled.
In the sales end OF the concern there
were Young men-men three or four years
Younger than she was and not han so
cever-who were getting from Go TO ~
a week i'm commissions on orders Tor cir
culars, catalogues and other advertising
! media There were no women employed IN
| this department OF the business. but one
day the country girl who kept her nerve
KEYED up and her eyes open, offered her
| services To the head OF the concern as a
sales agent. She was employed on COM
mission basis The concern could not pos
sibly lose a cent on the experiment ana
the art department could easily dispense
with her services.
The venture proved success for in the
first month the young woman was PAID t'O
as her share OF the orders she received
| Her duties in the position were not or the
sort she had dreamed OF before she came
TO New York II meant trampng from one
business headquarters to another. taking
snubs with a smile. persisting with pleas
ant. businesslike manner. and finally, by
dint OF much tact and good sense, getting
an interview with the man or woman she
wanted to sell TO, and eventually get
ting an order. For the first week or so
OF the new work the little country girl
had many discOuraging moment, but soon