The Pensacola journal., 1913-02-24


set for the beginner. The mistake she
makes lies often In her belief that It
Is all-important and omnipotent In
reality, influence has lasting value
only when It is backed by other per
sonal and business qualifications or
assets. Influence win secure your a
hearing and an opening; but you, must
hold your position through efficiency.
To understand the working value
OF influence, consider the position Of a
busy superintendent or manager Of a
department store In a large city: or
the chief of an office in which from
fifty to a hundred clerical workers are
employed. He has a vacancy or two.
His once Is besieged by applicants.
Here are girls who may be intelligent,
conscientious and capable, but during
their interview they are 50 self-con-
scious, so nervous, that they give the
impression of lacking confidence in
their own ability. There are other
girls, possessed, suave takers.
confident in their bearing. The man
wonders whether this assurance comes
from efficiency or conceit, and wheth-
er the suavity covers form of deceit
which employers OF female help dread.
The references offerd by both groups
of girls are all from persons whom he
does not know.
Why = Personal Letter Helps.
Upon his indecision comes q girl,
quiet, neat, neither over confident nor
nervous, bearing q letter of introduc-
ton from a personal or business friend
whose word this superintendent re-
spects. With a sigh of relief, the
driven employer accepts without ques-
ton the recommendation Of his friend,
gives the girl the desired opportunity
and dismisses the horde of applicants.
To him. the letter OF recommenda-
ton represents q saving OF time and
energy, both Of which are valuable to
him and his firm. Other girls, wait
ing in the outer ONCE, might develop
into better workers but how does he
know this? And testing out q new en-
ployee is often a slow and expensive
experiment for his firm. The girl with
the letter Of introduction represents TO
a certain extent a tested or known
quantity. This is one form Of infiu-
ence which is worth while, provided
the girl who commands it lives up to
the recommendation.
From Country to City.
Again, you may be living in q small
city or town, and wish to go to city
of larger opportunities. A local mer-
chant for whom you have "clerked"
during busy seasons, or who knows
your family. your own reputation for
honesty and fairness, and your record
in school, has business connections in
the city where you wish to locate.
Perhaps on some successful man he
has the claim of old friendship or
business favors. Your prospective en-
ployer may be a manufacturer, a
wholesaler or iobber who wishes to
hold the trade of your local merchant
A strong letter of recommendation
to the city man will command atten-
! tion. Fairly or unfairly, you will be
given the preference over applicants
who have had more experience. This
| is the give and take policy of the
business world. A favor for a favor!
Personal consideration for tradei Nat
urally the city man will not make an
opening for you, but If he has a posi-
other firm he will make a point of
placing you, as matter of good busi-
/! ness policy.
! But make no mistakel Once he has
given you the position, his respon-
sibility for you to the man who recon-
mended You and whom he wishes to
favor, ceases If you do mot make
good,'' that is your affair, not his. He
performs his obligation in securing the
appointment for you.
A third form of infiuence-and by
far the most valuable-is the recon-
mendation which one worker gives an
other.
Let us assume that IN large insur-
ance or real estate ONCE. there is
vacancy for a stenographer. Among
the present employees is an all-round
satisfactory worker. Hearing of the
vacancy, she approaches her chief,
something after this fashion:
! Il have an intimate friend, about to
graduate from Blanks business school.
have given her dictation and know
that she has quick perception and
! transcribes her notes accurately. She
comes of a nice family, it neat and
bright, and l would like to have her
work with me-"
Can you picture the weight which
such a recommendation would carry?
A girl is known by the friends she
keeps. Here is an applicant whose
most intimate friend is a faithful en-
ployee of the concern. She is worth
trying and she gets the place.
| Or the manager Of retail store
who knows all the uncertainties of
trying out new girls has a vacancy in
| the notion or trimming department,
either of which demands of saiesgirls
a thorough knowledge of the stock
and attention to detail. To him comes
a girl whose ''book' in this department
shows that she commands a regular
trade.
MIR. Blank" she says, "there is a
girl in my home town clerking in a
store who is just crazy to come to the
city. J wish you'd give her chance.
i'm teach her the stock, and I think
she'll make a splendid salesgirl for
you.''
| Do you wonder that the superinten-
dent is more than willing to give this
! friend of a valued employee the de-
sired hearing? The old employee will
train the new, and the new will make
good in order to be a credit to the old.