Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-01-22
BY ALOE BRADY

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I You have made up your mind tt
3 earn a living. Never mind whether
you have arrived at this decision be-
cause you were forced to it by sheer
, want Of the necessaries of life, OF
whether it was because the bread ant
, butter allotment at home had begun
to pail on you and you felt longing
: for jam and cake, or whether, final.
ly, because you were thrilled with
the idea that business life is calcu.
lated TO open up to you a world OF
romance.
You have made your decision. The
motive, of course, has some bearing
on the future and might enter into
consideration, but that would lead
us into being specific, and in this
series of articles it is decreed that /
shall treat only in a general way of
this very broad subject of the woman
in business. So, l say, it is enough
that you have decided to strike out
for yourself.
The first consideration, then, is "In
what dill ection?" Let us make two
assumptions for illustration: First,
let us assume that you have had
training along some specific line. 1t
is your cue, then, to look over the
field of possibilities, but. be sure that
you approach the matter with an
open mind. Let me assure you, as
emphatically as l may, that a great
deal more than you can estimate de-
pends upon the attitude with which
you approach this matter of choosing
a career.
Determine first what sort of work
you are best fitted for. If it is the
sort of work you feel you would find
most congenial, you are fortunate.
If it isn't, remember that ability
counts more and that it is easier in
the beginning, at any rate, to bend
your inclination to your ability than
to train your ability to suit your in
clination. In word, determine upon
the thing you feel you could accom-
plish best, the line in which you
have received training.
If, however, you have had no
training, that is, training for any par
ticular line of work, it will be neces-
sary for you to take account of your
self and see what you have to offer
to offset the lack. Trained service
is required nowadays, and competi-
tion, even at that, is so great that
the outlook at first for the unframed
seeker for position is discouraging.
However, take heart from this:
There are other things that may be
taken into account as compensation.
A pleasing personality-that counts
for much; accuracy, that also, and
willingness and determination, and,
above all, courage. Whether you
have been brought up to the idea of
earning your living, or whether you
haven't, you will need all these
things; but, as l said, they count a
great deal as against training with
out them.
Now, then, having taken account
of your stock in trade, send your
thoughts out scouting. Line up, in
your mind, the various positions in
which persons you know about are
placed; line up the persons whose in
fluence might possibly be helpful.
Look over the "want" advertise
ments, but only in the most reliable
newspapers. Make out list Of all
these possibilities. Make as many
appointments as possible by letter,
and take care that your letters are
businesslike, yet characteristic, indi
vidual, forceful. In an answer to an
advertisement, remember that there
must be something about it that will
incline the receiver toward you IA
vorably in preference to the mass of
others that are sure to come in an
swer to every advertisement these
days. These things, say, will count
for you, but do not weight them too
heavily on the credit side for, after
all, the main issue is ability, and not
even those commendable qualities
can take its place.
Allow your instinct to have some