The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-28
Landing A Job Is Discussed
 By Expert

 you get the job? If not, what are the reasons, that an employer gives for choosing another girl? These are some of the questions Miss Emma Phinney, national head of the employment bu- reaus of the Young Women's Christian associations, suggests that the job seek CT, feminine gender, ask herself. Lack of self-analysis, sitting down and taking stock of her assets and, ia- bilities in the way of personal qualifi- cation or specialized ability, underlies much of fruitless job seeking, according to Miss Phinney. For the will-o'-the- wisp girl job seeker has her active per sonaI concern and interests even more than her more successful sisters who swell the Y. W. c. A.$placement rec ords all over the country. In fact she believes that the aim of the non-com- mercial employment bureau should be at all times to cut down the quota of fruitless job seeking calls and to en- courage the girl to discover her best abilities and to develop along these lines.
 If we knew why girls cannot al- ways get the jobs they seek, we could be very much more helpful, not only to the employers but the girls them selves," said Miss Phinney, when seen at her desk at the National Board headquarters, No. 800 Lexington ave- nue, smiling at the wholesale question. Employers are rarely frank with the girl they turn down, unless the reason for her failure is extremely obvious. The girl who unthinkingly turns aside for another address, trusts to luck to be successful the next time and thoughtlessly drifts out Hunting a new position to such a girl is often hardly more than a mechanical process. Unless they face an acute financial shortage, girls of this type rarely get down to any serious self-analysis as to the cause of their: failure. All too often if, she fails to find an opening promptly enough for her pride or her pocketbook, she is apt to get panicky and offer to undercut the salary or at least let the employer persuade her to take less than she knows the position is really worth. Such girls, thought less and carefree, are a detriment to the selling ability of others, ambitious, anxious to succeed, making the most of every opportunity that comes their way. Yet these will-o'- -wisp girls, ready to shift and renew. their search on the slightest provocation, often have splendid potential talents and ability if they would only care to make the most of themselves"
 Asked for a recipe for landing a po- sition, Miss, Phinney smiled again. Most of us learn from the mistakes we ourselves make or those of other people. A three-minute interview isn't the best opportunity in the world to appear at your best, and to put your best foot forward But like the small space in an advertisement, you must decide ahead of time what you are go- ing to say and how you are going to say it. Sit down the night before you plan to make your round of calls and go back over all your experience. What are the most telling things you can cite to create confidence? What is there about you or your work that will make you more valuable to a prospective employer than the girl next in line? Sift and choose and think of the best way to get it across. A good salesman will spend hours, even days, in analyz- ing his product in preparation for an interview just as short. What you as prospective employe have ito sell' is your ability. An answer to a ques- tion for which you are prepared has a far different ring from one carelessly given. The employer will be quick to detect the difference. A girl who is thoroughly prepared by previous thought as well as previous experience and is pleasing in manner and appear ance, has nothing to fear. Sooner or later the job she wants, not just any stop-gap that comes her way, will be hers.
 "Punctuality and the ability to ex- plain tersely and clearly, and an alert, pleasing manner, are far from minor factors" she added. "The girl who ar rives late for an appointment has cre- ated handicap at the outset. Yes, know it. the girl will say at the em- ployment bureau when questioned, but something came up that I wanted to do and when got there the position had been filled
 Often when a girl is turned away she leaves, uncertain of the real req son why she failed the director point ed out.
 Sometimes an unfortunate trick of manner that she has unconsciously &C., quired, an unbusinesslike appearance or some small factor easily discarded once recognized-lies between her and Ihe position. Employers are human and consciously or unconsciously react b personal likes and dislikes." Miss ehinney added that if a young woman has doubts about the field she should be in, or gets discouraged, then she should go to the nearest Y. W. c. A. employment bureau to talk things over frankly.
 The head of the association bureau said that She felt personal vocational advice was one of the biggest fields of service for the noncommercial bureau. A young woman unfamiliar with a city may be trying to sell her services to a surplus market.p After vocational in- formation on what the demand in her line is for, she may by short course of study fit herself to meet the local qualifications. Often very short study, supplementing the equipment and experience that is already hers, will lift her into another class and make her ability quickly salable.
 Two other factors enter into job hunting, according to the national di- rector. One, the appearance and health, and the other, adequate train ing, frequently reinforced by study of new knowledge. It behooves any girl not to drift but to get established in one definite line in which she can of fer specialized and skilled training concluded Miss Phinney. Young things may find floating very easy and acceptable for while. Yet the dead line or danger line of job as regards age comes suddeny. After the first few years in job it is not so easy to shift or to change into something new.