8 Ways of Contacting Employers when applying for a Job

Armed with the necessary knowledge of yourself, secured from your written analysis, you are now ready for the next step. The applicant must prepare a list of prospective employment upon whom he will call and must decide how he can best get in touch with them, so you must decide how you can get in touch with them, so
you must decide how you can get in touch with prospective employers.
There are many ways to secure interviews with employers. The ones that are likely to be most useful to
you are described below:

1. Get in Touch with Employers Before You Are Graduated. Sometimes you can pave the way for a future job before you are graduated. Get acquainted with as many employers as possible while you are still in school.
This you may do in many ways. You may meet an employer who is a visitor in your home or in the home of a
friend; you may have an opportunity to welcome an employer who is a speaker in your school; you can get acquainted with the merchants of your town when you buv at their stores; you may call on employers to -get information for a class project In which you are engaged. These are just a few of the many opportunities to meet employers that you may have. The important thing is to make a favorable impression upon an employer when you meet him. More than. one business executive has been so impressed with the intelligence and earnestness shown by a student who called upon him for information in connection with a class project that he has readily employed that student when he finished school.

2. Notify Your Friends and Acquaintances. A recent survey shows that many people get jobs simply by let-
ting their friends know that they are looking for a job—and, of course, the Kind of job they hope to get. The more "feelers" you put out, the better are your chances of making contacts with employers. Among the people you know, there may be several who can give you a suggestion as. to where to go or on whom to call.

3. Ask Your Friends to Recommend You. If you have a friend who is already employed by a company for
which you desire to work, it is a good plan to have him recommend you to his employer. Some companies urge their employees to suggest other employees to them.

4. Apply Direct to Employers. One of the best methods of procedure is to apply direct to the firm for which
you would like to work. You are undoubtedly more interested in one kind of business, such as oil refining, aviation, publishing, advertising, department store retailing, or chain store retailing, than in others; and your probably prefer to work for & particular company engaged in that business. You should, therefore, attempt to secure employment with the firm in which you are interested.

If the firm has an employment department, call in person at the employment office. If it has no employment department, attempt to secure an interview with the manager or with the official, such as the sales manager
or chief accountant, who is in charge of the department in which you desire  to work. If the firm has merely a
branch office,branch factory, or branch store in your community, call on the local manager and ask his advice about securing employment with the company. He may be able to give you the name and address of the official to whom you should apply. Persistence is just as important in applying for a job. If you are not able
to see the employer the first time you call, call again; in fact, call several times if necessary. If you find that
you have called on the wrong official, try to see the right one. Above everything, do not get discouraged.

You may decide after your interview that 'there is no opportunity for you with that company. If so, you should try your luck with other companies in the same line of business. If you have no choice as to kind of business, you should call on the employment managers of various companies in your locality. It is better to apply to companies near your home, for they can inquire about you more easily; they can get in touch with'you more readily if they want you in a hurry; and if you get a position, your expenses will be less than if you work at some distance from your home.

5. Answer "Want" advertisements in Your Daily Papers. If you follow this plan, you should use great care in
selecting the advertisements to answer, since many of the jobs advertised this way may be undesirable. This is especially true of those requiring house to-house canvassing. Many help-wanted advertisements are blind, that is, the name of the advertiser is not given. Instead, the number of a post office box or of a box in the newspaper office is given; applicants do not know the name of the concern to which they are applying. Only those applicants who write unusually good letters are then asked to call.

6. Insert "Want" Advertisements in Your Paper. Another possibility is to advertise your desire for work. This
may be done by placing "want" advertisements in newspapers or magazines. This is often a good method for experienced people, but seldom for a beginner. Those who use this method should employ high-class newspapers since sensational papers are seldom read by desirable employers. If your advertisement is to get results, it should mention your outstanding qualifications. Merely stating that you want work will never get you a job.

7. Register with Your School Placement Bureau. Many schools and colleges now have placement or personnel officers who recommend, graduates to employers. It should be noted, however, that high-class schools and colleges do not guarantee positions for graduates, for they cannot control employment conditions.  They cannot create jobs if few exist in times of business depression; they cannot givea student a personality that appeals to employers if he lacks such a personality; and they cannot give a student who has neglected his school work a school record that will cause and employer to become interested in him. The point is, however, that employers are turning to placement officers in increasing numbers. You should register with your placement officer so that he can recommend, you for any position for which you are fitted and that may be called to his attention.

8. Get Ready for - Promotion. Many firms fill their more important vacancies from within their own organizations. Frequently file clerks who have had stenographic training are given stenographic positions, and stenographers are made private secretaries. Retail stores, especially department stores, often promote to sales positions employees known as junior employees. Among department store junior employees who are definitely inline for selling positions are messengers, stock boys and stock girls, markers, inspectors, wrappers, cashiers, and buyers' clerical assistants. The important thing, regardless of the job you hold, is to be ready for promotion when the opportunity presents itself. Indeed, you should constantly sell the idea to your employer, through your good work and your interest in the  business, that you deserve promotion.

Ultimate Guides and Methods of Applying a Job

After you have heard of a possible opening, or have decided to apply to a certain company because you would like to work for it, you will have to determine the method of application you will use. You may apply in one two ways: first, by writing a letter of application; second, by applying personally.

By Letter. Sometimes it is necessary to write a letter of application before making a personal call. The employer may have requested such a letter in an advertisement; he may have requested a friend who has recommended you to ask you to write such a letter; or you may be sending out letters to several different employers in the hope that one or more of them will ask you to call for an interview.

Occasionally  an employer  upon whom you call may ask you to write a letter of application after the interview. This is done partly to test your ability to write a letter, partly to test your ability as a penman or as a typist, and partly to have written information about you for further consideration, A letter of application if used, should catch the attention of the employer; it should create interest and desire through the use of personal data that relate to the employer's needs; and it should request an interview. The letter should be short. If you desire to furnish considerable information about yourself, you should givethe information on a separate sheet. Some school employment bureaus follow the plan of providing seniors with several copies of a personal data sheet, to be mailed to employers, along with a brief letter. Or the data sheet may be presented (on the employer during the interview. The ones that are likely to be most useful to you are described below:

By Personal Application. Even if a letter of application is used, it is still necessary for you to make a personal
call provided an interview is .granted,.Often it is better to make a personal call without first writing a letter of
application. Just as a salesman has a better opportunity to sell his goods if he calls on a prospect personally than if he attempts to sell by mail, so you who often have a be'tter opportunity to get a job if you apply personally than if you depend on a letter of application.

Securing Favorable Attention Before Apply a Job

Suppose that you succeed in securing an interview. What will you do? The first thing you should attempt is the same thing a salesman should attempt in a sales interview, namely, to secure favorable attention. You cannot be too careful of your personal appearance when you are applying for a position. Unpressed clothing, unpolished shoes, dirty fingernails, soiled linen, poor posture—any one of these may result in your being dropped from the consideration of an employer. Many employers are opposed to girls smoking, and a few dislike to sec young men smoking. Be careful, therefore, that you do not approach the interview with tobacco-stained fingers or with your clothing and breath smelling of tobacco. Above everything else, never smoke while in the employer's office; and if you chew gum, get rid of it before entering the office.

Care in personal appearance does not mean going to extremes. Many employers object very much to ex-
tremes in dress. Neither sport clothes nor party clothes, however, neat or becoming they may be, are suitable for business wear. You should avoid them when applying for a position. If you expect to be considered for a business position, you should have a business like appearance. Appearance, however is not the only factor in securing favorable or unfavorable attention. Your voice, your opening remarks, the correctness of your English—all these will result in favorable or unfavorable attention. Much will also depend upon your manner of approach. You should be confident in your bearing, with no out-ward signs of being afraid; you should have a pleasant expression on your face; and, above all, you should be courteous in your manner.

Upon entering the office of the employer, stand erect until he has asked you to be seated. If he is busy when
you first enter, wait patiently for him to recognize you; while waiting, do not lean on a chair, on a desk or against the wall. Do not offer to shake hands; let the employer make the first move. Do not greet him with a free-and-easy remark; and, above all, do not try to be funny. Making "wisecracks" is a certain way to kill your chances to get a position.

Use -Correct English. We have learned of the importance of good English. It is perhaps even more important to the person applying for a position. If an applicant makes mistakes in grammar, either in a letter of application or in a personal interview, a business official will hesitate to employ him as a stenographer, a correspondent, or a salesperson or in any other capacity in. which he must use English extensively in his daily work. Avoid slang. Even though some employers do not object to slang, and may even use it themselves, the fact remains that others do object to it. Since you do not know, when applying for a position, what an employer's attitude may be regarding slang, there is only one safe thing to do—avoid it.

Interesting the Employer

A plan should be followed in applying for a position. The self-analysis that you make will familiarize you
with your most desirable qualities. Of course, not all these qualities will be of interest to any one employer.
One employer will be interested in some of your educational qualifications and some of ycur working or
personal experiences; other employers will be interested in quite different experiences and qualifications.

You should emphasize your qualifications that particularly fill the needs of the employer who is interviewing
you, and show how they can be an asset to his business. If, for example, the employer is in need of a steno-
grapher you should stress your ability to write shorthand, to operate the typewriter, and to use correct English; and you should indicate that you can get work done quickly and efficiently. You may have studied a great deal of mathematics while in school, but there would be ho advantage in stressing this fact, since mathematics will not fill the needs of the employer in this case. You may have had a littJe experience in selling; this w.ill be appreciated because your selling experience will prepare you to meet those who call
at the, office. On the other hand, you may also have worked one summer in a factory, but this experience may not interest the employer, for it will have no direct bearing on your work as a stenographer.

Or, let us suppose that the employer is in need of -a bookkeeper. In this case, even though you are especially proficient in shorthand, there would be no reason for stressing your shorthand skill. Instead, you should emphasize the amount of work you have had in bookkeeping and, perhaps, even the amount of work you have had in mathematics, since mathematics is related to bookkeeping. Possibly neither your selling experience nor your factory experience would be of much help in a bookkeeping position, so you may
mention them ony casually. Remember that the important thing is to discover the needs of the employer, and
then to prove to him that you have the qualifications that fill his needs.

On the otner hand, do not withhold information simply because you think it unimportant. Many employers want reasonably complete history of all the applicant's experiences. The employer of a stenographer may want someone that has had a breadth of experience. He may feel that the summer in the
factory taught some valuable lessons. So while you stress what you feel is important, talk frankly of other experiences if the employer shows an interest in them.

Creating a Desire for Your Services These same ways may be used in applying for a position. For example it was suggested that a salesman may use facts and figures in creating a desire for merchandise. Facts and figures may also be used in creating a desire for your services. Thus, you may give figures regarding your speed in shorthand or typewriting, or facts regarding the amount of experience you have had at various kinds of work. In case you are applying for a sales position and have had Selling experience, you may give figures regarding the value of the goods you have sold.

Another way in which the salesman can appeal to the prospect's reason is by presenting testimony of those who have used the salesman's goods. Testimony may likewise be given by applicants for positions. A letter of recommendation from a former employer is a form of testimony, corresponding to a testimonial letter .written by one who has used an article.

Letters of recommendation carried by applicants and addressed "To Whom It May Concern" have little value. Most employers prefer to have applicants gives the names of references to whom they can write or telephone. Hence, it is desirable, before going for an interview, to secure permission from four or five people to use their names as references.

Ordinarily former employers and teachers are the best references you can give. If you have had no business
experience and therefore, cannot give the names of former employers, you should give the names of businessmen who know you. Always indicate the occupation of anyone whom you use as a reference. Do not give the names of relatives or of ordinary workmen, for they are of little value as references.

Ultimate Guide How To Get a Dream Job

Getting a job is the most important selling you will ever do. Many young men and women who make good scholastic records in school or college become discouraged after being graduated because of their inability to secure 1 jobs. Classmates seem able to get a work without much trouble and yet these classmates were no better, perhaps not so good, students 'as the unfortunate persons who act employment.

How can we account for this condition of affairs? There may be several reasons, some of them beyond the
control of those who are unemployed. Thus, a period of .business depression may exist and great numbers of people may be out of work. Or some of those who are without work may have physical defects which interfere with their getting jobs. Or they may not have taken courses in school or college that prepared them to earn their living; they have no skills that employers can use. But if business conditions are normal; if applicants are physically fit; and if they have definite skills such as shorthand, bookkeeping, or selling
that business can use, and if they are still unable to get jobs, the probability is that they fail because they cannot sell themselves. In many cases they do not even realize that applying for a job is a, form of selling. In other cases they know nothing about the principles of selling. This chapter will be helpful to both groups, for it ex-
plains how to use the principles of selling in applying for a job.
The ones that are likely to be most useful to you are described below:
Know Yourself

You learned that the salesman who desires to be successful must know his product. Now the product that you
are trying to sell, in applying for a job, is yourself. Many applicants try to get jobs without knowing much
about themselves. This may be surprising statement; yet any employer will tell you that a large percentage
of those who apply for jobs do not know such ordinary facts about them selves as their exact weight or height', what subjects they liked best in school or what wages they expect to be paid. Sometimes they give stumbling, inaccurate answers to questions about these and other matters, but very often they have to admit they do not know. How can an employer have an interest in an applicant under such conditions?

In order to be sure that you are prepared to answer any possible question about yourself that an employer may ask, you should make a written analysis of yourself. A written analysis is more likely to include all your strong and your weak points. Of course, the written analysis is not to be taken on interviews; it is merely to be studied before you make your, calls, so that you will be certain to have all important facts- in mind.

Among the questions about yourself that employers are most likely to ask are the following. Make sure that you can answer each one readily, accurately, and logically:

How old are you?
Where were you born?
Where have you lived?
Where were your parents born?
What are your religious affiliations?


How many days during the past year
have you been ill?    

Where did you go to school or: col-
lege?          :.      .
What course did you take?     
What subjects did you study?
In what subjects did ypu do your
best work?

In what subjects, if any, did you fail?
What grades did you get?
What extra curricular activities did
you engage in?
What student offices did you hold?
What are your chief interests out-
side of school or college?

What business experience have you
had?. 

What business skills have you mastered? (typing, shorthand, office machine operation, arithmetic, bookkeeping and accounting, salesmanship, business letter writing)
Why do you want to work for us?
What is your goal for the future?
What wages do you expect to earn?
What references can you give as to
your ability and character?

The importance of each of these questions will be apparent upon a little reflection. The matter of grades
deserves special comment. Although it is not necessary that you stand first in your class in order to be considered for most business positions, nevertheless it is a fact that employers do not care to employ those who have failed in school. Hence, for some positions, employers require  that applicants have their school furnish complete records of their grades. This is done quite willingly by principals or teachers in charge of placement work. In 'any case you should be able to give employers an idea of the grades you have made and, perhaps, your relative position in your class.

Heredity Is A Strong Factor In Personality Development

Know that a new individual develops when a male cell (sperm) combines with a female cell (ovum). Soon after the sperm penetrates the ovum, the head of the sperm divides and releases twenty-four small bodies in the nucleus of the cell (chromosomes). These chromosomes pair with those of the ovum which also number twenty-four. The new individual, therefore, starts life with forty-eight chromosomes, each different from the others in shape and size. Through a process of division and re division, each cell in the new individual eventually has an exact duplicate of the original set of chromosomes. This explains why a child resembles his father's family in some respects and his mother's family in others, for the chromosomes carry the characteristics of the families concerned.

Each chromosomes is made up of small elements called genes which are inherited from the parents. Each pair of genes, one from the father and one from the mother, is responsible for a particular aspect of a child's development. Each pair determines some physical feature of the child.

The genes contain the hereditary factors which determine eye and hair color and quality, height, shape of the head and facial features, skin color and other physical features. There are traits which are strong or dominant and traits which are weak or recessive

When a gene carrying a dominant trait is paired with a gene carrying a recessive trait, the dominant trait is transmitted to the child. This explains why a child, for example, has his father's height or his mother's nose. Other paired genes join to produce a seeming combination of both traits which explains a skin color somewhere between that of the father's very dark skin, and the mother's which is very fair.

Heredity also influences the nervous system and affects the child's mental development. Let us distinguish two important terms: aptitude and ability. Aptitude is a pattern of traits needed for learning a particular task. Ability is the power to do the task. Our abilities depend to a considerable extent upon our aptitudes. Aptitudes are inherited; abilities are acquired through practice. If you are an excellent musician, painter or sculptor, will your children be excellent artists, too? If you are a bright student, will your children also be bright student?

Aptitudes for the arts or for scholarship are inherited, but artistic or scholastic abilities must be built upon aptitudes through proper training and experience. Aptitude alone does not mean ability to perform the task. Aptitudes set a limit on ability, but training and experience will help determine how far you can develop your abilities. Abilities are developed; not inherited. Things that you do to improve yourself mentally or physically cannot be passed on to your offspring through heredity.

There are hereditary factors transmitted to the child by parents for traits they do not show themselves. This explains why a child may not resemble either parent but resembles relatives on both sides. The parents, of course, received their physical characteristics from the chromosomes of their own parents who in turn received theirs from the respective parents, and so on, as far back as we can imagine. This explains why members of a family do not always resemble each other as a result of the various combinations of the genes. You can also understand why these members of the family are at the same time more like each other than the people outside their family.

How Is Personality Developed?

Our personalities are the products of many factors and conditions which we have inherited or which exist in our environment. No two persons, except identical twins, have the same heredity. No two persons react in the same way to their environments. Every personality is unique and makes the individual different from others.

Some people believe that heredity is the most important factor that decides what any person will be like. Other people believe that the environment is the most important influence in deciding the behavior of any person. For ages these two viewpoints have been expressed and the question as to which is more important has been discussed. Today scientists agree that the best approach to the problem of explaining behavior is a study of the combination of the two influences heredity and environment.