Evening Star Newspaper, April 21, 1940, Page 88

8 %HIS is the seventh in an important THis WEEK series of articles on You and Your Job, wrilten by an expert emplovment analyst. LTHOUGH we may not admit it A even to ourselves, nearly all of us have some very undemo- cratic prejudices about jobs. Most of us would say, for example, that it is better to be a lawyer than a street sweeper, or a writer than a garage mechanic, or a stenographer than a factory worker. These preferences of ours are usually based on misty ideas of ‘‘social pres- tige,”” and they bear little relationship to whether the job is interesting, socially useful, or even whether it is well-paid. Prejudices of this kind are con- stantly getting job seekers into serious trouble. One of the worst effects is the desire so many people have to get into white-collar fields. A recent study of the American Youth Commission showed that no less than two-thirds of the young people now graduating from high school hope to find white-collar work. Only one-third of our present job holders are in professions or office positions, which means that at least half of these youngsters are barking up the wrong tree! What is even worse, two out of every five youths want to become professional or technical people. Yet only about ome worker tn sixleen throughout the country holds such a job. In other words, a tremendous num- ber of job seekers are vainly seek- ing prestige jobs that simply do not exist. Still Opportunities — But CERTAINLY youth should not forget about white-collar jobs, or professional and technical careers — the opportu- nities still exist for those who have the ability to take advantage of them. But they should also realize that most of the real employment oppor- tunities are to be found exactly where most people are not looking. Whether we like the idea or not, the fact is that most Americans always gorWhiter Washes.... o7 W RECOMMENDS OXYDOL ' b i YES --AND THE THOR MAN TOLD ME ABOUT A MARVELOUS | NeW SOAP--mrow-TEST OXYDOL/ GETS CLOTHES AS MUCH AS 9 TO I7 SHADES WNITER THAN LOTS BEST OF ALL, YOU'LL FIND IT GOES SO MUYCH RARTHER THAN OLD-STYLE SOAP BILLS AS MUCH AS ONE-FOUYRTH'! SOAPS - IT CAN ACTVALLY CUT LAUNW) THINK HOW YOU'LL SAVE / Try High-Test OXYDOL for THIS WEEK MAGAZINE WHITE- GOLLA have earned their livings, and prob- ably always will, by working with their bare hands in grimy clothes. Almost half of the jobs in our country are either unskilled or semiskilled. The strange thing about this situa- tion is that, from a dollars-and-cents point of view, many of the ‘‘dirty- shirt” jobs pay higher wages than white-collar positions. I know a floor- walker in a big department store, for example, who comes to work every morning resplendent in a morning coat and striped trousers. When he walks past the service entrance of the store, the burly, roughly dressed truck drivers touch their caps respectfully. He waves to them condescendingly. Yet the truck drivers all make more money than the floorwalker! In the building where 1 work the elevator operators receive fatter pay envelopes than most of the bookkeep= ers grinding away at their figures in the various offices. The pert waitresses in the coffee shop on the ground floor have more money to show for their work than most of the well-dressed BUT | DONT BELIEVE THAT'S THE SOAP THE SALESMAN SUGGESTED THREE YEARS AGO--WHEN | GOT MY WASHER. MAKERS ARE CHANGING WORK-SHIRT J0B 7 A Which one pays more? Which is easier to land? Which can offer the better future? The answers may surprise you by Lyle M. Spencer Director, Science Reseorch Associotes stenographers who lunch there. As a general rule, white-collared clerical workers are paid lower wages than skilled workers and not much more than semiskilled workers. “But,” says an ambitious youth, “‘consider the advancement possibili- ties in office work.” “l Was Too Smart” w:-:u,, let’s consider them. Most white-collar positions do not compare very favorably with manual jobs in the matter of promotions. Almost every day I receive letters such as this one: *All my friends told me that I was too smart for a factory job, so I took a lot of commercial courses in high school. I've been, in succession, office boy, clerk and junior bookkeeper in an office for the last five years. I don’t suppose I should complain, since I've had three raises in that time — but I'm still making less than $25 a week. The work I do is routine. Honestly, I don’t see any future in it at all, since I'm not really learning anything except a certain series of operations that I keep repeating. “I don’t think I'm a fool. But I must have gone wrong somewhere along the line. One fellow I know who got much poorer school marks than I did went to work in a foundry, and he makes from $30 to $40 a week now. The funny thing is, he kind of envies me. I suppose that because I wear a pressed suit to work, he thinks I’m in the money. I wish you'd show me where it is that I went wrong, and what I can do about it.” This young fellow probably didn't do anything wrong. And there is still a good chance that he may win further promotion or get a better job else- where if he has the ability and the luck to find the right opportunity. But the fact is that his foundry friend probably went through a regu- lar apprenticeship that guaranteed his promotion, after a certain period of time, to the position of journeyman molder or patternmaker — positions that have a definitely recognized im- portance, and that pay higher hourly wages. And it he has the right stuff in him. he can keep right on climbing from there. Remember, the hand that pounds on many an executive’s desk was toughened by the handle of a shovel. One important reason for the mis- taken prejudice about ‘‘dirty-shirt’ jobs lies in the increasing amount of education that all of us now have the opportunity to obtain. About two young people out of every three today receive some high-school training, and nearly one out of five at least starts in college. Superior education was once reserved for professional and technical workers. Hence many of us still think — very wrongly — that because we have the advantage of a superior education ourselves, the world owes us a ‘“‘superior’”’ — that is, a white- collar — job. Early Ideals ONE of the early ideals of our dém- ocracy was equal educational oppor- tunities for everyone. We have come closer to achieving this ideal than any other nation. But in a land where nearly everyone has a superior edu- cation, it is obviously impossible for everyone to hold 2 white-collar job. That was never intended to be the purpose of education. If we look at the situation sensibly, we must - recognize that there is no room today for ideas that brand peo- ple as inferior because they do manual labor. The field of white-collar work is still expanding, and will continue to offer real opportunities to people who are well-trained, level-headed and willing to turn the clock to the wall when work piles up. But we must never forget that this country was built by people who labored with their hands. ‘“Dirty- shirt”” jobs are still numerically the most important ones. And those of us who pull on work shirts and overalls every morning need never be ashamed of them. Next Week: A crisp, informative article on New Opportunities in Old Occupations IT'S GOT A WONDERFUL NEW, SAFE INGREDIENT-- AND LEADING WASHER TO IT AS THE SOAP NO matter what soap washer—you shoul J'ou use in your this important news! One after another, leading washing machine makers are changing to new High-Test OXYDOL— as the soap they officially recommend. For oné example, makers of famous Thor washers now say: ‘“‘For whiter, brighter washes, we urge the use of High- Test Oxydol—in washers old or new.” TAKE OUR ADVICE -- TRY HIGH-TEST OXYDOL ! IT GIVES WHITE WASHES WITH SAFETY IN OLD OR NEW WASHERS. be guided by a): fabrics and hands. No Cost Attention Washing Machine Owners! Forafreedemonstration of new High-Test OXYDOL in the new 1940 Thor Electro-Rinse Washer SEE YOUR THOR DEALER No Obligation N S High-Test Oxydol can be money-saving, 3 too—goes so much farther than less eco(y nomical soaps, it can actually cut laundry soap bills as much as one-fourth! So do as leading washer makers urge— try the new Oxydol! Procter & Gamble. (<I)Y { THE THOR MAN éAvs DOZENS AND DOZENS OF TWAES IN 1T WHITER WASHES WITH SAFETY- USE OXYPOL” MAKERS OF FAMOUS THOR WASHERS NOW SA The Thor people changed to High-Test Oxydol largely because it gives these amazing results, compared to a large num- ber of (’popular soaps we have tested:— ets clothes as much as 9 to 11 shades whiter! Actual Tintometer shades —proved by our laboratory tests. (2) Cup for cup, gives up to 3 TIMES THE SUDS, (3) Yet is SAFE for washable colors, L4 Dishwashing, too...Speeds up the Job like Magic...Kind to Hands| 4-21-40 |