A BUSINESS CAREER SHOULD APPEAL TO MANY GIRLS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 22

A BUSINESS CAREER SHOULD APPEAL TO MANY GIRLS

AN ADVANCED CAREER AS A SHORTHAND-TYPIST

Highly-interesting and well-paid positions are available to girls highly qualified in shorthand and typewriting as judges' associates, shorthand reporters, Ministerial secretaries, private secretaries, or commercial teachers and typists on their own account. These are all highly responsible posts and demand much of the girl who aspires to them. Not only must her skills of shorthand and typewriting be sharp and bright, but she must have had a good general education, and possess both assurance and initiative.

There Is no definite avenue which leads directly to any of these posts. Almost any girl may apply for and obtain such positions provided she has acquired the requisite technical skills, has the necessary educational background, and is of pleasant personality. The usual means of qualifying herself as a skilled shorthandtypist is by passing the Public Service shorthand-typists’ examinations, ranging from the junior grade to the advanced and special grades. Usually, she will need to pass at least the advanced examination before she can aspire to any of the above-mentioned positions. The advanced-grade examination requires test speeds of 130 words a minute in shorthand and 50 words a minute in typing, and the special-grade examination, 150 words a minute in shorthand and 55 words a minute in typing. An associate to a Judge of the Supreme Court not only acts as his private secretary, but also attends Court sittings and types a running note of the evidence for him. As notes are not usually taken verbatim, a girl must have the ability to listen to evidence, make a mental summarisation, and transcribe it accurately on the typewriter. On an important case, this may require intense concentration, often for long periods. Then when a Judge pronounces an oral judgment in Court, or sums up a case for a jury, his associate must record it in shorthand.

It will naturally be a help if the associate has worked in a legal office, and has some idea of legal procedure, but this is not essential, as an intelligent girl will pick this up in the course of her work. The associate travels with the Judge when he is on circuit and is usually responsible for making travel and hotel bookings. Such travelling about may lend interest and variety to the job. A Judge may select and appoint his own associate, and she is considered to be employed by him and not by the Public Service.

The Public Service employs a staff of shorthand reporters who are stationed in Wellington and travel all over New Zealand reporting evidence and submissions before Rpyal Commissions, and other commissions and committees of inquiry. •

Girls so employed must be very highly qualified—they are required to have passed the Public Service shorthand reporters’ examination which demands a speed of up to 180 words a minute, as well as having a high speed in typing. When not engaged in reporting before commissions, etc., they may be seconded to work for various Government departments. A few Government departments have one or two shorthand reporters permanently on their staffs to record proceedings at public hearings, meetings, and interviews.

A Cabinet Minister has his staff of shorthand-typists to attend to his work. These are permanent Public Service positions which do not change when the Cabinet changes. The work involves a considerable amount of reporting—taking notes of delegations, meetings, etc. Irregular hours must be worked, as often a Minister will require some report or work to be prepared quickly. Girls who hold these positions may sometimes have opportunities to travel both in New Zealand and overseas, accompanying the Minister and reporting for him.

Somewhat similar work may be done by a secretary to the head of a government department, or

for a group of senior administrative officers. In addition to undertaking the usual secretarial duties, she may be called upon to report meetings and conferences. A private secretary to the head of a business organisation may have an even wider range of duties. She will do a good deni of receptionist work and telephone ing, so that a pleasing personality is essential. She, too, must be well skilled in shorthand and typing as in addition to daily dictation and typing of correspondence, she may often be required to report business meetings and conferences. Some girls and women with skill, experience, and business ability like to set up in business for themselves, either as commercial teachers or public short-hand-typists.

Many small concerns have not enough work for a full-time shorthand-typist, while others may at times have too much for their permanent staff to cope with. These concerns often send material to a public shorthandtypist.

In addition to normal business work, the public shorthand-typist will receive all sorts of varied work—ranging from a student wanting to have a thesis typed to an author wishing to dictate a novel.

To be successful in such a business, the shorthand-typist must be capable of a very high standard of work. Since most of the work will be charged for on a time basis, a good typing speed combined with neatness and accuracy, is essential. To embark on such a business, a girl must have some capital to buy costly equipment and to meet expense until she has established herself. »■ • ■

Office Workers Are Always In Demand

AR business concerns must have their offices, and there will always be a demand for capable, suitablyqualified girls to staff them. Let the impression be corrected that because a girl is not very good in her scholastic achievements, she had. better take up office work. Even the office junior must be intelligent and reliable. Besides a good standard of education, common sense, courtesy and accuracy are the essential requirements for office workers. Neatness in personal appearance, and a pleasant manner and speaking voice are also very desirable qualities.

It is wise to have reached a good level of secondary education, as appointments to office positions; have become a little more competitive lately. Girls holding University Entrance, School Certificate, and commercial examination certificates will naturally gain preference over those without any qualifications. Salary scales for some office workers—those in the Public Service and banks—vary according to the educational standard a girl has reached. Certain special abilities are necessary for certain types of office work. For example, a sound knowledge of English and spelling is necessary for a short-hand-typist, and a facility for figures for a calculating or accounting machine operator.

It is possible to enter certain types of office work after having reached a good standard of general education. Office juniors, clerks, cashiers, telephone operators, machine operators, and receptionists do not in all cases need to have studied commercial subjects at school. Many girls take commercial courses at school and reach varying standards of proficiency in shorthand, typewriting, bookkeeping, commercial practice. Girls in this category are often able to obtain junior positions as shorthand-typists, typists, or book-keepers. Great numbers of girls continue studying after they leave school by attending technical and commercial colleges as full-time or part-time students—either starting to learn commercial subjects, or improving their skills in order to pass commercial examinations.

The office worker’s duties vary widely acccrding to the type and size of the office. In a small office, a girl may have a variety of tasks. In a large one, she may be employed on a particular section of the work. Her duties may consist of a combination of the following—secretarial work, reception work, clerical work, shorthand-typing, typing, book-keeping, accountancy, telephone operating, and calculating and accounting machine operating.

Secretary: As personal assistant to. a senior officer or executive, duties are varied and may include shorthand and typing, making business arrangements, preparing and signing routine correspondence, reporting meetings, etc. Shorthand-Typist: Duties generally consist of taking dictation in shorthand, transcribing notes and typing; writing business letters, and sometimes recording minutes of meetings or business conferences; or doing draft typing or other office work.

Typist: Duties may include copy typing, invoice typing, or dictaphone typing, and may be combined with other branches of office work. Receptionist: Duties include receiving callers, giving information, introducing callers to the person they wish to see, and often other branches of office work such as telephone operating, clerical work, or typing. Telephone Operator: A fulltime operator deals with incoming and outgoing calls, and keeping records of toll calls and telegrams handled; a _ part-time telephonist may do clerical work, reception work, or typing in addition to her telephone duties.

Machine Operator: This covers the field of work with calculating and accounting machines, as well as with key punching, duplicating, and special addressograph machines.

Clerk: A clery may be called upon to do a wide variety of tasks, according to the type of office where she is employedfiling, sorting, keeping records of business transactions, handling incoming and outgoing mail, making up wages, and salaries, making travel arrangements, attaching documents to files, pricing stocks, invoicing goods, ordering office stationery, and so on. Cashier: The cashier handles cash or cheque payments made by people for cash sales, settlement of accounts, and may be required to do a certain amount of ledger work. Ledgerkeeper: Although many firms use ledger machines for their routine accounting work, some still employ clerks to enter up business transactions according to the basic principles of accounting. There are good opportunities for girls to obtain senior positions in most fields of office work. Shorthand-typists, typists, and machinists with good qualifications and experience can progress to charge positions. ■ Some women with accountancy qualifications or university degrees have been promoted to senior or administrative positions after gaining experience in less responsible office work. A few women are even employed as company secretaries.