CHOOSING A CAREER

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1935, Page 8

CHOOSING A CAREER

METHOD OF APPROACH MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE Iv choosing a career, and in training for a career, the old saying, "It is well to have more than one iron in the fire," may sometimes' give profitable guidance, states a writer in the London "Daily Telegraph." . Some careers, for example, are much more self-contained than others, That is to say; they lead along one fairly rigid and constant route. Teaching, the Government services, the veterinaryprofession, to take a few at random, aer notable examples of this typei v of career. Except for the favoured few, to whom fate_ is kinder than to most, these occupations do not offer the possibilities of developing one's work along all sorts of interesting bypaths, as do such subjects as nursing, or domestic science, or medicine, or secretarial work, or accountancy. ONCE A TEAOHEE. Once a teacher always a teacher, it is said; or nearly always, for it is one of tho most difficult of things to change over from teaching to any other occupation. There is a feeling among othor professions and in business that the academic life is self-contained, that tho experience gained there is of little specific value in other fields of work. Especially is this true of thoso who teach tho classics, ox. history, or English. . It is less difficult, given the right personality, for the teacher of science, of mathematics, or of economies to muke a change of occupation. • The method of approach to a career is sometimes all-important. The work of a masseuse, for instance, if approached direct cannot be called .anything but a very self-contained career, with somewhat restricted opportunities ,of - employment, but if the same career ia approached through nursing the possibility of getting a well-paid post is increased, the training itself gains in breadth and value, and there are other branches of work to fall back upon if massage fails. OTraSINO AS A GATEWAY: Nursing training indeed is the gateway to a large group of careers today—hospital nursing, private* nursing, and nursing services m Government and mission hospitals overseas in tropical colonies and in Newfoundland. Nursing also leads to health visitors' appointments, for maternity and child welfare under local authorities, also to posts as matrons in boys' and girls' ■schools, to openings as nurses in the staff clinic of industrial firms, and to orthopaedic nursing under country authorities. Other specialised work in charge of radiography, dietetics, massage, medical gymnastics, and light treatment at hospitals, can follow on a training in nursing. Nurses with a bent for teaching may further qualify as sister tutors, for teaching work in hospitals recognised for the training of nurses by the General Nursing Council. Sister tutors give lectures and demonstrations in general and special nursing, correct boolcs, arrange time-tables, and gonerally give their whole time to. teaching and coaching. ' ■ -■ ; DOMESTIC SCIENCE. Yet another.good road to an incroasing range of careers today is domestic science training, for this may lead to teaching appointments in secondary arid elementary. schools and training, colleges; to appointments as wardens, bursars, housekeepers, dietetians, food, and catering supervisors, and canteen managers in hostels, clubs, hospitals, and industrial firms. It also leads to numerous openings as lady cooks in the leading boys' and girls'- schools, .under very good conditions. Investigation, work- for makers of food and of kitchen equipment, housekeeping, and catering . appointments in hotels, publicity, demonstration and siiles management for firms of heating engineers and stove makers are other openings, and there are similar chances in gas and electricity supply companies. The laundry management side of domestic science opens up yet other good possibilities.