THE SCHOOLGIRL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23106, 4 February 1937, Page 17

THE SCHOOLGIRL

MAKING A SUCCESS OF HER BUSINESS CAREER With the intermediate and leaving examinations safely over, the next few weeks will see the transformation of many of our young daughters from schoolgirls into business girls, a change that is full of interest and excitement, yet at the same time fraught with many difficulties (writes Gladys Highman, principal, Lismore Business College, in the Sydney Morning Herald). There is no doubt that the whole of the future health and happiness of these girls, as well as the chances of success in their careers, may depend upon the way in which mothers tackle these difficulties. First of all, what does the end of her schooldays mean to your daughter? Does it merely stand for the end of strict discipline, study, and homework? Or does she regard it as the great, and long-awaited opportunity to go out into the world and show what she can really do? If it is the latter, she will find plenty of scope for her ambitions to-day. Never has there been a time when more trades and professions were open to women, or when it was easier to obtain the correct tuition and training to qualify for them. In practically every town of any size there are splendid business colleges, where girls are prepared to enter the world of commerce. Should their talents lie in other directions, they will still find that in most of the cities and larger towns they can get tuition in such varied subjects as hairdressing, chiropody photography, salesmanship, and others too numerous to mention.

The first duty of a mother should be to help her daughter to attend one of these institutions, for in these days of keen competition girls cannot hope to be successful applicants for positions until they have received a thorough training for the profession they hope to enter. The worker equipped with the special knowledge and skill for her particular work must inevitably out the unprepared competitor. Study must be maintained until the requisite standard of knowledge has been acquired before a good position can be obtained. Then, when it has been secured, the problems with which I propose to deal start to arise. Perhaps the first of these is the question of correct food. The life of a business girl is necessarily more complex than that of a schoolgirl. It is more than likely that for years her principal meal has been taken at mid-day. because so many parents prefer this to serving a heavy meal a few hours before bedtime. But if, as is often the case, the office is too far away, or the lunch-time too short to allow her to go home at midday, she may have to content herself with a hurried snack at a nearby restaurant. Nowadays, luckily, few business girls are foolish enough to make this just a piece of cake and a cup of tea. During the last few years they have learned the value of such things of fruit and milk dishes, and most lunch cases will contain these if packed by a careful mother. But it must be remembered that your girl has not ceased to grow because her schooldays are ended, and she still needs one really substantia] and nourishing meal a day. That hurried lunch rarely includes green vegetables, for instance, and these should therefore always be included in the evening meal, as well as more fruit and milk dishes, which are absolutely essential to a wellbalanced diet Encourage your daughter to drink plenty of cold water Now that she is cut off from much of her accustomed exercise she will need more liquid than formerly Next comes the problem of dress for business. After years of wearing shirt blouses, tunics, blazers and flat-

heeled shoes, many of our girls experience an overwhelming desire to go to the other extreme and break out into frills and flounces, high heels and ultra-sophisticated hats. This is quite natural, and the sensible mother will understand and sympathise Do not squash these ideas entirely. The schoolgirl achieves a new dignity as a wage-earner, and should be allowed to develop her own personality to a certain extent. But a tactful word of advice from mother now will do much to inculcate good taste and discernment in the girl's character in the future.

Teach her that there are two good rules for business dress—service and suitability—and nowadays there is no reason why these should not be synonymous with smartness. Simple, well-cut frocks of linen are ideal for this time of the year, and care should be taken to choose shades that will not soil too easily in the rush and hustle of an office or shop. Dark colours relieved with collars and cuffs of lighter material always look well. Shoes are very important to the business girl. Point out to your daughter that high heels not only look ugly and awkward on young people, but that they will in time ruin the shape of the foot, and cause strain, weariness and headaches to all who

are on their feet for any length of time. There is no need to continue with flat-heeled shoes of schooldays, though. Many of the smart modern shoes have a medium heel of an inch and a-half. Where the girl has any distance to travel to business, it is a wise precaution always to keep one extra pair of shoes at the office, so that she can change should the weather be wet or dusty, or should she wish to rest her feet after a long walk. This question of providing an entirely new wardrobe for the schooltirl commencing business is often a ard one for parents who are not too well endowed with this world's goods and it is an excellent idea for mothers to try to put by a little each week during the last year at school, so that she has something in hand for her daughter's equipment when the necessity arises. In business houses where employees are instructed to wear uniforms, this question is greatly simplified. , . . Powder and lipstick are, very wisely, strictly taboo in most schools, so that it is quite probable that our exschoolgirl now feels that she would like to experiment with them a little, and see if by their aid she can effect any improvement in her appearance Do riot make the mistake of sternly forbidding this. Rouge and powder do not make the business girl, but. applied carefully and unobstrusively, they often do improve a girl and add to her self-confidence. Encourage her to take a pride in her grooming, but at the same time point out the danger SP If possible, take her to a really, good hairdresser, and let her get advice on how to dress her hair to the best advantage now that sh~- has discarded school hats for more grown-up millinery. Point out that her hands will now be much in evidence, and that fingernails should be kept scrupulously clean and polished, but not, please, with cheap, vividly-coloured nail varnish. Nothing looks worse. A soft, non-gritty nail powder and a piece of chamois will do all that is required. Jewellery, needless to say : is entirely out of place in business, though a pretty brooch may be worn to fasten a collar or brighten up a dress. But no sparkling rings or jangling bracelets.

And now. my final word of advice to mothers: From the first day your daughter starts work, have an understanding about financial matters. Even though her money is not really needed in the home, the young business girl should be encouraged to contribute a part of her salary, however small to

the household budget. It will give her a feeling of independence, and make her take more interest in her home when she is helping to support it. Let her keep a specified amount for herself each week also. Now she has joined the wage-earners, it is not fair that she should have to ask mother for a shilling every time she wants to go to the kmema or buy a gift for a friend.

On the other hand, discourage sternly all attempts to borrow from you before pay-day or to mortgage wages in advance. Let her thus learn and appreciate the value of money; show her that running into debt can only mean future worry and unhappiness. and you will have done much to start her on the right path for a successful business career.