MANY OPPORTUNITIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 62, 13 December 1946, Page 7

MANY OPPORTUNITIES

GIRLS LEAVING SCHOOL CREATIVE WORK IN MANY FIELDS It is December, and soon schools and colleges throughout New Zealand will be breaking up for the long summer vacation. Many girls will pack up their books and say good-bye to friends and teachers for' th,e last time as they fare forth into a career as nurse, typist, receptionist, schoolteacher, physical culture specialist, shop girl, clerk, artist, dressmaker. Some will be confident and full of self-assurance, secure in the knowledge that they have found their niche in life and fully cognisant of the pleasure and'satisfaction to be derived from their chosen occupation. Others, again, not as yet sure in which direction their talents lie but doubtfully aware that after two or more years of secondary education they have emerged with no particular penchant for any subject learnt there, are not so confident. Lucky girls, who were born in an age when a little genteel sewing at home or the teaching of children in homes where one was) considered slightly better than a servant and patronised accordingly, were the only positions available to impoverished gentlewomen! Fascinating Careers Today’s world of women can offer endless prospects in fascinating careers to girls with imagination, creative instincts or business ability, the opportunities are there; they need only be exploited. For the girl whose talents are confin'ed to housewifely tasks there is the new scheme of domestic help, the Home Aid Service, with its attractive conditions and working hours. Nursing Profession An interesting and satisfying position as a florist would appeal to girls who are clever with their hands and desire creative work; and what could be more, re warding to a Karitane nurse than the knowledge that the young lives in her care will attain healthy maturity? Other aspects of nursing have their appeal too—a doctor’s receptionist, a Plunket nurse, or a nurse trained to take care of the sick, or the aged. To girls who have been familiar with the heroic story of Florence Nightingale almost from the primers surely nursing holds a great appeal! Nursing and kindergarten . work and its “big sister,” schoolteaching, require more academic qualifications but other qualities required are patience, a little applied child psychology and a love of children. As most girls are born with the last attribute, acquire the second during childhood and cultivate the first throughout life, the list is not as formidable as it seems. Fashion Designer To the girls with an eye for colour and line and a good working knowledge of needlework, fashion designing is almost invariably the g£>al —and, happily,- there has been much more scope for a career of this type in the Dominion within recent years than formerly. However, famous couturieres still urge, eager devotees to prove their ability first by a period of apprenticeship, just as novices of other arts must do. The “bookworm” usually has little trouble in planning her future—she just wants to be among as many books as possible, and, like the codlin moth in the apple, work her way out. If she wishes to become a really competent librarian, however, it is an advantage to obtain the School Certificate Examination to begin with. Specialised knowledge of a particular subject may obtain for her a position in a museum, or, if not so ambitious, she may be quite happy presiding over a lending library. Advice to Parents. Wise parents will give their daughters time to survey the employment field at their leisure and allow them at least to voice an opinion on their own choice of a career. If uncertain, let them consult their form mistresses and headmistresses; they will know in what direction the girls’ ability lies and will advise what position they can occupy to their advantage. Do not jeopardise your daughters’ happiness and perhaps their W'hole future by urging them to iccept positions for which tfiey are not suited.