One Thousand Ways to Make a Living; or, An Encyclopædia of Plans to Make Money

(a) Diseases: Chronic diseases not preventing ordinary activity and not easily noticed by others. This includes chest and head diseases, rheumatism, deafness in one ear, Bright’s disease, shell-shock, etc. Temporary diseases from which recovery may be slow but certain. (b) _Wounds:_ Loss of one leg if artificial limb can be worn. Loss of one arm or hand with or without artificial arm. Wounds to arms or legs not requiring amputation. Moderate disfigurements that can be covered by hair, beard, garments, or glasses of usual type. Scars on face or hands that are not repellent. Loss of teeth--if plate can be worn. Hernia--if truss can be worn. PLAN No. 1096. NUMBER OF POSITIONS OPEN The companies selling ordinary life insurance can absorb rapidly 10,000 candidates for sales positions, reasonably evenly distributed between the two classes of partly handicapped and not handicapped. If the latter class predominates, even a larger number could be used. These men can be assigned profitable and suitable new business locations either of their own or of the insurance companies’ selection, as they prefer, or they can be used at their former place of residence no matter in what sections of the country this may be. The industrial companies, about 25 in number, can absorb about 4,000 candidates presenting disabilities of a nature that would not preclude the physical activity required, since the nature of the business demands that the routes assigned be fully covered each week. FINANCIAL RETURNS FOR LIFE INSURANCE SALESMAN The average earnings of all life insurance men, whether devoting all or but part of their time to it, and including the unsuccessful and the beginners but a few months in the production field, on the sales of 1917 was $1,000 per capita. The average of those giving it their entire time is nearer $2,000 per agent. An additional yearly income for a number of years is paid on first-year sales through the annual renewal commissions on such business as renews, which in 1917 yielded an additional $1,000 per agent. By reason of renewals accruing in future years, the annual income of a life insurance man maintaining a uniform production will increase steadily yearly. While the rate of compensation is based upon the commission plan under which the income closely follows actual earnings and is in ratio to the salesman’s efficiency and the intelligent effort he puts forth, the methods of compensation are varied according to individual preference. Such methods include straight commission, commission plus salary, straight salary, drawing accounts against contingent commissions and guarantees, and combinations of these methods as may be arranged. The items of interest are that incomes are without limit as to maximum and that earnings can begin even during the period of preparation and study. The commission plan is thus not a difficulty, since the candidate will be assisted by his Government allowance until he is prepared to undertake work under a compensation plan which guarantees pay exactly according to earnings. To those qualifying for executive positions correspondingly larger salaries and opportunities are open, and men having the capacity to direct the activities of others are in constant demand. For this work Army and Navy men, as a class, have had fundamental training. EARNINGS OP INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE MEN Salaries varying from $10 to $25 per week are paid to the field men of industrial insurance companies, depending upon the size of the district covered. Such agents are expected to make the weekly collections assigned to them and to maintain the volume and number of such collections. In addition to this salary, the right and opportunity is given to earn liberal commissions on new business secured, which in turn may operate to increase the compensation for collecting future premiums. Opportunities for promotions to positions as superintendents and district managers are frequent, and the tendency is toward the retention and development of efficient employees indefinitely. PLAN No. 1097. OFFICE MANAGEMENT This position is one that is usually filled by promotion and one to which any man who qualifies for business by taking a complete commercial training may reasonably aspire. Men who have executive ability; knowledge of men and ability to handle them; the ability to organize the work of an office on an efficiency basis; and a good general knowledge of business are needed for office managers. TRAINING Extension courses in preparation for advancement to this grade of commercial employment are available in many places. Those who already have the necessary training for office work will be helped by definite courses of instruction to prepare for this desirable line of promotion. Others who have had neither business training nor business experience may prepare for office work first in accordance with the plan suggested earlier in this monograph, and may later qualify for office management by extension courses under the direction of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. PLAN No. 1098. BANKING The banking business is one in which the higher positions are usually recruited from the lower. Many younger men are employed as messengers, clerks, runners, etc., and it is comparatively easy to find promotion material already in the organization. Since these lower positions pay very small salaries and make no appeal to men, it is not likely that large numbers of men will break into the banking business through rehabilitation channels. However there are many men in our Army who have had banking experience and desire to secure training for further promotion in this business. Then, too, some of the larger financial institutions in the big cities are in the habit of taking on men for a period of training with a view to service in their foreign branches. This practice will grow as our foreign trade expands. Men who have the necessary general education and special training, supplemented by overseas service, will find in this field an opportunity that will challenge their interest. TRAINING Foundation work in the general business subjects such as bookkeeping, business writing, business English, correspondence, business arithmetic, and commercial law will be followed by instruction in economics, money, banking, and finance. While there are comparatively few business schools equipped to give the more advanced technical instruction required, the Federal Board for Vocational Education will aid any man who is interested in this business, not only to secure adequate training for it, but also an opportunity to enter this field under the most favorable circumstances possible. PLAN No. 1099. COMMERCIAL TEACHING Male teachers are in great demand for all kinds of educational work, but in no department is the need for men greater than in that which has to do with the training of young people for business. The commercial teacher must associate himself with the industrial and business activities of his community; he must mingle with business men and keep in close touch with their business methods so far as they affect commercial training. In practically every city and town in the United States having a population of 5,000 or more commercial courses are being offered in the high school. There are over 1,000 private commercial schools giving intensive training for business positions. All these schools, both public and private are in very active competition with each other for the services of capable men teachers. Not only are these schools in competition with each other for the services of men who are qualified for this kind of work, but they are also in competition with business which is constantly recognizing that successful commercial teachers are usually well qualified for important business positions. To the men who are contemplating training for a future career this fact is of the utmost importance. The training that he takes for commercial teaching and the experience that he gains in such a position will not only lead to high-grade educational positions, but also to business openings of more than ordinary importance. TWO DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTED Commercial teachers are naturally divided into two groups, those who teach shorthand typewriting, and related secretarial subjects, and those who teach bookkeeping, business arithmetic, commercial law, economics, commercial geography, and other subjects known as the business group. While it is possible to make a preparation for either of these two departments of teaching, it is more desirable for a man to qualify in both departments in order that he may be qualified for a position as department head where the supervision of teachers in both lines of work will fall upon him. QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING NECESSARY A man who contemplates commercial teaching as a profession should possess the following qualifications: Good personal appearance, abundant energy, resourcefulness, cheerfulness, good general health, and the ability to move about easily. It is undesirable for anyone who is to be brought constantly in contact with the public to have physical disabilities that will be offensive or will seriously distract attention. In dealing with young people in educational work it is even more necessary that unsightly wounds shall not be conspicuously apparent in those with whom such young people come in contact in their work. This does not mean that one who has lost a leg or an arm should consider himself in this class. Among the best teachers that have ever presented commercial education to boys and girls are men who find it necessary to use a crutch or a cane. Commercial teachers should be thoroughly qualified to handle all of the commercial subjects named above. Their training should also include thorough courses in psychology, pedagogy, school management, and history of education. Such courses of training are provided in a few of the State normal schools, and in a number of the best universities. Men who contemplate this profession are urged to be satisfied with nothing less than the complete course of training in one of these institutions. This is of the utmost importance in view of the fact that for public school commercial teaching State licenses are required and the qualifications therefore, are such that graduation from an institution of high standing is the surest way to qualify for such a certificate. It should be said, however, that for private school commercial teaching there is no license requirement in most of the States. Men who have a good general education and are well qualified in the technical subjects named above, will have no difficulty in securing profitable employment in such schools. Training for such positions can be secured in much less time than is required for the full course referred to above. LENGTH OF COURSE An intensive course of one year, assuming a good foundation with which to begin, should prepare a man for a position as commercial teacher in a private business school. The same will suffice for training a man to accept a position as commercial teacher in a high school providing he has completed a normal school or college course. For those who have only a high-school education, two years in a State normal school, or from two to four years in the commercial department of a college, will be required to complete the full training for commercial teaching. SALARIES The salary range for men commercial teachers may be stated as from $1,200 to $8,000, depending upon experience, general and special education, and personal qualifications. PLAN No. 1100. PLANS AND SUCCESSES OF DISABLED MEN AND WOMEN _Chart summarizing data relating to 133 cases of disabled persons who have taken commercial courses--Tabulation of replies to questionnaires sent out to schools._[34] [34] All salaries are on a pre-war basis. ===============+=============+============+============+=============+ School, case | Cause of | Previous | Course | Special | number, and | disability. | education. | taken. |arrangements.| disability. | | | | | ---------------+-------------+------------+------------+-------------+ PIERCE | | | | | BUSINESS | | | | | SCHOOL, | | | | | PHILADELPHIA, | | | | | PA. | | | | | | | | | |