Is A Career in Clerical Work for You? (1972)

[Music] going to do time [Music] chances are you've already thought about the possibilities of working in an office indeed you may have already pictured yourself in one or more clerical jobs maybe as a child a typist or a typing supervisor a stenographer a secretary maybe you'd be interested in a career involving financial matters as a bookkeeper cashier or a bank teller there are other clerical jobs too have you considered a career say as office machine operator working as a computer operator is in the clerical field included as clerical workers are telephone operators receptionists shipping and receiving clerks stock clerks mail clerks and mail carriers this film will acquaint you with clerical jobs and qualifications for them and a great deal more clerical workers are needed by virtually every business government agency and the armed forces in the United States and in the world more than 14 million men and women do clerical work in the United States and employment is increasing rapidly as large and complex organizations in business and government expand opportunities will be best for secretaries stenographers typists bookkeeping and accounting clerks and others who handle paperwork they will be needed particularly in Banks and insurance companies in manufacturing establishments and in wholesale and Retail trade in government offices educational institutions Professional Service organizations and in the armed services the clerical field is particularly important to women women hold 70% of the jobs it's a field in which women can work for a while leave to have or care for family and return When home responsibili lessen a high school education is usually the minimum requirement for clerical work graduates with high school instruction and business subjects are regarded as well qualified by most employers many in clerical occupations have had additional education After High School in colleges junior colleges Private Business Schools or the Armed Forces service schools beginning clerical workers receive on the job training in the employer special ways of doing things clerical workers in many kinds of jobs must understand easily what they read they must know arithmetic grammar and how to spell opportunities are good in many types of office work to advance to better paid jobs even to supervisory or managerial positions having clerical skills enables many people to get an entry job in an industry or business firm where they'd like to work there they have a chance to learn about the business and move ahead earnings of clerical workers vary substantially even within the same occupation to learn what salaries are paid in your area see the people in the local office of your state employment service stenographers and secretaries make the largest group of clerical workers 20% of the total 95% are women just about all stenographers and secretaries take dictation and transcribe it on a typewriter stenographers take dictation from one or more persons many have additional duties technical stenographers take dictation in medical legal scientific terms others are public stenographers reporting stenographers record proceedings usually on a machine in court at conventions and at other meetings in addition to stenographic work secretaries are their boss's right hand and handle many business details for him such as getting Airline and hotel reservations arranging meetings answering some correspondents anniversary shopping for him some secretaries specialize in legal medical and other technical Works in addition to facility with spelling punctuation grammar and vocabulary stenographers and secretary should have these qualities many stenographers Advance the better paying positions as secretaries both stenographers and secretaries may be promoted to such positions as administrative assistant or office supervisor the typewriter is also the business partner of many hundreds of thousands of typists and all kinds of public and private Enterprises typists transcribed from handwritten or printed copy many combine typing with other kinds of office work qualifications for a typist include a rate of 40 to 50 words per minute typists must have these and the ability to concentrate in the midst of distractions many good typists Advance the secretary or stenographer by learning to take dictation at 80 or more words per minute bookkeep accounting clerks comprise the second largest group of clerical workers they record transactions by hand in journals and ledgers and on other forms and prepare income statements most employers prefer high school graduates who have taken business arithmetics and bookkeeping bookkeeping workers should be good with numbers and details they may advance to more responsible assignments to operation of complex bookkeeping Mach or to Superion workers operate many different machines to speed the paperwork in the modern business office bookkeeping machines record Financial transactions billing machines on which customers bills are prepared tabulating machines they sort and count statistical information adding and calculating machines copers for few copies duplicating machines for long runs equipment for processing mail for high school or business school graduates a general knowledge of the equipment is usually enough to obtain a beginning job promotion may be to a more complex machine employers and the armed services often provide the needed training or worker may be assigned to train others or be promoted to a section or head machine operators should have these jobs for computer operating Personnel are chiefly in government agencies the largest users of computers and in insurance companies Banks wholesale and retail business transportation and public utility companies manufacturing firms an independent service organization that process data for other firms data to be processed is coded on cards by key punch operators or on paper tape by data typists a console operator checks the input of coded data studies instructions of the programmer who laid out the procedure and starts the run to make up a payroll for example beginners who must have at Le high school education are usually trained after they are hired operators should be able to reason logically learn new techniques and understand technical material promotion is to more complex assignments to supervisor and with more studies to programmers this is a fast growing field employment is expected to increase very rapidly almost 1 million Cashers in the United stat received payments made by customers for goods and services 34 of all cashiers work in grocery drug and other retail stores and a substantial number in restaurants and theaters employers prefer to hire high school graduates and train them in classrooms or informally on the job cashier should be accurate have a facility with figures and good finger since they deal with the public they should be tactful Pleasant and neat beginner salaries are often at or near the minimum wage required by law but employment in this occupation is expected to increase rapidly bank tellers receive and pay out money and record the transactions to many customers the teller is the bank so tellers must be NE ful and courteous as Banks expand their services the number of tellers is expected to increase very rapidly 60% of telephone operators work for telephone companies most are longdistance operators many are directory assistance operators due to direct calling and other changes little or no growth in employment is expected 40% are PBX operators who run inhouse switchboards serving all kinds of establishments employment of PBX operators is expected to rise slowly why can't I talk to a human being instead of listening to this operator should have a pleasing voice be courteous I'm terribly sorry sir if you'd like to hold I'll check the circuits for you thank you and You' like to serve the public I'd like to report a fire at the home the receptionist is employer's public representative she greets visitors gives them information and directs them to the right office or person almost all receptionists are women more than half of them are employed in the offices of professional people many others work in hospitals educational institutions Banks and insurance companies and Manufacturing firms in contrast to all the clerical occupations you have seen to this point men are predominantly employed as shipping and receiving clerks as stock clerks postal clerks and their counterparts in private business mail clerks and male carriers working conditions for clerical workers are generally very good a 40-hour work week is the rule although many employees in some patients may have to work during abnormal hours clerical workers are usually part of a team and depend on each other to do their job a clerical job is something you can try on while still in school by working at it part-time some companies provide such work opportunities for students or you can offer your help in your school office or do volunteer clerical work for your church a political organization or school activ clerical work may be for you but before you decide find out about all the other career areas seek occupational information on your own talk with your school counselor talk with your parents not only salary data but information about local employment conditions and opportunities can be obtained from the state employment service people discuss clerical opportunities with a recruiter at local armed forces recruiting offices with your counselor's help choose the just right career for you and map out the Education and Training you'll need and get moving on it start shaping a good life for yourself now only you can do it [Music] [Music] will what will you really do