not take the place and then invent fresh excuses daily.
Directly you begin your work, study the technical phrases peculiar to the trade or profession or line of goods of which you must write day after day. Every trade or profession has these phrases. It is yards and bolts in dry-goods, pounds and barrels in groceries. You will have certain regular correspondents, too. Be accurate in the use of firm-names and addresses, so that when your chief tells you to write the "Browns" to hurry up that order of wire nails you will know that it is James Hayden Brown & Son without asking him which Brown or having to hunt through the files. And if your new employer says Brown Bros., and no more, it is your business to find out somewhere, somehow, in the main office, who Brown Bros. are, and where to direct their letter. If you are looking for advancement do not turn the question-mark on your employer. He hires you to save him trouble and annoyance. If you cannot imagine what he means, make a guess, until you can reach the other room to ask the other clerks.
If sometimes you have to play the rôle of office boy and meet callers, learn to do this properly. Don't go to your employer's private office and say: "There's a man wants to see you."
The girl who does not know enough to find
