by Ilana Gershon

Job Advice I Was Surprised to Find in the 1920s

In 1917, employers were paying for employee referrals – I had no idea that this practice has been so longstanding.  (Baer 1917).

As early as 1921, Kilduff in his job advice manual was strongly encouraging job-seekers to contact the hiring manager directly whenever possible, and circumvent the employment personnel bureau – which is what HR was called in those days.  People have been trying to get around HR since 1921!

While every job advice manual I have ever read recommends some form of networking (although the earliest mention of “networking” as a verb I can find is in 1977), this practice wasn’t very highly valued in the 1920s.  In 1921, Norman Shidle warns prospective job-seekers not to rely too heavily on their personal connections.  “The help of friends and relatives should not be ignored when you begin to seek a position, but such persons should not be relied upon as the main source of a job.” (Shidle 1921: 4)  He is concerned that depending only on one’s social network will lead people to take the job that is most conveniently available, and not the one best suited to their temperament.

References:

Baer, A. K. 1917. “How We Lifted Hiring Out of the Rut.” In Handling Men. New York: A. W. Shaw Company: 9-12.

Granovetter, Mark. Getting a Job: A Study of Contacts and Careers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974.

Kilduff, Edward. 1921. How to Choose and Get a Better Job. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers.

Shidle, Norman. 1922. Finding your job: sound and practical business methods. New York: The Ronald Press Company.