The Story of How a Job Seeker Gained Employment During a Depression by Offering Added Value to his Potential Employer.

During the worst period of a nationwide depression, a young university graduate applied for a position in a big department store.

He carried with him a letter of introduction from his father to the president, an old classmate of his.

The president read the letter, then said to the young man, “I wish I could give you a position.

Your father was one of my best friends in college, and every year I look forward to seeing him again at our class reunion.

But, unfortunately, you have come to me at the worst possible time.

Our business has been losing money, so we have been compelled to lay off every employee except the most important people in our organization.”

Many other graduating students from the college applied to the same store for a position. They were all told the same story.

So, when still another student said he was going there for a job, his classmates laughed.

But that didn’t discourage him—he had an idea!

He walked in with no letter of introduction. He went directly to the president’s office, but he didn’t ask for a job.

In fact, he didn’t say anything about what he wanted. He sent a note in to the president about something the president wanted!

The note read: “I’ve got an idea that will help your store get out of the depression. May I tell you about it?”

“Send him in!” ordered the head of the store.

Coming immediately to the point, the young man said, “I want to help you open a College Department.

We would handle nothing but clothes for college men.

There are 16,000 students in our college, their number increasing every year.

I don’t know anything about buying clothes, but I do know what those boys like.

Let me have one of your good buyers, and I’ll help you set up the kind of department the students will like.

Then I’ll sell them the idea and get them coming in here.”

In a short time, the department became the liveliest and one of the most profitable the store ever had!

This enterprising young man gained employment in a depression by offering incredible added value to the employer who hired him.

Source; How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling by Frank Bettger

Nine out of ten employers would've condemned the idea and chase him out the office.... then turn around and implement the idea as their own. And thus is nothing new.... same with a lot of inventions and innovations by Blacks in America that have been patented by Whites who claim them as theirs.