Post Office Jobs

Christmas Casual Post Office Jobs – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas……….

Posted on by Nancy Ledgerwood

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the post office! It’s that time of year again. Time to start thinking of hiring temporary employees to help with the Christmas rush. The United States Postal Service will hire temporary clerks and mail handlers for a 21-day period to get them through the holiday season. These positions pay on average $11.00 per hour, no benefits; but can lead to a 360-day appointment.

Most of the employees that are hired for these positions will work in the Processing & Distribution Centers and Bulk Mail Centers, sorting the many, many packages that come in. The majority of the employees will work from the first week of December to around December 26. All three tours (shifts) will be available with most of the employees working Tour 1 (11:00 pm to 7:30 am). The majority of the mail comes in during the evening, so by working Tour 1, the mail can be sorted and distributed then delivered to the post offices around the country that same morning.

The job of a casual clerk and mail handler in the processing and distribution centers can be physically demanding. They will load and unload postal trucks and move mail around a mail-processing center with forklifts, small electric tractors and hand-pushed carts. These workers are usually on their feet, reaching for sacks and trays of mail or placing packages and bundles of mail into sacks and trays. The clerk and mail handler positions can be a very tedious, tiring and stressful job. The mail sacks can be very heavy, so you must be able to lift 70 pounds. You will have time restraints in getting the job done and you will be working in a fast pace environment.

Below are the duties and responsibilities of a clerk position listed on USPS.com:

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Makes one or more sortations of outgoing and/or incoming mail using the appropriate sort program or manual distribution scheme.
  2. On a rotation basis, performs all of the following duties: loads mail onto automated equipment, culling out non-processable items; enters sort plan and starts equipment; monitors flow of mail to ensure continuous feed; sweeps separated mail from bins/stackers; and stops equipment when distribution run or operations is completed. Runs machine reports, clear jam and contacts maintenance for assistance when required.
  3. Prepares work area, ensuring all necessary support equipment and materials, including labels, trays, and other containers are in place.
  4. Removes sorted mail from bins or separations and places into appropriate trays or containers for further processing or dispatch based on knowledge of operating plans and dispatch schedules, or at the instruction of supervisors or expediters; may riffle or verify mail to ensure sortation accuracy as needed.
  5. Follows established safe work methods, procedures and safety precautions while performing all duties.

Now is the time to apply for one of the 21-day appointments. The Local postal service’s offices in every District will be posting the positions on USPS.com to get everyone hired for the busy holiday season. If interested visit our USPS Job Search Guide and follow the links to the official USPS jobs site to search current job openings for the Christmas Casual or Casual position. Good luck!

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

Visit our other informative site

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Working for the United States Postal Service – A Personal Perspective

Posted on by Nancy Ledgerwood

I was so excited when I got the call to come to work for the United States Postal Service! I had recently been laid off from another job and this couldn’t have come at a better time. I had always heard that the USPS was a good place to work and I found out it was. The benefits were excellent; 5 weeks of vacation (when I retired), 10 paid holidays, 13 paid sick days, health benefits and good wages!

Working For the U.S Postal Service
Working For the U.S Postal Service

I began my postal career June 1, 1991 at the General Mail Facility (GMF) in Kansas City KS working as a Distribution Clerk. My duties included; sorting parcels, letters and flats, working in the registry cage, running the Flat machine and Bar Code Sorter.

One of my favorite things to do was work on the flat machine. This was a machine that sorted the flats (magazines and newspapers) by zip code. I would sit at a conveyer and the flats would come in front of me and I would have to key the last three digits of the zip code, then the machine would take the flat and dump it in a tub to be delivered to that particular post office. I liked to challenge myself on how fast I could key them in. I was scheduled on Tour 1, which is 10:30 pm to 7 am and I was surprised when I found out I would be working nights. I guess I never gave it a thought as to how the mail got to the post office for the carriers to deliver. I have to admit, it was an adjustment to work those hours and as soon as I could, I put in for a transfer to the Pleasant Hill MO Post Office.

I was able to transfer in August of 1993 and began working the window and sorting mail. I would arrive at the post office around 5:45 am and began sorting the mail for the carriers. We had to sort it by route. It took a little while to learn all the different street names and which route they went on, but doing it day after day, I learned it pretty quickly. We had two city routes and 5 rural routes. The clerks in offices like this usually do a split shift, we come in early to sort the mail and then come back in the afternoon to get all the mail ready for dispatch.

One of my other duties while working at Pleasant Hill was as a substitute City Carrier. I would carry the mail every other Saturday. I’m not much of an “outdoor” person, so this job wasn’t one of my favorite things to do. You had to carry mail in the rain, snow, hail, etc. I liked the days where it was 70 degrees and mail was light! This route was 4 miles long, so it wasn’t that bad compared to the other route, which was 18 miles. I met a lot of nice people along the route and some of them were very good to me including giving me something cold to drink on those hot days. That was so appreciated! That’s one of the nice things about the postal service; there are many, many different jobs. There is one out there for you!

I transferred in 1995 to the Greenwood MO Post Office where I also worked the window and sorted mail. This was a smaller office than Pleasant Hill; we didn’t have any city routes and only 3 rural routes. No more carrying mail! I liked that! I stayed at this post office until 2000, when I transferred to the Bates City MO Post Office. That is one of the nice things about the post office, you are able to transfer and get closer to home. Bates City was only a few miles from my home, which made it so nice. I was the only clerk in Bates City. Whenever the Postmaster was out of the office, such as on annual or meetings at the District Office, I would be the Officer In Charge or Acting Postmaster.

In October of 2003, I was fortunate to be “detailed” in the Personnel Department at the District Offices in Kansas City MO. I learned so much in that position and loved that job. I was responsible for the hiring of career and non-career employees in 700+ post offices, stations and processing plants in Kansas and Missouri. My two-year “detail” turned into 5 years! It was a very rewarding position, because I got to see the excitement on new employees faces just like I had in 1991. The USPS has been very good to me; I had excellent pay, health benefits and now a good retirement. If you are looking for the same things, I strongly urge you to visit http://www.postalwork.net to explore the opportunities and for direct links to the official USPS employment site. Search for any positions that are now available and apply. I don’t think you will be sorry that you did. Good luck to you!

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

Visit our other informative site

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Rural Carrier or City Carrier Post Office Jobs – which is best for you?

Posted on by Nancy Ledgerwood

You want to be a carrier in the post office, but which position is best for you?

City Carrier
City Carrier

Rural Carriers all begin their career as Rural Carrier Associates (RCA).  These positions are part-time, every Saturday and any time the regular carrier needs off work. In most offices, you will have to provide your own vehicle, in which you get paid an Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) on top of the hourly wage.  The average hourly wage is $16.00 per hour.  RCA’s do not receive health benefits, but they elect to pay for their own health benefits after one year of employment.  RCA’s are eligible for annual and sick leave.  RCA’s are eligible to “bid” on regular rural carrier positions in their office when an opening is available.  Sometimes, it can take a long time to become a regular rural carrier. Once you become a Regular Rural Carrier, then you will begin receiving health benefits, annual, sick leave and can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan.  Rural Carriers are not paid an hourly wage.  The routes are evaluated; this is determined by a yearly mail count, your pay will be based on the evaluation of the route.

In some cities/towns, the rural carrier can drive as much as 100 miles per day.  You will have to drive on the right hand side of the vehicle, so you would need an appropriate car.  Some offices provide their rural carriers with a postal vehicle, but in most cases you would need your own.  As a carrier, you are out in all types of weather; ice, snow, rain, etc. You have to be prepared for any type of weather. Rural Carriers usually spend about 2-3 hours in the office casing their mail and 4-5 hours out on the street.  Of course, every day is different; it all depends on the mail volume.  Mondays and the day after a holiday are usually high volume mail days.  If you like driving a vehicle and being outside, this is the job for you.

City Carriers for the most part, do not drive a vehicle to deliver their mail.  They may drive a postal vehicle to carry their mail and then do what is called a “Park and Loop”.  They will park the vehicle and then get out and walk for several blocks delivering the mail house to house.  One of the offices I worked in, we had two city carriers; one of them walked 18 miles a day and the other walked 4 miles a day.   You carry your mail in a mail sack that can weigh up to 40 pounds, it’s always nice to get to that last neighborhood, the mailbag is much lighter.  Being a City Carrier, you also will be working in all types of weather; snow, ice, hot, humid, etc.  You will need to be prepared for all types of inclement weather.

City Carriers have to wear a uniform and will receive a uniform allowance every year to purchase the clothes that are required.  Full-time City Carriers receive health benefits, annual, sick leave and can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan.

The Postal Service hires City Carrier Assistants (CCA), which is a part-time position.  The average pay for a CCA is $15.00 an hour.  They are hired to work 365 days and then can be reappointed provided they are performing well.   CCA’s earn 1 hour of annual leave for every 20 hours worked.  They also qualify for health benefits after the 90-day probation.  Unlike the RCA’s, CCA’s are not eligible to bid on City Carrier positions, if a City Carrier position is posted on eCareer, CCA’s would have to apply on eCareer and compete with everyone else.

Both positions would require taking the 473 Entrance Exam.  See http://postalwork.net/eCareer_Guide.htm for a step-by-step process for applying and taking the exam. A postal exam study guide titled Post Office Jobs, the 5th edition, helps you prepare for the exam and it is available at bookstores or check out a copy from your local library.

For more information on rural mail carrier and city post office jobs, including the latest postal pay scales, visit www.postalwork.net.

Good Luck to all on your endeavors to work for the United States Postal

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

Visit our other informative site

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Federal Job Vacancies

Posted on by Dennis Damp

Federal jobs comprise approximately 2 percent of this country’s total workforce and Uncle Sam is this country’s largest employer by far.  If you are out-of-work or looking for a higher paying, benefit loaded, and secure job consider applying for federal job vacancies in your area.  The average salary exceeds $83,000  and when you add pay plus benefits that figure increases to over $125,000 a year compared to less than half that in the private sector.

Federal Job Listings

Federal job vacancies are available in all major metropolitan areas and in many rural locations as well. I started my competitive federal civil service career with the Federal Aviation Administration working at a small airport in central Pennsylvania. You will find federal job listings by occupation and by agency plus OPM offers extensive job search and guidance on their USAJobs site.

Federal Job Announcements and Occupations

You will find federal jobs in almost all occupations, from direct sales to nuclear scientists and everything in between. There are over 900 occupational titles to consider and what most federal job seekers don’t realize is that a published qualification standard is available for all occupations that outlines specific skills, knowledge, experience,  and education required for the position. The qualification standards along with the federal job announcement provide considerable information for the applicant and they should be read thoroughly prior to applying for any job.

Careers and Job Exploration

To locate federal job vacancies and to explore opportunities at agencies in your area visit their web sites:

More Information

How to Apply For a Federal Job
Step-by-step guidance on how to apply for government jobs

Do I Have to Take a Civil Service Exam?
Discover if a civil service exam is required for your occupation

Welcome to the FederalJobs.Net Blog

Posted on by Dennis Damp

This is the first of many articles to help job seekers find, apply for, and land a high paying and secure federal government job. The articles will cover all aspects of federal employment from entry level jobs to Senior Executive Service (SES) positions, federal  benefits, to pay and career exploration. We will also help you cope with the often stressful federal job interview.

Our site,  www.federaljobs.net,  provides easy to find information about all aspects of federal employment including expanded centralized job listings.  Our job searches compile listings from both the private and federal sectors by occupation and /or agency to provide the largest pool of job vacancies for you to explore. The job searches are geographically targeted to your area.  Unlike most job listing services we also offer abundant information on all aspects of the federal sector to prepare you for your new job. It isn’t enough to simply apply for a job vacancy, you need to know about how the federal sector functions, what your benefits will be, the work environment, and how to understand the various pay systems,  pay structure and upward mobility potential.

Use this site to locate federal job announcements and for assistance with completing your federal application and resume and to prepare for civil service exams if required.  You can explore job vacancies by occupations or agency plus learn how to best prepare for a federal job interview.  Explore the qualification standards for all occupations and learn about overseas jobs,  healthcare and law enforcement jobs, student employment, and jobs with the Post Office.  Many resources are available to locate job announcements for all occupations including agency sponsored job hot lines, Internet Web site links, employment  services, and directories. Research hiring programs such as student hiring, employee reinstatement, and  veteran’s preference.

This is an interactive blog, submit your questions and comments and we will use the feedback  to develop future articles that will address your interests and concerns. I look forward to working with site visitors to ensure they have the tools and information they need to pursue their federal job quest.