A Short Guide To USPS Careers

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the second largest employer in the United States, after Walmart. It has almost 600,000 employees around the United States, performing a number of different jobs. It pays good wages and has an attractive selection of employee benefits. Let's take a look at some USPS careers and what it takes to embark on one of them.

To most people, the mail carrier is the most visible USPS employee. He or she is responsible for the final delivery of mail to the recipient's address. In urban areas carriers normally walk the bulk of the route. In less densely populated areas they typically drive. This is an entry level job with no requirements beyond the standard ones for all employees.

The person that most people deal with at a Post Office is a mail clerk. The clerk is primarily a sales person, selling services and products such as stamps, envelopes, and packing material. They also serve as first line customer service, answering questions and resolving problems when they can. The post office has a number of sales positions that can be career paths from the mail clerk position.

Mail handlers and processors shepherd the mail through all of the intermediate steps from collection up until it is turned over to the carrier for final delivery. Some of these are entry level jobs with career paths leading into more technical positions or into management.

There is a wide range of more senior engineering, sales, and management jobs available at some locations. Engineers might be responsible for working with the vendors that provide mail sorting equipment. Senior sales people work on customized business agreements with very large mailers.  You can find and apply for many USPS jobs online.

The Postal Service has an extensive educational program for its employees. The National Center for Employee Development provides training for a broad range of jobs. There are also several management training programs that address the needs of managers in different career stages and in different Post Office departments.

There are a broad range of benefits available to USPS employees. They are eligible for the federal retirement program and the Thrift Savings Program, which is similar to the 401Ks offered by many private employers. They may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. They have Life Insurance provided, with the option of paying for more themselves. They can accrue up to 26 days per year vacation time, and 13 days of sick leave per year.

The major issue facing those who would seek employment with the Postal Service is the declining volume of paper mail in the United States. This is primarily due to the rise of email and the world wide web. These have significantly replaced paper mail as ways to make payments and do other types of transactions. This has caused reductions in the size of the Postal Service staff. Nevertheless, there will always be hiring going on for some jobs, and attrition will cover a big portion of the reductions. Those who are interested in USPS careers should be cautious about this, but it should not stop them from pursuing their interests.