Postal Jobs Overview
You know mail carriers as the folks who deliver your mail and packages. But being a mail carrier is only one of the many postal jobs available. You can also work as a clerk, mail sorter, processor, or machine operator. You can live anywhere in the U.S. when you have one of the many U.S. postal jobs at 31,247 USPS retail offices, 22,986 leased properties, or 8,460 properties it owns countrywide. In the private sector, most large companies have their own internal mail services, handling mail and packages for the organization and its departments.
If you work at a retail postal location, you could do any of these jobs on a daily basis:
- Collect letters and parcels
- Sort incoming letters and parcels
- Sell stamps and other postal products
- Get customer signatures for registered, certified, and insured mail
- Operate various types of postal equipment
- Distribute incoming mail from postal trucks
In corporate postal service jobs, duties can include:
- Sorting and delivering incoming and interdepartmental mail
- Picking up departmental mail, weighing and processing outgoing items
- Operating machines including postage meters, photocopiers, and machines that fold and insert mail into envelopes
- Stocking mailing supplies and refilling postage meters
If you think you can deliver on administrative jobs, you might want to look at similar occupations such as:
Postal Jobs Training and Skills
U.S. postal service jobs are ideal for anyone who wants to start a career right out of high school. You can begin to work at age 18 or 16 if you’ve already earned your high school diploma. Other requirements include the following:
- Being a U.S. citizen
- Passing a criminal background check
- Taking a civil service exam
- Passing a drug test
- Having a physical exam
Corporate mail department jobs usually require a high school diploma, but some companies hire students for part-time postal jobs. Along with the skills to do your postal service job, you need:
- customer service skills
- physical stamina
- physical strength
Take a look at this Monster job description for a mail carrier and this one for a mail clerk to see what else will give you an edge when you apply for postal service jobs.
Update Your Resume for Postal Service Jobs
If this is the first time you’ve applied for a job, you may not know much about writing a resume. Don’t worry, Monster has answers for your biggest questions about resumes. If you’ve had job experience and your resume needs a refresh, we can help you make adjustments, so you add things employers look for in a resume. These include organizational skills, respect for confidentiality, and the ability to prioritize tasks and work under pressure.
To present the most professional image, send a cover letter to accompany your resume. Browse the cover letter writing tips on Monster to get started.
Interviewing for a Postal Job
Part of the hiring process for postal jobs is interviewing candidates. Want to know what to expect and how to respond? See these common interview questions along with Monster’s suggestions for answers that will help you impress your interviewer.
Here are three of the most common interview questions:
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your goals?
- Why did you leave your last job?
How Much Does a Postal Job Pay?
According to Monster, the median pay for postal jobs or mailroom positions in the U.S. is $15.22 per hour. Monster’s Salary Tools will tell you what salary to expect as a postal worker in different parts of the U.S. While you’re on that page, you’ll see salaries for related jobs and a list of current job postings.
If you’re interested in a U.S. Postal Service job, you can access their step and grade pay scales
Want to Learn More About a Company You’re Interested In?
Monster has created a company profiles database so you can research companies you plan to apply to and hope to interview with. Just plug the name of a company in the search box, and if they’re in our database, you might see:
- videos about the company.
- the company size.
- the location of their headquarters.
Give Your Job Search Special Handling
You’ve come to the right place to find postal jobs. Now give your job search a boost by creating your profile on Monster. Recruiters and hiring managers look at profiles when they have positions to fill. They may find you before you’ve seen their job posting! Monster will also make special deliveries to your email with current job postings and caree