How to Apply for United States Postal Service Jobs
"Neither rain, sleet, nor snow, the mail must go." The mailman's creed.
When you think about it, a mailman has a tough job. He has to deliver the mail in some pretty harsh weather conditions. The mailman even managed to deliver the mail after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana several days later, so that people could get their social security checks. How's that for great service? And to compensate for stellar mail delivery service the United States government offers some very well paying jobs, with great benefits. The United States Postal Service offers health benefits, and other benefits that are akin to what a United States Senator receives.
Just how does one go about obtaining employment with the United States Postal Service? It's easier than you might have been thinking.
But first, here's the sales pitch, on what the USPS offers:
The USPS offers its employees highly competitive wages, coupled with yearly pay increases, overtime pay and night shift differentials. Sunday workers receive premium pay at 25 percent over normal earnings. Overtime pay is given when an employee reaches more than 40 hours of work in one workweek, or an employee works in excess of 8 hours a day. That means a person would get paid 1 and 1/2 times his normal rate of pay.
The USPS offers excellent health insurance and you can choose what plan you want to go with, be that traditional health insurance or with an HMO. The USPS also offers a retirement program that is a federal retirement program -like United States Senators get. They have a 401 K program where the federal government matches the money you put in up to 5 percent. They offer a leave program and 10 paid holidays every year! Oh yes, I almost forgot, they also offer their employees life insurance.
All you have to do is apply and take a postal service exam depending for the job you are going for. All you have to is get 70 percent and above on the exam. There are some stipulations though: You must be 18 years old. You have to be a United States citizen, or you have to have a green card. All males over the age of 18 must be registered with the Selective Service also. You must have a basic understanding of the English language, and you have to have a medical as well as a drug screening assessment.
The exam information for each position is posted online at www.usps.com. Exam registration is available both online and by phone. When calling by phone you have to look up the information in the phone book under United States Postal Service. There should be information available such as a line set up to tell people when they can take the exams. The exams are held in your local area by the USPS at various postal mandated areas.
For many positions, applicants can send a resume or Postal Service Form, (pdf) online on their website. You can even send one by e-mail or by regular mail for the job that interests you.
Depending on what job you would like, depends on what exam you would take-there is a different test for each job. Different tests take place for letter carrier, mail processor, counter sales, markup clerk, and distribution clerk.
The USPS website has a plethora of information concerning every job they offer. When I went online, I found out that currently they only have mail carrier jobs available in Arkansas, for example. And I found out that they have a lot of great jobs that pay really well. The USPS also has management positions that you need to have the relevant experience for and for some of those jobs you have to take a test and some you just obtain through working at the Postal Service for so many years. I also found out that rural letter carries must have a valid license and you have to use your own vehicle.
Working for the USPS is a great job, with great benefits, and it is worth the try to find out what jobs are currently offered and what you are interested in. With anything in life, the better you do on the exams, the better your chances are of getting a great job where you can get to know your customers and get every national holiday off and be paid to take days off.
