Many people remain skeptical of US postal jobs because they consider them of very limited scope. However, the reality is quite contrary to that. Keep in mind that postal jobs are not only about mail carriers. There are a whole lot of opportunities one can find with the commencement of career development drive. Let’s have a look at all different prospects of career development at postal service.

Postal Exam 473: A Launching Pad

Even when you are aiming big, it is recommended to start from small steps. If you are looking for a starting point in your postal job, then there is no better place than mail carriers, postal clerks, and mail processing clerks. For all those vacancies, the eligibility criteria are not very strict. However, one has to score at least 70 in postal exam 473 to secure the spot.  In the age of the internet, you can find a lot of help online to score excellent in postal exam 473.

National Center for Employee Development

This is the place from the next phase of your career development starts at USPS. The center is dedicated to train postal employees with the handling of all the high-tech equipment used in postal operations. It might include handling the purpose-built postal vehicles and other processing equipment. Employees are also trained to operate live satellite broadcasts and teletraining. Moreover, employees get training to become more accustomed to digital façade of postal operations.

New Supervisor Program

New Supervisor Program (NSP) is a 16-week program that is completed in two phases. In the first phase, the participants are trained for most of the general administrative and leadership skills with a hands-on approach. After that, the participants have to go through specialized training for better performance in particular departments.

First Phase of NSP:

As mentioned above, in this phase the participants go through the learning of a general set of skill that can be required for the role of the supervisor in every field of work.  From communication skills to ethical conduct, team building and safety procedures, everything is covered in this phase.

Second Phase of NSP:

After building their temperament, the trainers move to hone the skills required for postal services. In accordance with their expertise and field of interest, the participants were trained to look over the functional aspects of distribution and maintenance operations and customer service. It should be kept in mind that it’s an on-the-job training, which means aspirants can learn things in a real environment with practical implications.

Leadership Programs

Apart from these career development opportunities, USPC also offers advanced-level leadership programs for those who have spent a considerable amount of time at their US postal jobs. For instance, a two-week managerial program is offered that focuses on Six Sigma. Executive and leadership programs are also in place for senior USPC officials.

On the whole, it is quite evident that the career landscape in postal service is not stagnant as it is projected by many. Entry in the USPC can unlock paths to many different career opportunities.