How to package yourself and get a job at USPS

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics program of 2019, they projected 98 500 postal workers employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Meaning the agency has hired a more significant number of career and non-career workers.

However, before individuals are employed by the USPS, they’ll have to meet various job qualification standards concerning the position they apply for. These qualifications range from age restrictions, health to physical requirements. Also, you must take the postal exam and pass as per the required score. Otherwise, you'll be ineligible for the job position.

In this article, we have outlined several jobs at USPS with their roles, plus all you need to package yourself to land a job at USPS. And that includes the general and specific qualifications for certain sampled jobs.

What are some of the job opportunities at the USPS? 

The postal services provide a variety of job positions. Among them are:

Mail handlers and assistants

They are responsible for;

• Loading and delivering mails to their distribution points
• Separating outgoing mails for dispatch
• Canceling stamps on parcel post
• Inspecting empty equipment from the mails

Suppose you want to apply for a mail handling position, here is what you must know:

 Required knowledge, skills and abilities 

• You must be able to display manual agility and the ability to use your hands quickly.
• You’ll have to showcase your ability to work on your feet for more extended periods.
• You must be strong enough to be able to lift 50 pounds and above.

The good thing about mail handling jobs is that mail handlers must not have any educational experience besides the high school diploma. However, they’ll have to take a test to show they understand the complexity of the position they are to handle.

Mail Courier

Duties and responsibilities of mail couriers

• Delivering and collecting mails at their designated areas
• Process outgoing mails-classify weights and determine rates
• Sort intra-campus mails
• Sorts, trays, or bags outgoing mails according to the USPS guidelines.

If you plan to apply for this position, then be aware of the following education requirements, knowledge, and skills that you should have:

• Be able to coordinate and organize the workflow of activities
• You should be able to maintain effective customer relations
• You must have excellent time management and interpersonal communication skills
• You must be able to identify and analyze problems

Postal clerks and assistants

Applying for this job would mean you can be able to:

• Provide sales and customer service support to postal customers
• Scan and distribute incoming or outgoing emails
• You must have fact-checking skills to help report any inventory discrepancies to your supervisors.

Some additional job opportunities offered by the USPS include;

 

• PSE Sales & SVCS/ Distribution Associate
• Electronic Technician
• Postmaster Relief
• Temporary Carrier Assistant
• Motor Vehicle Operator  and other non-career jobs

Before discussing the most common requirements for job positions at the USPS, it would be best to know some other benefits that couples the salary of the post service workers.

Here are some of the additional benefits postal service workers get

Apart from the reasonable payments postal service workers receive, they are also bound to excellent benefits like;

• Employ discounts
• Basic life insurance
• Annual leaves and holidays
• Pre-tax flexible spending
• Dental and vision insurance

Also, workers have the chance of applying for long-term working insurance, among other benefits of joining working at the post office.

How to package yourself and get a job at USPS

Before you start applying for a job at USPS, you must ensure you’re eligible and can meet all the requirements for a particular position.

In most cases, the job you want to apply for will have some descriptions and qualification standards listed. Remember, knowing the requirements is packaging yourself for the position you want.

At a glance, post office jobs include requirements such as:

• Age
• Citizenship
• Physical requirements
• Drivers’ license
• Health requirement
• Academic and exam scores for the majority of positions

Also, it would be better if you have the quality skills like communication skills, among others, to help boost your eligibility.

Details of the common requirements for USPS jobs

Age requirement

Generally, all United States Postal Service jobs require an applicant to be at least 18 years. That is at the time of their appointment. And there are no age limits for postal service positions. However, with regards to the age requirement, there could be a few exceptions:

The age can sometimes be lowered to 16 years, especially for high school graduates. When an applicant has terminated their formal education for some right reasons, which might be certified by the school authorities. They can apply for any position that matches their qualifications.

Some jobs have different age requirements, like the postal inspector positions. Meaning an applicant for such positions must have attained 21 years. However, they should never be older than 36 years.

Something to note!

The local area vice president has the authority to reduce the minimum age limit to 17 years for non-high school graduates. This is especially when they are facing difficulties in getting suitable candidates. The vice president may also authorize employing applicants of 16 years and even older ones during

 

 

Citizenship

Any applicant must be a United States citizen living with the state's locations. However, the applicants may not necessarily have to be US citizens. They can be having permanent alien residents in the States or when they owe allegiance to the United States.

Applicants are not eligible for postal service employment if:

They are only granted asylum or refugee status, or conditional permanent residential status

And according to the US Immigration Reform and Control Act, any agency must verify and document the eligibility of their new employees and include postal service. The act makes it illegal to hire unauthorized persons.

If you are granted a lawful permanent alien status, you're eligible for postal positions below the executive administrative schedule (EAS-19). However, the area vice president can make exceptions and appoint noncitizens to position higher than EAS-19.

Suitability

To help determine the eligibility of applicants, the postal service screens and evaluate applicants before their employment. The evaluation includes a review of the applicants’

• Work history

• Criminal history
• Medical assessment

Work/employment history

As an applicant, it's a requirement that you provide a ten-year employment history or provide an account for your back 16 birthdays for the high school graduates.

If you had been employed, your work history must include the names of all your employers. Also, include the current one, suppose you're employed at the time of your application.

Of course, most firms believe that any candidate' 

employment history is a crucial indicator of their potential job performance. And so is the postal service.

Therefore, when applying for postal work, ensure your employment history is well managed. The chances of your new employers checking for the reasons why you left your previous job are very high.

Criminal history

Sure, having a prior conviction should not be used against you when applying for a position. However, most organizations would fear a repeat of your previous history may cause them.

The good news about applying for a job at USPS is that your prior criminal conviction and pending a criminal charge won’t necessarily mean you can’t work at the US postal service.

Besides, the USPS has realized that most applicants with a criminal record have shown they can be trusted and successfully rehabilitated. Meaning they are capable of adequate performance within the postal service.

Medical assessment

In most cases, medical assessments occur after the applicants have been granted a conditional job offer and met all the other suitability. And why’s that? That's following the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits the postal service from inquiring about the applicants’ suitability until they offer the applicant a bona fide job.

Medical assessments are compulsory for all applicants, both career and non-careers. Its main aim is to ensure the applicants can perform the job responsibilities without harming others or themselves.

Amongst the assessment done is drug screening/substance abuse- the postal service is very committed to ensuring a drug-free working environment. Therefore, when an applicant is considered for a position, they'll be scheduled for a drug screening test done via the use of a urinalysis drug screen.

Other requirements for landing a job at USPS are:

Physical conditions- the physical requirements depend on the job you apply for. Therefore, consider checking if you meet the physical requirements for that job. For instance, carriers must be able to lift a 70 pound plus weight. You must ask yourself if you’re able to do that, then go ahead and apply for that position.

A driver's license requires that applicants provide a state driver's license for those positions that need motor vehicle operators.

Postal exams- most positions within the postal service require individuals to pass exams for them to be hired. There are different exams for different job positions that would help determine the eligibility of applicants. Therefore, applicants must check and prepare well for exams relating to the post they apply for.

Conclusion

Each firm and agency would always have their job requirements that their applicants must meet before they are considered eligible for the post. So is the postal service. For any applicant to land a job at USPS, they must meet all the requirements put in place.

Some of the considerations for getting a postal job are; you must have 18 years at the time of your appointment, be a US citizen or permanent resident, and provide details of your work history. Most importantly, you must pass your medical and criminal assessments in addition to the postal exams for the positions eligible for exams.