Every year, thousands of US citizens apply for different US postal office jobs. It is a service industry that has many opportunities to offer for people having varied skill set and diverse qualifications. As such, candidates looking to pursue their dream careers in the industry seek out for resources that could help them to understand the requirements of respective industry professions and what challenges they can come to expect if they manage to land the job offer.

This is “US Postal Office Jobs, Under the Spotlight” blogging series and we will start it off by reviewing:

The profession of mail carriers

The Job Responsibilities of a US Postal Mail Carrier

A US postal mail carrier is responsible to carry out following (not limited to) on job tasks:

• The delivery of packages and mails to homes, businesses and people.
• A US postal mail carrier is responsible for retrieving mails from mailboxes that are meant to be delivered.
• A US postal mail carrier is responsible for planning a delivery route that allows quick and efficient execution of services.

Educational Requirements

There are no post secondary educational requirements needed to apply for the position of mail carriers. However, it does require candidates to appear for postal exams where their knowledge about mail distribution routes and mailing codes is put to extreme test.

The Essential Skills for the US Postal Office Job

If you want to carve a successful career as a US postal mail carrier, you should be adept at following skills:

• Be able to drive vehicle in different weather conditions and along different terrains.
• You should have good communications skills to assess the needs of a customer and facilitate them accordingly.
• You should be a strategic and active thinker as this would help you to plan an efficient delivery route and modify your plans if the need arises.

The Challenges and Problems Faced by US Postal Mail Carriers

The US postal office job of a mail carrier is characterized by many difficulties, with employees being exposed to different on-job challenges and problems.  

Driving the Mail Delivery Truck

Driving the mail delivery truck is one of the primary challenges that a mail carrier has to face. It is not like your normal passenger vehicle, drivers have to get used to right hand side drive as opposed to left hand side drive. Also, many of the vehicles lack rear windows that can create blind spot for a driver and they have to be extra careful when on road. 

Dealing with Dog Attacks

Mail carriers are often exposed to on-job circumstances where there is an aggressive dog ready to attack them, while they drop parcels and mails at a residence. There have been a number of reported deaths and casualties due to dog bites and the incidents of dog attacks seem to be on the rise. To counter the problem, US postal mail carriers are being provided with required education on how to fend off these attacks. The classes have become a part of postal service job training module.

The job of a US postal mail carrier is not easy. They have to be flexible, they have to be adaptable and they need to have the willingness to serve the people. We pay our respect to all US postal mail carriers and want to let you know that you are the pride of our nation.

What else do you think we missed out while writing this blog? What would you like to see? Which questions do you want to be answered? Please let us know in the comments section below.