The United States Postal Service currently employs a workforce of 509,000. It is one of the major employers in the federal sector, and every year, thousands of new aspirants apply for the postal service job vacancies. The competition is always intense as ever and as such many candidates, especially new graduates and entry level professionals, find it hard to make through the recruiting process when faring up against applicants that are more experienced, more qualified and better prepared to work in the professional settings of USPS.  

The USPS decided to address this issue and in the year 2014, introduced a program specifically designed for new graduates and entry level professionals. It is known as The Management Foundations Program.     

What is the Management Foundations Program?

The USPS’ Management Foundations Program is a paid rotational program that employs new graduates and entry level professionals on full time basis. The cohort consists of thirty members who are positioned across different business units of the organization. From receiving training about the overall workings of the system to learning about its processes – the program helps the trainees to acclimatize themselves with different job aspects at USPS.  

At the end of the program, the selected few from the cohort are offered a postal service job, helping them to realize their long-term professional goals.

How Does the Program Define a “New Graduate”?

Any graduate that has been accredited with a degree within the previous two years qualifies to be a “new graduate” under the established guidelines.

What are the Objectives of the Management Foundations Program?

The program was erected to pursue two objectives:

1) Provide a platform to new graduates and entry level professionals to know the organization and its interlinked processes in a better way. This would enable the candidates to prepare their skills accordingly, hence, making their transition smoother after being offered a postal service job.

2) To help the organization identify future leaders and nurture employees who can benefit the organization in a better way, since they will be brought through the system. In comparison to external hiring for a position, the candidate may need training before they can fully integrate themselves into the new surroundings.  

What’s the Duration of the Program?

It’s an eighteen months long program.

In Which Departments Will You Be Working?

Since it’s a rotation program, you will be exposed to the work processes of different departments. It includes: engineering, supply chain and procurement, human resources, IT department, finance and accounting and communications among others.  

What are the Basic Eligibility Criteria for Applying to the Management Foundations Program?

The basic eligibility criteria are listed as follows:

• The applicant must be a US citizen or have permanent residency certificate.

• The applicant must be a graduate (bachelors, masters or doctorate) with the accreditation being conferred within the previous two years.

• The applicant must be able to pass background check, medical assessment and a pre-employment drug screening test. 

You can apply for the program and learn more about it, by clicking here.

The USPS Management Foundations Program is a welcome initiative for new graduates and entry level professionals, who are looking for a postal service job. As such we appreciate the efforts of USPS to integrate fresh blood as part of their employed workforce.