Postal Letter

easier job usps mail handler or city carrier?

Which job is easier and what to do they ask you when you get called in for an interview? Are both jobs good for introverted type ppl?

Public Comments

1. check out my avatar or Ups is harder you start at the bottom before you can even get to a truck and they must be social people, rural mail is hard to because you have to have the brain for it and the rules they make you memorize zip codes, maps, and all the safety and legal rules and sometimes you have to have your own car. so postal would be better for intrevert than ups.
2. Depends on what you want. Mail handler is an inside job and more of a boring labor type job, usually new recruits work the evening or overnight shift. More constrictive environment and you must like the people you work with. You do have a set schedule though. However, Mail Handlers are constantly being LAID OFF, not very secure job. Hours are not guaranteed. A City Carrier is a whole different type of job. You work 5 days a week (or more) with a rotating day off. You rack your mail & set up the route for about 2 1/2 hrs. in the am and deliver the mail for 5 1/2 hrs. In nice weather, it's the best job ever but in the extreme heat or cold, it's the worst job ever. It's also nice to see a variety of people throughout the day. As a new recruit you will be a fill-in for guys who are off that day. You, in most cases, won't have your own route for about 5 years. Heavy lifting, dogs, & weather are about the worst part. Personally, if you are fit enough to walk daily, it's the better choice. Pretty good money with step raises, excellent government insurance & benefits. Decent union. Better choice for introverted people, b/c you are constantly on the move so no time to socialize, whereas handlers are confined to an area. If you already have an interview, I assume you already took the Postal Exam. It's very relaxed and low key, really just a formality. IMPORTANT: You need to chose either handler OR carrier because they are different jobs with different unions and once you are in one position, you CAN NOT just switch. You would have to start over as if you never worked for USPS before. Choose wisely. GOOD LUCK! As A FOLLOW-UP: **When I wrote LAID OFF I was using language that a non-Postal employee would understand. To clarify, new recruits are actually called PTF's (part time flexibles), it takes YEARS to make "Regular". Although PTF's USUALLY work 40 hours a week (or more for carrier), by contract, they are only GUARANTEED 8 hours a pay period (which is 2 weeks). This never seems to be an issue in the Carriers position but, since DPS (which they are going to do for Flats too soon), it is quite common in the Handlers job. So, while they are not actually laid off, we have seen Handlers who are only given 3 or 4 days of work in 2 weeks. If you have a family, that's worse than being laid off.
3. The USPS has NEVER laid off any employee, never. The other answerer must have been thinking of Casual workers who, although still not laid off, reach the end of their appointment and are not rehired.