Postal Letter

Is it hard to get a job at US Postal Service?

I heard its hard and that you cant have any infraction in your driving record in the last 2 yrs. Is the exam hard? Is it worth it? the hours?

Public Comments

1. It is, if you're a convicted felon.
2. Yes you must be able to read English
3. If you are a white man it is very hard.
4. Well for get all of the questions that you asked the real question is when will they have an opening I have been applying for the past five years for the Tennessee market for just a mail carrier and I have not seen one opening and yes they go over your background with a fine tooth comb, but when you do get in it is well worth it on the benefits side of things
5. It's easy to get in as a "casual" worker, but there's no guarantee of reaching the "career" level as they call it, with the exam, it's kind of a sham, if you're a former military person, you're allowed so many extra points, so, they pretty much favor them. as for being a casual worker, you are sometimes looked down upon by the tenured, or career workers.
6. You have to take a civil service test. The test is harder than the normal civil service tests but if you pass and do get the job it is WELL worth it. You are working for the government. Good pay and good benefits. If you cant get into USPS try UPS... read this about the pay: Effective September 2nd, 2006, the top pay for a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier is $23.66 per hour. Not bad! That's $49,218 a year, not including overtime and benefits (see pay chart). Yet, on average, United Parcel Service (UPS) drivers receiving top pay make about $3 to $4 per hour more than their government-sector counterparts. Though there is no definitive pay chart for UPS drivers, research indicates that most full-time UPS drivers make about $27 to $28 per hour. The pay gap is even greater for newer postal employees. UPS drivers reach top pay after only 30 months. After 30 months service, USPS letter carriers earn about $20 per hour, resulting in a pay gap of about $7 to $8 per hour at 30 months. This pay gap may be important in current wage negotiations between the U.S. Postal Service and NALC, the union that represents the Postal Service's letter carriers. As for the hours-- I am not too sure about. Sorry. But I hope I helped.
7. The exam is not very difficult. However, once you passed the exam, depending on your score and preferred location, you will be placed on a waiting list. A friend of mine scored 99% on the exam and she waited 2 years to get a job. And this is only part-time, and at nights. She had to work and wait for new openings. Plus, it is far from her house. But if she doesn't take it, they will move down to the next in line. If you turn down too many, they will take you off the list.
8. I can tell you that my girlfriend works for the USPS... There is something about infractions on your record but I am not sure of the duration of time that they occurred, sorry i cant really help with that part. You can purchase a booklet test that helps you prepare for the exam. Its not really that hard (according to her), but it takes a lot of remembering. ex. street numbers and addresses and zip codes. very tedious. She was then put on a waiting list once she passed the exam. She was on it for a good few months without hearing anything. Then she finally received a letter stating she had a choice of 3 cities to work for. Once she began working, she said she has really enjoyed it. She believes it was worth the time it took to get there. Her pay is great and good benefits too. her hours are flexible, some she is working 8 hours a day and others 10 hours a day, if she gets sent back out on a route to help someone that had more mail that day. Dont know if this helps or not.. Good luck!