| Postal workers wait on customers, sell stamps, and prepare packages for delivery. Others walk or drive mail to peopleÍs homes or businesses. (They carry heavy bags (up to 60 pounds) on their shoulders during a walking route!) Plus, postal workers may have to deal with intimidating dogs and severe weather conditions. But if youÍre one who loves to work with people, donÍt mind an unfriendly canine, and like to use your muscle power for carrying heavy loads, this could be the job field for you.
Postal Workers can work in many different areas:
Postal Clerk—You
might really click with all kinds of folks and want to work
behind the counter at a post office. The down side? Standing
on your feet all day, lifting big packages, and dealing with
impatient customer. Still, if you’re a people person,
this could be the right position for you.
Mail Carriers—Maybe
you’ve always dreamed about delivering mail door to
door. If you like to exercise, get along well with animals
(especially dogs), can put up with various weather conditions,
and can handle 50+ pounds over your shoulder, this could be
the job for you.
Postal Manager—Picture
yourself at the top of the postal business sitting at a nice
desk? If you’re the type of person who can multi-task,
handle several employees at a time, and don’t mind dealing
with complaints, longer hours, and loads of paperwork, this
could job might have your stamp on it.
 Interview
With Postal Worker, Annette Brewer:
Annette grew up
on a farm with her mom, dad, and younger sister. She has loved
getting mail as long as she can remember. “I always
watched for the mailman,” she says, “and I was
always the one who ran out to get the mail.”
Getting letters
and birthday cards always thrilled Annette. “I thought
it was so neat that no matter where my Grandma went--Florida
or even out of the country--I could still hear from her.”
In 5th grade she
had a pen pal from school. “We just wrote silly stuff
back and forth,” Annette says. “But I was always
excited when I got another letter from her.”
Annette was into
cheerleading and band during high school. Later she went on
to college to study Graphic Communications. Throughout the
years she worked at restaurants and factories, but then she
decided to try something different. “I heard about a
substitute driving position for our local post office. I thought
a part-time job would be perfect.”
By this time, she
was married and had children. So she took the civil service
test, which is a must before you can get any postal job, and
passed with no problem. For four years Annette delivered mail
as a substitute on a rural route until she learned of a new
position.
“I found
out they had an opening for a clerk,” she said. “I
love working with people and I thought it would be neat to
work the same hours every day and still be home at night with
my family.”
Annette loves her
job and admits the pay and benefits aren’t bad either.
She gives a word of advice to anyone wanting to following
in her footsteps, “Stay in school, work hard, and be
patient.” Get the message?
What
You Can Do to Get Ready:
As in AnnetteÍs case, you may want to go to college and get a degree, just in case the postal service gig doesnÍt work out. And you will definitely have to take the civil service test. But for right now, you should get the best grades you can and maybe get yourself a pen pal. Or try a mail delivery program in your school, like the one on the site below.
What
it Pays:
As with any government job, a postal worker like Annette gets paid well and has excellent benefits. A baseline position at the post office pays around $35,000.00, but once you have experience and move up the corporate ladder, like Annette, you could make a whopping $70,000.00 + per year.
Other
Resources:
Kid
City Post Office:
A cool site to find a pen pal, friends, and internet buddies.
Billy
Bears Internet Post Office: A fun site to send e-cards!
Delivering
The Mail “Wee Style”: a cool site to check
out what some other kids in school did to become mail carriers.
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