While most of us think about Mail Carriers when we think about the US Postal Service (USPS), in fact, the, USPS hires for a lot of different kinds of positions. Of course there are mail carrier positions but there are also positions in sales, motor vehicle operations, repair, and driving; electronics; accounting; communications; human resources, information technology, and just about anything else you think of.
USPS positions are not traditional federal jobs since the USPS is not a federal agency (it is considered a quasi-government agency). There are more than 30,000 USPS facilitate across the country, 500,000+ employees, and good benefits such as health insurance, good pay, and a pension plan.
Here are some other things to know about getting a job with USPS:
- The USPS uses its eCareers application system (not USAJOBS) for all USPS applications.
- In some instances, you may transfer from USPS to the federal government noncompetitively.
- Veterans’ preference applies in USPS hiring; currently ~100,000 military veterans work for USPS.
- USPS offers student hiring programs including an intern program, a Professional Development Program for recent college graduates, a developmental program for Industrial Engineers, and an Honors Attorney Program.
- eCareers allows you to search for positions by key words, location, and functional area.
- Just like USAJOBS, eCareers users must set up a profile before they apply for a specific position.
- Don’t forget to include key words from the positions you’re targeting, along with numbers to give your work context and accomplishments to demonstrate that you can achieve results.
- Some USPS positions require that you take an exam; taking these exams is free—if you see someone online charging to take a USPS exam, you should report it to the US Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state’s Attorney General). If an exam is required, the job posting will list the requirement under “Examination Requirements.”
Want to know more? Check out: https://about.usps.com/careers/.