by Rachel Stacey

Created on: October 12, 2010

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" (Historian, 1999). This famous sentence, not an official motto although thought by many to be the motto of the United States Postal Service, is an inscription found on the building of a New York City post office. The Federal government has been serving communication needs of Americans since the late 18th century when Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first continental postmaster by Congress. The effectiveness of communicating through paper mail has progressed throughout the last two centuries from the Pony Express to the introduction of airmail and continuing on to the United States Postal Service beginning operations in 1971.  

Interested in gaining employment with the United States Postal Service? USPS postal workers are federal employees of the U.S. government. Jobs with the United States federal government boast attractive compensation and benefits packages. The Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook shows median salaries for mail carriers in 2008 as $49,000. While some jobs for mail carriers or other U.S.P.S. employment positions may be advertised in town or city newspapers, the best way to search for available employment opportunities with the United States Postal Service is by visiting usps.com/employment. You can search jobs by city and state or zip code. Some of the positions for which you can search for available jobs include: mail delivery, statistics, operations, administrative offices, strategic planning, and many more. Once you have found a position you would like to apply for, you need to create an ecareer profile on the USPS website. Most jobs with the USPS require passing a 473 postal exam before being offered employment. Study guides are available for those interested in studying for the exam. 

If you have sufficient qualifications and wish to apply for a job with the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General you can do so by searching available positions at usajobs.com. Careers with the OIG span a wide range of professions to include human resource managers, auditors, criminal investigators, etc. Many careers with the OIG offer impressive compensation packages. Be sure to read the qualifications for the jobs listed carefully as most require a significant amount of education and / or experience. 

http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/MissionandMot to.pdf

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos345.htm

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