Post Office Jobs and How To Find One

Post Office Job Vacancies, Hiring Process, and Temp Positions

• Introduction
• Hiring Process
• Jobs Requiring Written Exams - Mail handlers, mechanics, maintenance, laborers, clerical, technicians, etc.
  • 473 Postal Exam Test Questions (Practice Test)
• Postal Occupations - The largest Fields with over 400 employees + links to thousands of job vacancies.
• Post Office Jobs Web Site Guide - Job search instructions & links for the official USPS employment web site
• Casual (Temporary) Positions - No test required - hires nationwide each year starting in June
• Corporate Job Positions - Jobs that don't require entrance exams
• Explore related private sector jobs - Search all available job sources
• EHS Jobs / Safety Jobs  - Environmental Health & Safety Jobs - All Sources
• Health Care Jobs - Explore entry level jobs that only require a high school degree
• Warning - Watch Out For SCAMS - You don't have to pay anyone to take a Postal Exam
• Post Your Resume for FREE at HotResumes.com - Expand your job search to the private sector
• Pay Scales
• Benefits (Vacation, insurance, healthcare, 401K retirement plan, and more)

Introduction

The Postal Service initiated new streamlined "eCareer" application and testing procedures and Post Office job announcements are now posted on-line and applicants will be tested for specific job vacancies.  We provide a guide to the USPS job search web site on this page with copies of each screen to familiarize you with the USPS employment web site. The Postal Service is no longer offering blanket mail carrier exams to build hiring registered for major metropolitan areas. They are now advertising job vacancies as they occur and testing the applicants through nationally designated testing facilities.

You can also call them for job information through their Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to locate job vacancies. Visit our "Resource" section for direct links and phone numbers. If you call you will need the job announcement number which can be obtained from their web site or by calling your local Post Office or Customer Service District office. 

A complete listing of all Customer Service District Sales offices are listed in Chapter Four of "Post Office Jobs" by Dennis V. Damp.  Professional or administrative positions that do not require written exams are also posted on the listed web sites. The two primary application forms are the PS Form 2591 Application for Employment, a four page document and the PS Form 2181-A that is used for Pre-Employment Screening. Forms are printed in Appendix C of "Post Office Jobs" and we have downloadable versions on our "Resource" page.  Use these forms to draft your application prior to receipt of the job announcement.

Postal recruitment notices are often advertised in national and local newspapers, publications, journals and periodicals. You can also visit the web site http://Federaljobs.net for direct links to 141 federal recruiting web sites to expand your job options. If there are no vacancies listed on the sites mentioned above contact individual mail facilities in your area to find out when they intend to recruit. Otherwise you will have to visit these sites weekly to check for new job announcements.

Also, explore and apply for all job vacancies in the government and private sectors to improve you chance of employment. You can also search jobs and post your resume online at no cost to expand your job search. 

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Written Exam Positions

Approximately 80% of all Postal jobs required the applicant to register for and take a written exam. The remaining 20% are "Corporate Jobs" and they select applicants for interviews after reviewing and rating the detailed application that you must submit when you apply for these jobs. The majority of tested entry level jobs are for city carrier, rural carrier, mail processing clerk, mail handler, and sales, services, and distribution associates and these occupations require you to take the 473 Postal Exam. There are also exams for other occupations as noted on the following list. All exams are listed with sample questions in "Post Office Jobs" by Dennis V. Damp and this book includes a comprehensive 473 Study Guide. The other exams are:

• Exam 91 - Motor Vehicle Operator Exam for garageman, motor vehicle & tractor trailer operators.
• Exam 710 - Clerical Abilities Exam for clerk, clerk-typist, and clerk stenographers
• Exam 714 - Data Conversion Operator
• Exam 931 - Maintenance specialists/technicians, welders, custodian, building equipment mechanic, carpenter, elevator mechanic, fireman, general mechanic, machinist, electrician, mason, painter, plumber, and stationary engineer.
• Exam 932 - Electronic technician
• Exam 933 - Measure 16 knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) used by a variety of maintenance positions including maintenance mechanic and overhaul specialist.
• 473 Postal Exam Test Questions
• Other Postal Exams

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