My uncle worked for the US Postal Service and made pretty good money. At first he worked long, shitty hours. After he worked there for a while, his hours got better and he was making even more money. It seems like it wouldn't be a bad job.

Does anyone here know much about working there? I'm wondering how long most people work there before they get the better jobs, that sort of thing. Do they piss test? I'm sure they do it for pre-employment, but what about random drug tests? Seems like the best job would be working in the post office at the stamp counter.

It depends on what type of job you want.

The mailman job obviously good money, but you gatta work in all weather, and drive those gay little trucks...

I personally HAVE applied there, and been accepted, but turned down the job cause I got a better offer (in the industry I wanted, I just applied at usps cause its been like 3 months since I applied everywhere else.) I applied as the mail sorter (I think thats what its called.) The pay was good, but it was an overnight job. Which was fine with me cause I been battling insomnia since I was a teen. Besides it was good exercise.

But yes, there ARE drug tests, background checks, the whole shibang. Its a government job...

There are also pre-employments tests you need to take. The highest scores get chosen to go further in the application process, and those are offered the job provided they pass the drug screen.

if I remember correctly you need to go on their site and find the job you want, and see if the exam is being offered in the near future in your area (there is an exam for EVERY job they have.) You cant just send them your application and have them call you when they DO need someone. You keep checking back until the exam you need to take becomes available.

hope that helped a bit.

I heard from a few people that soon there really won't be much need for postal workers - with the exception of Fedex, UPS, and the like because of all the paperless and electronic shit going on. Could be wrong though.

Yeah, that helps a lot. Thanks for getting back with me so quick with the info. I'll go check out their website for listings.

Everything is going to the goddamn robots!

We've seen a lot of jobs go automated over the past ten or twenty years and I'm sure there are a lot more jobs that do the same. The population keeps growing and the job pool keeps shrinking. What are we going to do a few decades down the road?

You could always learn how to fix robots.

My mom worked at a post office in the fuckin' boonies up until recently - it was literally her, this older lady who smoked weed and listened to Grateful Dead, and one other old bitch who was the postmaster.

My mom and the other lady have since quit. Minimum wage, shit hours, and 80 plus percent of people are shitty. At least.

No drug test or background check. But, then again, they still put stamps on Priority Mail boxes by hand. No electronic shit, all transactions go in a register book, the whole nine, so obviously YMMV.

Some decent stories though, I'll offer a taste of what happens on a typical day at the post office with the idiots in Mayberry:

*lady places small stack of papers on counter*
I need to send these to my insurance company, and they said the fastest way would be to email them, so however much that is I'll go ahead and pay for it now.

Well yeah im sure in the boonies its different. Im from a big city. I can only assume the OP is in one to.

I am as well - it's called a "commute"...

Nah postal workers will always be needed. Even if they start using OCR software, there are plenty of envelopes that are handwritten, plus you'd need people to sort out the printed ones and non-printed ones.

OCR software has a LONG way to go before mailmen are in danger.