High School

You will need a high school diploma to get a job with the United States Postal Service. Federal Express service agents must be at least 18 years old and possess a high school diploma (or GED); UPS account executives usually have at least some college education.

Postsecondary

Although not required, some college course work may help postal clerks advance to positions of greater responsibility in the post office. Classes in business management, marketing, English, math, and computer science can be beneficial.

Certification or Licensing

There are no certification or licensing requirements for postal clerks.

Other Requirements

Applicants for postal clerk positions must be citizens of the United States or have permanent alien residence status, and they must be at least 18 years of age.

Applicants for USPS postal clerk positions are given a written examination that measures their speed and accuracy at checking names and numbers and their ability to memorize mail distribution procedures. Because jobs in the post office are becoming increasingly automated, applicants for positions as postal clerks must also pass a machine aptitude test. Information on the testing dates and locations can be found at your local post office.

Those who have scored successfully on the examinations are listed on a register in the order of their scores. When a vacancy occurs, the appointing postal officer chooses one of the top three applicants; the rest of the names remain on the list to be considered for future openings until their eligibility expires, usually two years after the examination date.

No experience is needed to work as a postal clerk, but those with prior work experience will increase their chances of landing a job, getting promoted, and possibly earning higher pay.

Because they must memorize many postal regulations, operational rules, and distribution schemes, people in these positions must have a good memory. They must also be able to read rapidly and accurately, as well as possess good hand-eye coordination. Physical stamina is required for both window and distribution clerks and for service agents. Window clerks must stand for many hours at a time, while distribution clerks and service agents must do a great deal of reaching, lifting, walking, bending, and handling packages and heavy sacks of mail.

Postal clerks need to have an even temperament and a pleasant disposition. They frequently work under pressure to meet time and schedule deadlines, and their work is often performed with others in close physical spaces. Window clerks must have a neat appearance and a pleasant, congenial manner and must be able to deal with all types of people because they are in constant contact with the public.