Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operator Career

Job Description: Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors.


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Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operator Career

What skills are required for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators?

Importance Skills
  Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

What knowledge is needed to be a Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operator?

Importance Knowledge
  English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Work Styles

Importance Styles
  Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
  Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
  Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.