Ever wondered why you need a mail handler assistant in your organization? Or their duties and responsibilities?
Generally, a mail handler is saddled with the responsibility of organising, separating, and quantifying packages from e-commerce businesses like USPS, FedEx, and others.
With this article, you will discover the essential qualifications, responsibilities, and abilities that have to be listed in a mail handler assistant job description.
Table of Contents
Who is a Mail Handler Assistant
They usually work in the mailroom of a warehouse or a postal office.
Assistants to postal handlers are physically demanding workers who sort and carry mail manually and with the use of equipment.
They transport tangible mail and parcels into and through corporate and postal storage facilities. Forklifts, cancellation devices, and other mail-processing equipment could be operated by them.
In most cases, a mail handler may also work as a front desk clerk at the post office. Just like the duties of a clerk which include, weighing and stamping packages, a mail handler must have a great knowledge of excellent customer service.
Assistants to postal handlers are physically demanding workers who sort and carry mail manually and with the use of equipment.
They transport tangible mail and parcels into and through corporate and postal storage facilities. They could handle the use of forklifts, cancellation equipment, and other mail processing equipment.
Successful mail-handling assistants should be fluent in English and have the ability to rapidly and precisely check names and numbers. They must also be able to handle the physically demanding labour and refrain from using drugs while on the job.
Responsibilities of a Mail Handler Assistant
- Must adhere to all corporate safety policies, including but not limited to: wearing PPE, operating equipment safely, using safe lifting techniques, and driving company vehicles and equipment at the posted speed limit.
- A mail handler assistant is involved in counting, weighing and recording goods or material moving in and out of the organization.
- Complete the packaging slips and skid flags to guarantee precise tracking.
- places information on cases, bales, or other containers, or tags or labels identifying the items.
- Making use of a banding machine and a clincher to band materials into bundles after stacking or assembling them into bundles.
- They may on occasion drive an industrial vehicle, mechanized machinery, or electric hoist to help load or move items and supplies.
- Performs freight to and/or from skids, pallets, or ULDs, as well as cargo build-up and/or breakdowns.
- Ensures that work environments are tidy and clear of hazards such as unsecured nets and straps.
Requirements
- Prior experience in a similar line of work
- Must pass a drug test
- Physically fit
- High level of proficiency in the English language
- A member of the team who is excellent with people
- Good bodily and mental well-being.
- Drug-free is required.
- Willing to work on weekends and night shifts
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent multitasking and time-management skills
- Experienced with using forklifts
Skills and Qualifications
Skills:
This involves the ability to effectively communicate both verbally and orally and the ability to also read and write the general language applicable to your state e.g English.
Mathematical skills
Having a knowledge of basic math will make a mail handler job easier, with this, one can interpret different measurement unit and their conversion.
Problem-solving
- The capacity to evaluate the merits and shortcomings of potential findings, solutions, or approaches to issues using logic and reasoning
- the capacity to come up with challenges and solutions without equipment
- examining methods to increase production efficiency and procedures
Experience:
To be eligible for work at the post office, you must also have the capacity to pass a background investigation.
No prior experience is necessary because the business offers on-the-job training. Candidates for Mail Handler must pass a criminal record check and a physical test.
Take, for instance, in the USA, Recruiters use US information databases to run criminal background checks on candidates seeking USPS employment.
Without a complete background check, an application may not be completed especially with non-residential cases.
During their first few weeks, candidates get training on the job in most companies and get to observe more experienced and professional employees. When they begin working, they may see all procedures and learn them.
Education:
A combination of abilities and professional experience is required for the position. You should possess a high school diploma or a GED.
A high school diploma or a GED certificate is the requirement for employment as a postal handling assistant.
Usually, candidates for the position of mail handler must pass a postal service exam as well as a test that gauges their proficiency in accurately checking names and numbers
Estimated Salary
A mail handler typically makes $17.28 per hour.
An example is in the United States, mail handlers are paid an average amount of $42,200 and $50,950 which includes annual incentives.
The amount of experience, degree of education, and geographic location may all affect the salary which means the candidate’s degree of expertise or the current postal pay regulations may have an impact on the salary.
After one year of employment, mail handlers may qualify for health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Sample Interview Question
Let’s take a quick look at a few questions you can look out for when preparing for an interview as a mail Handler assistant:
- What do you do to stay fit and physically active?
- What trait is the most crucial for a mail handler?
- Do you have any prior forklift operating experience?
- How long have you been working in customer service?
- Can you give an example of a time when you dealt with a dissatisfied client?
- Talk about an instance when you overcame a hurdle at work by working as a team.
- What long-term objectives do you have for the postal service?
- Do you intend to pursue a career in this field?
- Why is it crucial for postal workers to deliver top-notch customer service?
- Talk about an instance when you overcame a hurdle at work by working as a team.
- What was your most notable accomplishment in your prior position?
- Have you ever worked for a postal service?
- What would a previous boss say about you?
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- How do you organize your work, set priorities, and plan it?
- Describe the efficient system you employ to sort and arrange items for mail carriers.
- When sorting mail, how do you manage your time?
- What are your job priorities?
- What challenges do you anticipate in a role like this? This question is usually reserved for individuals with little or no working experience. It can be used to test the knowledge of the applicants.
FAQ
Mail Handler is a full-time career position that comes with the famous complete Postal benefits package. Mail Handler Assistant is an entry-level job that can lead to a career position.
Who is a mail handler?
In this role, you will load, unload and move mail and packages. You will also perform other duties incidental to the movement and processing of mail.
What’s the difference between a mail handler and a mail processor?
Mail processors may perform more administrative tasks than mail handlers. As a processor, you may spend more time using technology like scanners and printers to process mail. Handlers typically drive vehicles to transport mail and may not do as much office work.
Can a woman be a mail handler assistant?
51.9% of mail handler assistants are women and 48.1% of mail handler assistants are men.
Is being a mail handler worth it?
Yes, it is worth something, although it can be exhausting definitely. You work hard at whatever you do, you always act morally, you get to work on time, and you don’t groan. The project will be done well. When there is difficult work to be done and few individuals desire to step up and do it, there is a high turnover rate.
Conclusion
Having seen the duties and expectations of a mail handler assistant in companies like a warehouse or a distribution company.
Generally, a mail handler assistant basically assists in organizing and packaging products for delivery.
To be successful in this role it is important to have an exclusive ability to scan through names and numbers rapidly and accurately, fluency in English is not an exception to this. One must be able to handle physically demanding labour and avoid the use of hard drugs.
An understanding of these roles and expectations by an organization will serve as a guide through the employment process and this will help applicants prepare for an interview if looking out to make an application for this position.
