You will have to use your own clothing and footwear for the job for the first six months. You have to work in all kinds of weather, so you have to foot the bill for all kinds of clothing. Eventually, you are given an allowance to spend on clothing from an approved vendor but the allowance does not go far.
The number of hours required for work will be substantial. I work six days and there some weeks I did not get a day off. I typically worked 55 to 60 hours a week.
The work is exhausting. I normally walked 10 miles a day. I would wear out my shoes in eight weeks, and I felt like I could never eat enough food.
The job requires that you be able to work at any route in the district. You will be assigned to one post office, but you could be called to work at another post office for a day. Also, regional management can change which post office you are assigned without your consent.
The turn over rate is high. There was never enough people to handle all of the work. Retention of new employees is only 50%.
The job is technically part-time. When you start, you are part on a seniority list with other City Carrier Assistants. People at the top of the seniority list get converted to full time positions with a regular route when they become available. The wait time to get converted to full time varies. I was employed for nine months and would probably have to wait another 12 months before I got converted.
