Pros
NOTE: This review is from the perspective of a "plant" worker. You might end up working in a plant (basically large industrial factory) or working at a station (neighborhood post office) depending on your position. +Job doesn't arbitrarily require a 4 year degree, unlike so many other jobs today. They are willing to train you, unlike so many other jobs today. Above minimum wage. Plenty of overtime. The work is easy to learn and perform. Union representation. Health insurance. 401K. +The BEST part about working for USPS, at least in my opinion, is the internal bidding system. If a position opens up for your job in a different area of the country, you can bid on it. This is a great way to move to a different state without the hassle of having to find a new job. There are also other internal positions in different fields (Information Technology, etc.) that are not open to the public. By being a career employee, you have the opportunity to apply to them. +You get a snazzy work "badge" with your photo that means you feel important. +The people you work with are usually good.
Cons
-It's difficult to become a "career" employee. You have to work as a "PSE", "MHA", or "CCA" (depending on your craft) for a period of time, depending on where you work, before you can become a permanent "career" employee. Until then, you can be laid off at any time, but you do get seniority, meaning the newest non-career employees will be laid off before you. -You also need to be a career employee to get access to the internal bidding site or any of the benefits. I'm not sure, but I do believe non-career employees can join the union and get health insurance after one year of employment. -The work is physically demanding. If you're not used to manual labor, it will take you about a month to adjust. Your feet will hurt from standing most of your tour, but the soreness should subside after a month, assuming you have the proper footwear. -Overtime is a double-edged sword. There's TONs of overtime and it's mandatory for non-career employees. -Your scheduled days off can change and sometimes you'll only get one day off a week. This makes it near impossible to go to school and work at the same time.
