Letter carriers are responsible for collecting and delivering the mail. They handle a variety of items including letters, bills, small packages and periodicals, along with other printed matter. Letter carriers are also responsible for recording the delivery of registered mail and for collecting payment for cash-on-delivery (C.O.D.) packages and noting changes of address. Their clientele is made up of all the individuals, groups, organizations or companies who send or receive mail - in short, just about everyone.
A letter carrier's work is very specialized and should not be confused with that of a messenger. You are part of a nation-wide postal service, Canada Post Corporation. You have an established route which must be covered every day. Deliveries are usually made on foot but in suburban or rural areas you travel by mail truck. Before setting out on your rounds you must first sort the mail according to the streets and addresses for which you are responsible.
In addition to the regular mail, you may also deliver telegrams, express mail or special delivery mail. If for some reason you cannot deliver a piece of mail, you return it to your postal station. In such cases, you leave a special card informing customers that their mail could not be delivered and telling them where they can pick it up. For most individuals, and for a good many businesses as well, you provide an important link with the rest of the world.
As letter carrier, you are paid an annual salary based on an hourly rate with some opportunity for overtime. The job also includes a comprehensive benefits package.
The job is very demanding physically. You have to collect and sort your mail very early, usually around five o'clock in the morning. Your mailbag will weigh in at about 16 kg, and during certain peak periods, such as Christmas, it can get heavier. The delivery routes average 13 to 19 Kilometres in length, and you have to be prepared to work in any kind of weather.
The job is by no means easy, yet you may find it satisfying to be of service to your community. During the course of you rounds, you may establish friendly relationships with the people whose letters you deliver.
To do this job well you have to be conscientious enough to take yo professional responsibilities seriously. You should enjoy working out of doors and must be physically fit enough to do the work required. More importantly, you must be dependable and self-motivated.
Since the sorting and delivery of the mail must be done as quickly and as efficiently as possible, you need to be swift and methodical in your work habits. Once outside the postal station you work alone but his does not mean in isolation. You are answerable to a supervisor and are usually part of a team of carriers assigned to a postal station. Efficiency in mail handling depends on a spirit of cooperation and teamwork.
Courtesy, tact and a willingness to help are also essential to build a good relationship with the public. Often you are the only link between your employer, Canada Post Corporation, and those the Corporation serves. As the Corporation's representative, you must always be ready to deal with questions, requests or complaints. When doing so, yo must be unfailingly courteous and professional.
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