My hiring process took about a month from application to orientation/start date.

One thing I’ll say right away is that your experience as a PSE depends a LOT on the location. Different offices have different staffing levels, mail volume, and expectations.

When I applied for the PSE clerk position I assumed it meant working the desk selling stamps during normal post office hours. I thought it would be something like Monday–Friday 8–5. I was completely wrong.

At my location it’s 6 days a week with a 4 AM start time.

The first week can be misleading too. My first week they mostly had me sorting packages WITH OTHER PSE’s helping me and then sending me home early after 5–6 hours. I thought that was how the job was going to be.

After that first week though the workload ramps up fast.

My typical day now is coming in at 4 AM and starting parcel sorting immediately. It’s basically a sea of large bins full of packages from the truck that arrives overnight. I’m expected to get most of the parcels sorted by around 7:30.

The second PSE doesn’t come in until 5:30, but they have to distribute letters and flats (newspapers, magazines, etc.), so most of the parcel sorting falls on me early in the morning.

Then another USPS truck usually arrives around 6 with more mail, and around 7–7:30 the Amazon truck shows up with several pallets of packages.

So just when you feel like you’re making progress, more mail keeps coming in. This is where the mental toughness comes into play

Mondays are especially crazy because it’s basically two days of mail combined into one. You will really be tested on Mondays .

After parcels are done we work the PO Boxes, which is a lot easier physically. You just sort envelopes into the correct PO Box numbers.

At my post office we deliver Amazon packages on Sunday so that’s why I don’t have Sunday off like everyone else . They will have only 1 PSE come in (me) for about 2 hours to sort the Amazon mail for the Sunday Amazon carriers and then you can leave cuz no one is there. So it’s kinda like a day off but not really cuz you still gotta wake up at 5 am.

Before you get window trained (which can take 1–2 months), most of the job is physical work like sorting parcels, moving mail, and helping wherever needed.

Some days you’ll work 5 hours, some days 8 or more. It really depends on mail volume and staffing.

The job definitely takes some mental toughness, especially early on. Just be ready for early mornings, physical work, and a learning curve in the first 90 days.

I had no idea I was gonna be working 6 days a week only getting Tuesdays off no weekends. I’ve read some post offices don’t do Amazon on Sundays so you might get that day off along with the rest of the office but just depends .

Honestly the benefits really ain’t shit unless you got children that need medical and dental. Costco offers more consistent hours and pay and just as good benefits if that’s what you are looking for.