Postal services representatives
Career Overview
Postal services representatives serve customers and record transactions at retail postal outlets. They maintain inventory and order supplies in post offices and internal mail rooms.
They can work for Canada Post Corporation, courier and parcel express services as well as private and public sector organizations, such as government, courts, hospitals and large corporations.
Job Titles
Duties
Postal workers:
- Calculate the amount of postage needed, label letters, parcels and registered mail, as well as receive payment from customers
- Sell stamps, prepaid mail and courier envelopes and money orders
- Direct mail to the proper delivery route
- Get signatures for registered or special delivery mail and keep records
- Answer questions and complete forms on change of address or lost or stolen mail
- Record and balance daily transactions
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
895% Employed Full Time
51%Postal workers do their jobs inside post offices or in postal outlets located in stores. Work may be full-time, part-time or seasonal. Shift work may be required on nights and weekends. In smaller postal outlets, workers may have to work alone.
Postal services representatives use technology to prepare parcels and courier items for shipping as well as to track sales. People with these jobs must be able to lift heavy bags of mail and stand for most of their shift. Some workers may need to wear a uniform which the employer supplies.
Career Pathways
These jobs are considered entry level and individuals can expect to work on a part-time or casual basis before moving to full-time work. With additional training or experience, workers may be promoted to supervisory or facility management positions.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Postal services representatives are required to have completed secondary school and some college office administration courses. They must have computer skills and be able to use a variety of programs, including shipping software programs, and have basic math skills.
Other qualifications may include:
- On-the-job training is required
- Physical fitness may be required
- Local geographic knowledge, especially if working in rural post office outlets
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
895Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | 3.4% |
| Kootenay | 25 | 2.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 505 | 56.4% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 35 | 3.9% |
| Northeast | 35 | 3.9% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 125 | 14.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 140 | 15.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
350Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | -1.1% |
| Kootenay | 0 | -1.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 220 | 1.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 30 | 3.7% |
| Northeast | 20 | 3.7% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 1.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 50 | 1.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 320 |
| Public Administration | 10 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 10 |
Insights from Industry
New technology continues to make these careers more automated. People communicate more through email and social media, which has decreased the demand for workers in these jobs. However, purchasing products online continues to grow in popularity and this trend may help to keep or create job openings.
Technology is used more than ever as shipping is done with real-time tracking. This allows postal workers to go online to trace where mail items are in the system. Having the ability to learn and use this technology is an asset for people in this career.
People in these careers serve customers, so it’s important to have good communication, sales, marketing and customer service skills.
Canada Post offers training to workers who are interested in moving to supervisor or management positions. Corporate postal jobs are in high demand and may be more difficult to get because many people apply for them.
Resources
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BC Mail Pluswww.gov.bc.ca/mailservices
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Canada Postwww.canadapost.ca/
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Canada Post Corporation – Jobsjobs.canadapost.ca/
