Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Becoming A Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service
What you'll really do, what you'll really earn, and how to know if mail processing is the right fit for you
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Does a Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service Actually Do?
Let's start with what people actually picture when they hear "mail clerk," then immediately correct it. You're not walking a route in a blue truck, and you're not delivering letters to homes. The job title "Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service" means you work in a private mailroom, a fulfillment center, a print and mail shop, or the back office of a large company like a bank, hospital, or insurance firm. You are processing mail - lots of it, every single day - for organizations that send and receive more paper than they can handle by hand.
On a given day, your core responsibilities fall into three buckets: sorting incoming mail, preparing outgoing mail, and operating the machinery that makes the second bucket possible. If you work at a small company with a modest mailroom, you might do all three things in one shift, often alone or with one other person. At a large mailing house that processes hundreds of thousands of pieces a day, you'll be assigned to one station, like the inserting machine or the postage meter, and you'll run that machine for your entire shift. The environment differs wildly based on the size of the operation, but the fundamentals are the same.
Incoming Mail: The Triage
Incoming mail is the first thing you'll likely learn. It starts with the mail cart or a mailbag dump. You empty the