How to become a Postal Employee

Postal employees of Australia Post sort and deliver mail and parcels and undertake clerical and retail sales functions. The major work classifications for Australia Post employees are grouped into the broad categories of sorting and dispatching, delivery and customer service.

Personal requirements for a Postal Employee

Good communication skills
Self-motivated and reliable
Able to lift up to 16 kg
Able to work as part of a team

Education & Training for a Postal Employee

You can work as a postal employee without formal qualifications, but employers usually require Year 10. Applicants may be required to sit a selection test that focuses on literacy and numeracy.Successful applicants participate in a training course provided by Australia Post at selected metropolitan post offices/retail shops or other facilities, depending on their job specialisation.Applicants for positions that require driving or riding a motorcycle may be given a practical driving and traffic code test.

Additional information

Postal delivery officers, postal transport officers and some postal sorting officers who drive motor vehicles must have the appropriate class of drivers licence. To be a motorcycle postal delivery officer, you must hold an unrestricted motorcycle licence and weigh less than 100 kg.

Duties & Tasks of a Postal Employee

Postal employees:

Sort mail for delivery rounds
Deliver mail on foot, by bicycle or by motorised transport over allocated delivery rounds
Load and unload mail conveyances and operate internal mail handling equipment
Assist with the receipt of inward mail; checking of wrongly addressed, missorted, undelivered and redirected mail; and processing of free post and under-paid mail
Deliver express courier items and parcels
Assist with sales and customer service enquiries
Assist with the processing of outward mail.

Tasks

Assists with receipting inward mail, checking wrongly addressed, mis-sorted, undelivered and redirected mail, and processing freepost and underpaid mail and some freight.
Sorts and sequences items for delivery.
Maintains log books, directories, mail counts, equipment maintenance logs and other delivery records.
Loads and unloads mail conveyances and internal mail handling equipment.
Delivers mail, parcels, documents and other items to customers' premises and mailboxes.

Employment Opportunities for a Postal Employee

Australia Post operates as a self-funding government business enterprise and is the main employer of postal employees in both city and rural areas. Some postal duties (such as mail services in country areas) may be contracted out to non-government organisations.For information about application procedures or to view current vacancies, visit the Australia Post website.

Specializations

Parcel Post Officer

A parcel post officer works at a parcel facility receiving, sorting and dispatching parcels to mail delivery and business centres, as well as post offices. They may operate mechanical mail processing equipment and load and unload mail from postal vehicles.

Postal Delivery Officer

A postal delivery officer delivers mail to customers using a motorcycle or bicycle, or on foot.

Retail Customer Services Representative (Postal)

A retail customer services representative (postal) works at a retail outlet and sells items such as postage stamps, money orders and communication products (such as mobile phones, printers and faxes). They may complete bill payment transactions and provide general customer service, as well as agency services for some banks and utility companies. They may also prepare shop displays, conduct identification checks, process Australian passport applications and process mail.

Mail Officer

A mail officer works at a mail centre or parcel facility. They may receive, sort and dispatch mail and parcels to delivery and business centres and post offices. They may lift mail bags, operate mechanical and automatic mail processing equipment and maintain postal records. Some mail officers may work as night sorters. They sort and prepare mail into frames to assist the sorting performed by postal delivery officers, and usually work between 1 am and 6 am.

Postal Transport Officer

A postal transport officer operates primarily in the general transport fleet. They may collect, transport and deliver mail between post offices, mail delivery facilities and business centres, airports and rail terminals. They clear street post boxes, undertake long-distance haulage of bulk mail, and pick up and deliver articles in the metropolitan area. Parcel post officers and most postal transport officers work in the metropolitan area. They may be required to work shifts and also on weekends. Retail customer service representatives, postal delivery officers and mail officers may work in metropolitan or country areas. Mail officers must be available to work night shifts and postal delivery officers are required to work in all weather conditions. All postal officers are required to wear uniforms, and some positions require employees to wear personal protective equipment (a helmet, for example). Some positions may require standing for up to eight hours a day.

Postal Employee

Average age
50 years
Future Growth
Stable
Gender Share
25% female
Average full-time
43 hours
Weekly Pay
$1,277
Skill level rating
Entry level
Unemployment
Lower unemployment
Full-Time Share
71% Full-Time
Employment Size
13,500 workers
Employment by state
ACT: 1.7%
NSW: 34.0%
NT: 0.6%
QLD: 19.8%
SA: 6.9%
TAS: 2.6%
VIC: 24.5%
WA: 9.8%
Age brackets
15-19: 0.6%
20-24: 3%
25-34: 10.1%
35-44: 19.2%
45-54: 33.4%
55-59: 16.8%
60-64: 11.1%
65 and Over: 5.7%
Education level
Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 7.6%
Bachelor degree: 6.7%
Certificate III/IV: 21.6%
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 2%
Year 10 and below: 27.6%
Year 11: 10.2%
Year 12: 24.3%