Pros
As a CCA/TE: Money is okay. I was originally paid $22/hr but forced to take same position under a different name that paid $15/hr. You get a lot of overtime. There are a small amount of very nice people and you may luck up and get a nice supervisor. Some holidays off because mail don't run on holidays. As a mail handler: Working in the plant as a mail handler, I was lucky enough to have a nice manager who understood that I was a college student and was flexible on my hours. Plant open 24 hours so multiple shifts available even though you were most likely given the overnight shift that no one else wanted. Overtime available. Set hours most of the time unless they force you to work overtime.
Cons
As a TE/CCA: For starters, you must understand that this position is not guaranteed by any means. You are basically signing up to be a temporary employee which means managers always remind/threaten you that if you don't comply, you are out. CCAs are not considered human. You are just a number. Regardless of how hard you work, you are just a number. They don't care if you've never been late or your baby is sick....if you mess up (get sick for more than a day, have an accident) you're out. If they're laying off they will not take into consideration that you were a good worker, you're out. You are often given the worse routes that no one else will take. Which means walking routes, routes in bad neighborhoods, or routes that are difficult to run. You are expected to complete tasks that are almost impossible. For example, most routes take 6 hours outside of the office to complete according to the carrier that runs that route everyday. As a CCA you are almost never on a familiar route so of course you are going to get turned around a few times and take longer than the regular carrier. Sometimes you may complete the route in 8 hours, which is not terribly bad BUT on top of the unfamiliar route, most of the time you are given a piece off of another unfamiliar route (called hand offs) where the carrier got sick or called off. With the unfamiliarity of the original routes plus the "hand-offs", you will most likely be out delivering mail until dark. Meanwhile the managers call you every hour to see where you are and rush you. It's impossible. Remember when I said if you don't comply they will threaten you by calling you disposalable? This is where that comes in so do not think of bringing the mail back regardless of the time. I've been in bad neighborhoods sometimes after 9pm. Forget being in school full time or even a single parent and working here because you don't have set hours. One day you may get off at 6pm and the next day 9pm. You do not get to have a life outside of the Post Office. You are basically expected to work everyday without any set hours. If you rush to get done early because you have somewhere to go, they will send you back out (sometimes after dark) to help someone else who wants to ride the clock. Do not think of taking days off for a vacation because IF you are lucky to request days off, you get the leftovers of what no one else wants. So you may be able to get a Tuesday of Wednesday. Saturday's off as a CCA are impossible. They always promise you that you will move up to a permanent position if you work hard and wait. I was there for 3 years and another lady was they for over 9 years as a CCA but even she was in the same position. No room for growth. No benefits, health insurance, etc. The old people who like riding the clock will take all day to complete route because they are either lazy, want the overtime, or slow because they know they can't be fired. As a CCA, expect to pick up the slack here. Managers will send you out to help them (even though they don't want your help). You are often sent to other stations when they needed help. Sometimes the other stations were up to 40 mins away and you had to use your own car to get there (you're reimbursed for gas like 60 cent a mile or something). I was sent to other stations sometimes 4 times a week because I was a good worker and they requested me. Other CCAs probably got sent away around 3 times a week. As a mail handler: Pay sucks! $10 an hour for somewhat difficult work. A lot of lifting. Work every holiday Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc. No benefits. Regular workers slacked off and you have to do their work and yours too because you get no respect and are easily replaced if you don't. Take these positions only if you are in school or need some quick extra cash and don't plan on staying for longer than a couple of years. There is no room to move up and I personally in 3+ years have never seen a temporary employee been hired on permanently. You should not try to make a career out of this place because it won't happen, you will be like my co-worker almost 10 years in and still no 401k or health benefits and still being threatened to be replaced (even though she was the hardest working person there)