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43-5051.00 · Task explorer

Postal Service Clerks: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.

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Read the task inventory

This source lists 19 tasks, including 6 marked Core and 13 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 07/2016.

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19 tasks shown

Core · Task 11322 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.

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Core · Task 11326 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.

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Core · Task 11330 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices.

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Core · Task 11323 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.

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Core · Task 11327 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.

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Core · Task 11338 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Transport mail from one work station to another.

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Supplemental · Task 11325 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.

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Supplemental · Task 11321 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.

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Supplemental · Task 11324 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.

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Supplemental · Task 11328 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail.

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Supplemental · Task 11336 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags.

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Supplemental · Task 11333 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.

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Supplemental · Task 11335 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation.

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Supplemental · Task 11329 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Provide assistance to the public in complying with federal regulations of Postal Service and other federal agencies.

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Supplemental · Task 11332 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Rent post office boxes to customers.

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Supplemental · Task 11334 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Provide customers with assistance in filing claims for mail theft, or lost or damaged mail.

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Supplemental · Task 11337 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Feed mail into postage canceling devices or hand stamp mail to cancel postage.

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Supplemental · Task 11331 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Cash money orders.

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Supplemental · Task 20905 · 07/2016 · Incumbent

Order retail items and other supplies for office use.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.