Post Office Clerk Career Description
Post office clerks work directly with the public by serving them at the counter, selling stamps, receiving postal articles and handling
savings accounts. The clerks in offices, on the other hand, are involved in bookkeeping, the sending and receiving of telegrams and other clerical duties.
What am I going to do in this occupation?
Clerks are the Post Office's direct link with the public and offer more or less 150 different transactions to their clients, which can be clustered into the following groupings:
Direct Sales
Stamps as well as a number of others products and stationary such as registered and fast mail envelopes and parcel containers/materials are sold.
Financial transactions
These include money orders, postal orders, savings bank transactions and paying out of pensions.
Receiving of payment
Transactions for a number of different third parties, such as telephone accounts for and municipality accounts for some city councils, are handled.
Acceptance and delivery of mail over the counter
This includes registered and insured items such as letters, parcels and telegrams. Acceptance of items to be delivered as fast mail, priority mail, speed post and acceptance of items for courier delivery by speed services are also included.
Client liaison
Advice clients on services, handle enquiries and offer assistance to illiterate people and the aged in the completion of forms. This involves accounting all the transactions and balancing at the end of each day, as well as advising clients of the best mail service or money transfer service used to meet their requirements.
Requirements
What kind of personality do I need?
Clerks must have an aptitude for languages, numerical ability and a good memory. They must be honest, reliable and neat, have excellent communication skills and be able to cope with stress associated with long hours and difficult clients. They should enjoy working with all types of people and be friendly, helpful and tolerant.
Where can I work?
This position is available throughout the world in each post office. The position of clerk is a stepping stone for the careers of training officer and postmaster.
Can I work for myself in this occupation?
No.
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