OCCUPATION: LETTER CARRIER

Name: Jenny Molina

Employer: U.S. Postal Service, Santa Ana

Thumbs up: “The job provides the opportunity to do for others. When walking a regular route, you get to know people and they really show their appreciation when you do a good job. I also like working outdoors.”

Thumbs down: “The post office gets its share of bad publicity now and then, but there are many good people here who really care and work very hard at their jobs.”

Next step: “I’d like to learn more about the computerized label address sequence system that we have in our office now. It helps sort mail by districts and boundaries.”

Advice: “It’s important to be an outdoor person, because we have to work in all kinds of weather. Good people skills are important too, because we deal in person with the people on our routes.”

Salary range: Letter carriers in Orange County receive $26,809 to $34,243, depending on experience.

Hours: Letter carriers usually start work at 7 or 8 a.m. to organize letters and parcels for delivery. Around noon, they head out on their routes, which take four to five hours depending on the volume of mail. Some Saturday work is required.

Educational and training requirements: Most letter carriers have at least a high school diploma. Applicants are required to take a written exam that tests organizational skills and language aptitude. They must also be able to lift sacks of mail weighing up to 70 pounds.

Size of work force: Medium. In Orange County, 2,500 people work as full-time letter carriers.

Expected demand: Limited, because of competition from private express-delivery firms.

Job description: Letter carriers collect and deliver mail to residences and businesses. Some cover nearly all of their route on foot. Others deliver and collect mail from a vehicle.

For more information: Call the Postal Service job line at (818) 855-6339 or the Federal Job Information Center at (818) 575-6510.