The United States Postal Service held a job fair in San Jose on Monday as part of its effort to fill up to 500 mail carrier positions in the Bay Area region.
About 250 of the available slots are in San Jose and the immediate area.
It is the first time the district has needed to hire people in 20 years, USPS spokesman Gus Ruiz said.
“We have a great need to fill a void,” Ruiz said last week.
The level of recruitment is turning heads, especially as the Postal Service has struggled to stay afloat.
USPS has closed post offices and even proposed cutting Saturday deliveries as the digital age has cut into its business.
“The fiscal problems remain. There's no doubt about it,” Ruiz said. “We're still looking for ways to cut costs, but while we are looking for a way to cut costs, we still need to survive. We still need to stay in business and our letter carriers help us stay in business.”
Although Ruiz said the positions are considered temporary, he added that new hires could have the potential to go full-time after a 30- to 90-day probationary period.
The starting salary is $15 per hour.
"We're looking for someone who is fit, is healthy, who can carry a workload of 70 pounds," Ruiz said. "So the physical requirement is you'll be on your feet most of the day."
The job fair is planned for Monday, June 24, 2013, at the San Jose Mail Processing & Distribution Center, 1750 Lundy Ave., in San Jose. USPS representatives will be on hand to walk attendees through the online application process.
Four sessions, each lasting an hour and a half, will be conducted.
Job Fair Times:
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. – 12 noon
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Applicants are asked to arrive in the customer lobby entrance 15 minutes in advance to be escorted into the building.
For more information, call (408) 723-6110.
Applicants can also visit the USPS website for updates and more information at www.usps.com/employment.
