New Job Help

[mule]

The best two pieces of advice I got from the other posties in my first couple of weeks were "just follow the mail" and "it's sink or swim with RM".

My first week involved induction on the Monday followed by Tues-Sat working, so you may face an initial 6 day week. I don't know if this is the usual for RM.

[smokerjim]

Try asking for a pair of issue shoes - the line manager might refuse, but he shouldn't, it's PPE, and just as important as a hi-vis ( take a few days to a week breaking them in by wearing them round your home, strolling down to the shops / pub, etc ) and go to a chemist and get some Compeed blister plasters - they are worth their weight in platinum ( also consider getting some orthotic insoles ), also consider getting a bottle of lucozade and keep the empty bottle in your pouch ( if you have nowhere to piss except down an alley at least you won't have to piss on someone's fence )

Try to keep cheerful, and smile all the time ( and smile or say morning to people on the street ) people tend to remember friendly postman ( and getting out usually cheers me anyway ). Follow your nose - the mail will take you from start to finish in a logical way ( usually ).....as you finish one road you will find yourself at the start of the next one ( although keep your eyes open for numbers.....it is so easy to miss a house on the frame in the office, but to deliver next door's mail by mistake, and then keep on doing it until you realise ( 3 / 5 / 10 / etc houses down the road! )

Definately join the union - they can offer you some legal help and protection ( God forbid you ever need it ), and with luck you'll be in a strong office, so your rep will try to make sure you do the job properly, without getting unnessary pressure from managers.....but make sure you tick the box that stops a part of your subs going to the political fund / Labour Party - Labour have shat on the CWU from a great height 2 years ago, and this year & they've had £5,313,192.60 since 2001! What ogppat said above is what I got when I started 3.5 years ago......but with all the cuts ( sorry "modernisation" ) and with it getting busier that might not happen, just try not to get stressed.

Listen to your managers......but don't trust them ( most of them only want the mail out asap, so they can naff off home asap ) listen to your work mates, but don't trust all of them either ( some will be manager's pets, others will take any short cut to knock off early, others will be totally jaded and cynical and distrustful ) just take your time so you can make your own judgement - and try to enjoy yourself

[willymagic]

thanks for your message Smokerjim. much appreciated, i got my welcome pack by email on friday to say my start date is the 16th november (first day induction).. with these forms is a uniform form and it says about shoes so i will take up your advice about the blister plasters, also the lucazade bottle :Very Happ

im quite a cheery happy person so i will have my happy face on for the customers! im a bit nervous but thats only to be expected with a new job, everyone on here has been a great help though. I will deff join the union, makes sence as you never know what might happen.

i should get my contract to sign any day now and find out what my pay is, its not going to be great as im only on a 20hr week but im hoping to do some extra hours to bump the pay up otherwise i will have to get a second job

thanks again for the info. take it easy

[clashcityrocker]

Every office is supposed to have a workplace coach.They will teach you the basics of the job but they should always be approachable if you have any problems out on delivery which have not been covered in your training.And there will be lots of stuff that crops up which is not covered in basic training.

[SeriousSam]

you can have my job if you want, we are taken forgranted!

[infidel]

every new start should be given 1 wks training before coming into dely office,every office does not have workplace coach because their a load of nonsense,most are only in it for the cash its certainly not on ability.

[razor]

A few things to mention,

When you start you will be s-l-o-w. You might get back an hour or two after other posties depending on what round you get put on. Never let this bother you, you will get faster as time goes on.

Depending on your fitness your going to get some leg ache, It will eventually go away. Ibuprofen and Deep Heat may become your best friends for a while though

You will make mistakes, basic training is ummmm, basic. You will have to learn form your mistakes, everyone makes them. Always be honest though, if you f**k up tell somebody and they will help you.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone has been 'the new guy' at some point and we all know how it feels

Oh and enjoy it, despite all the moaning c***s on here it is a great job.

[DGP1]

Oh and enjoy it, despite all the moaning c***s on here it is a great job.

You show me anybody who doesn't moan about their job and I'll show you a liar.

[chumley.mouse]

i dont moan about my job ! its a good job and its well paid keeps me fit and nobody hassles me , whats to moan about ????

[smokerjim]

i dont moan about my job ! its a good job and its well paid keeps me fit and nobody hassles me , whats to moan about ????

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Everybody moans, but I will say posties moan a damn sight less than bike couriers.....and don't get me started on multi-droppers!!! As for coaches, yes, most workplaces have them, but even 3.5 years ago ( when I started, before the cuts got deep ) they were rarely given the time to shadow a trainee ( seeing as they had their own duty to prep as well as the IPS ), although in fairness I was amongst a group of new starters, and maybe he realised I was capable enough to work things out for myself.

[chumley.mouse]

i dont moan......im an optimist.......cant help it ,its just the way i am.

[Sick Postie]

When I started RM I made a promise to myself not to give up on a bad day and believe me you will have plenty of bad days especially coming up to Christmas. There will be days when your feet and legs and possibly every other part of your body is killing you, you will be soaked to the skin and freezing cold but there will be other days when it's good. It can be lovely on a beautiful spring day when everyone seems to be in a better mood. If you still want to jack it all in a good day then maybe it won't be the job for you but don't do it on a cold, wet day.

Also remember that quite often there isn't a house with the number 13 on it, that catches out many of postman. As for the painkillers I took them every morning before I went into work when I started it does help, and the ortho insoles are great well worth the investment, they can be about 20 quid for the full length ones.

Try and be friendly to the other posties in the office, some of them will be very helpful to new starts after all we were all in your shoes once.

[REDLETTER]

also consider getting a bottle of lucozade and keep the empty bottle in your pouch

Just make sure it is the LARGE size!!!! or find out if there are any toilet stops on the duties you will cover.

And don't drink tooooooooooo much before you go out. take some fluids with you in a different bottle!!!!

[smokerjim]

also consider getting a bottle of lucozade and keep the empty bottle in your pouch

Just make sure it is the LARGE size!!!! or find out if there are any toilet stops on the duties you will cover.

And don't drink tooooooooooo much before you go out. take some fluids with you in a different bottle!!!!

Yes I forgot to mention that - especially the last bit. A large bottle will cover two "breaks" and just in case you forget to look at which bottle you're grabbing for a drink, buy Lucozade sport to drink....it has a sports cap, so no mistakes ( btw, I did not find that out the hard way, I just thought of what might happen ).

Also I will mention that I never wanted to jack in a job until I got totally p*ssed off with it ( usually after a year or two ), but I was ready to quit RM after 3 weeks ( a blister the size of a £2 coin on the ball of my foot didn't help, especially as it took 3 or 4 weeks to heal - I was delivering with tears in my eyes for 4 or 5 hrs a day ), but being on the dole for 6 months made me stick it out.....I started in June, if I started in November, I doubt I'd still be a postie, but if you need help you know where to find us for advice, or just to be cheered up.

[el_cartero]

1.You will think the office is full of zoo animals when u first start.

2.your going to be very tired after your walks. try not to nap try to get used to the tiredness.

3.Remember to pish and get water filled up before u leave office . Try to get organised with ready made sandwichs. Even if u think u have people waiting on you.

4.Check your overtime on pay slips. Managers try to mess over new boys as they are paid bonus to do so.

5.Dont take any s**t from anyone. Get your head down and work hard.

6.If u have stairs u can try dumping ur bag half way up if its a heavy bag u might want to do that every stair to give ur back a "break".

7. Learn that your day off is needed unles ur desperate for money . The day off is a god sent.

8.DOnt get roped into lapsing - worse thing EVER if asked say no.

9.Remember toi get uniform ordered usualy u have to wait 2 weeks before they will give u it tho. but u could try grtab whats lying around.

10.Just get all your mail sent eventually . There could be test letters so just get everything sent eventualy dont bin things thinking its junk or wotever.

11. dont bother to much about d2d most people bin em but if u have time do em?

12. Good luck - your gonna be fit.

13. this website will corrupt ur mind.

14. AND OH YEH U WAS BEING "GROOMED" IN UR INTERVIEW WHATS GOING THRU HIS MIND?

~will i be able to screw this guy for free overtime and get my bonus~