......

[mailmonkey]

The day goes very very quickly, I'm a FTer, was a part timer for years.

It's physically harder now than when i started (10 years ago), and I remember when I started everyone telling me it was harder than it used to be.

The day has always flown by though, I have done office jobs in the past, and other jobs in education, and one of the worst things about most jobs is the way the day draaaags. It doesn't happen in this job, ever.

part timers DO get shat on, by managers in the form of unfair workloads and threats if you don't complete, and by some (usually FT colleagues). If you are starting on a temp contract, your manager will almost certainly insinuate that the only way your contract is going to be renewed is if you stop refusing to work over your time.

From FT colleagues the shitting on just consists of having to listen to them talk amongst themselves about how bad the PTers are that cover their duties etc.

There is a lot of moaning, but you only need to look in a delivery office and see how many long termers are there. The job is pretty well paid considering the skill level you need. And it is pretty enjoyable, once you leave the office you're on your own, set your own pace, lots of contact with people, most people are fairly friendly to posties, specially that bird at number 26.

I hate the way the company has been run over the last few years, I hate the management style in general (though not all managers are merchant bankers), I hate the privatisation, I think the union have been pretty bad the last few years too, pandering to the company rather than the staff, but I'm glad we've got a union, and I will always support them.

I can hate all that, but still like the *job*. People tend to realise pretty quickly if the job is for them or not, a HUGE number of new starters leave within the first week, month, 3 months or so....if you get past the first year and are still at it, you're probably gonna be in for the long haul.

[dvbuk55]

Star you must have wanted a change in order to apply for RM and I can understand you being a bit nervous about changing but the job will be what you make of it.
Once you settle in and become used to the routine you'll be fine so don't worry.

[maisymoo04]

Alrite dv how's tricks me old old mate

[star2010]

The day goes very very quickly, I'm a FTer, was a part timer for years.

It's physically harder now than when i started (10 years ago), and I remember when I started everyone telling me it was harder than it used to be.

The day has always flown by though, I have done office jobs in the past, and other jobs in education, and one of the worst things about most jobs is the way the day draaaags. It doesn't happen in this job, ever.

part timers DO get shat on, by managers in the form of unfair workloads and threats if you don't complete, and by some (usually FT colleagues). If you are starting on a temp contract, your manager will almost certainly insinuate that the only way your contract is going to be renewed is if you stop refusing to work over your time.

From FT colleagues the shitting on just consists of having to listen to them talk amongst themselves about how bad the PTers are that cover their duties etc.

There is a lot of moaning, but you only need to look in a delivery office and see how many long termers are there. The job is pretty well paid considering the skill level you need. And it is pretty enjoyable, once you leave the office you're on your own, set your own pace, lots of contact with people, most people are fairly friendly to posties, specially that bird at number 26.

I hate the way the company has been run over the last few years, I hate the management style in general (though not all managers are merchant bankers), I hate the privatisation, I think the union have been pretty bad the last few years too, pandering to the company rather than the staff, but I'm glad we've got a union, and I will always support them.

I can hate all that, but still like the *job*. People tend to realise pretty quickly if the job is for them or not, a HUGE number of new starters leave within the first week, month, 3 months or so....if you get past the first year and are still at it, you're probably gonna be in for the long haul.

Cheers mailmonkey, wise words. Can you answer me this i applied for POSTMAN/DRIVING , will i get to drive?

[maisymoo04]

Means doing collections

[star2010]

Seems like everyone's scaring you about the job as I said every office is different you seem to be answering your own qs when you haven't even started

Your right my fellow postman friend . i will stop going on , find out for myself and go from there. I think its more because i get on so well with all the managers at my current job , have a laugh , get paid overtime , leave on time, but saying all that just feel like a change. so when you see this site it can be a bit ....

[star2010]

Means doing collections

so will i be doing collections?

[star2010]

Star you must have wanted a change in order to apply for RM and I can understand you being a bit nervous about changing but the job will be what you make of it.
Once you settle in and become used to the routine you'll be fine so don't worry.

[dvbuk55]

Alrite dv how's tricks me old old mate

I'm like a Greek God maisy.............. very old and bits falling off

[mailmonkey]

Means doing collections

so will i be doing collections?

Probably not straight away, but you could be trained on a collection and asked to do a collection duty.

it could mean that you are on a van-share with another postie and you are the driving partner.

It could mean that you are on a rural delivery and out in a van on your own.

They will give you Royal Mail driver training/assessment before you are expected to drive.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Means doing collections

so will i be doing collections?

Perhaps, but most likely you will be on deliveries. The old fashioned way of delivery by a postman walking the streets has nearly gone now. The new style is 2 posties sharing one van and 2 rounds, hence they need drivers and advertise the job as "occasional driving"

[Dozen]

This is the best job i've ever had

Even on the worst walk i've ever done, on the heaviest of days, with a diabolical arsewipe for a manager, I still earn more money in less time and put up with even less stress than in my previous work. Not to say this excuses everything bad you've ever heard, in reality it says more about the sad state of affairs in many jobs outside of Royal Mail than the state of affairs within. But it does put things into perspective for me.

I'm angry half the time because like everyone else I want to protect the few remaining things that make this job great. When you do a job you love, it makes it twice as hard seeing Vince Cable on TV standing in the house of commons, throwing around words like 'modernisation' as if he understands what it even means for people like us on the ground. Don't get me started on Moya Greene. Best you can do is block out all this nonsense if you really want to enjoy the job completely, but then you'll be living in la-la land, when there's an actual fight going on outside your front door.

Going into this job you've got to ask yourself what you want to get out of it. I wanted to get out of the 9-5 office life, sitting in a chair all day staring at a computer screen. I wanted early morning starts and free time in the afternoon. A living wage, and union backing. I got all these things, and i'm not prepared to lose them. Decide which side you're on and come join the fight.

[ysbrydtawel]

so will i be doing collections?

Not necessarily. All postman jobs say 'Postman with driving', it's just so that only people who can drive apply.

You'll probably start off as a reserve / floater (so you won't have your own round, but you'll cover other people's rounds when they're off) - one week you might be covering a collection round, so you'd be driving every day, and the next week you might be on foot.

[Jpro747]

I think what mailmonkey said is spot on, the job is enjoyable but its the company that lets it down. I've been in the job for a year now and it has flown by. I used to work in an office watching the clock all day wishing I could be outside. Just go in with an open mind, you'll be fine

[star2010]

I think what mailmonkey said is spot on, the job is enjoyable but its the company that lets it down. I've been in the job for a year now and it has flown by. I used to work in an office watching the clock all day wishing I could be outside. Just go in with an open mind, you'll be fine

Thanks