National LEAGUE of Postmasters Presents Postal Support Employee (PSE) Guidance for PMR’s to Apply for PSE Positions October 2014

The Postal Support Employee (PSE ) Per the MOU with the APWU, all Clerk work in Level 6 and Level 4 Remotely Managed Post Offices (RMPO) will be performed by APWU bargaining unit employees ( files/POStPlan_Staffing_MOU_ pdf) files/POStPlan_Staffing_MOU_ pdf Each Level 4 Remotely Managed Post Office (RMPO) will be staffed with one Pay Level 6 Postal Support Employee (PSE). These Pay Level 6 PSEs may perform window duties. Pay Level 6 PSEs will be hired from the applicable hiring registers. PSEs working in the Level 4 RMPOs may work in multiple Level 4 offices, as well as Level 2 RMPOs, where operationally feasible and efficient. A Pay Level 6 PSE within the cluster may be used in all offices within the cluster to relieve the career employee on window duties to cover for short-term absences normally not to exceed two pay periods, e.g., AL, SL, LWOP, after all PTF relief in the office, cluster or pool and relief areas at the straight-time rate has been exhausted. Level 6 offices will be staffed with a full-time career APWU employee and relief will be provided by a Pay Level 6 PSE.

APWU PSE's must be selected competitively from an externally-posted announcement. eCareer will be used to announce the vacancies and manage the process. PMR’s interested in becoming a PSE should create and/or update their USPS.com profile immediately.

Competitive Posting Limited benefits include raises, paid vacation days and access to health insurance after the first 360-day term. PSEs who will be assigned to serve the public at a public window will be required to enter a training program and may be required to qualify on an after-training test. Current PMR’s who wish to apply must use their existing logon information EXACTLY as what was used before, or create a new external account, a new external Candidate Profile, Apply, and follow instructions for testing. If you’ve already taken the Battery 473 test ON-LINE within the past 6 years, your test score is still good.

* Following are tips for Completing the eCareer Profile

type USPS.com in the browser bar.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Careers”

eCareer External Either Click on Search jobs online Or Create your eCareer profile

Create an Account Please notePlease note

Set Criteria for your job Search Use Keyword “PSE” Enter your choice of state

Click on the job posting to view the job description, purpose and requirements

Be sure to read the position information before applying

Ensure that all * are completed

Answer each question

This is where you explain why you want this position. Compose in word then copy and paste

Do not attach anything unless the vacancy announcement asks for an attachment

List your qualifications and accomplishments here that might apply to this position. You can create this in Word and spell check and edit before pasting into this section. ALSO Don’t forget to complete information in the References tab.

* Preparation * Get a good night’s sleep * Arrive at the testing center 15 minutes early What to Expect in Exam Room –You must present one piece of state or U.S. Federal Government issued photo ID as specified in your appointment confirmation . If you are a current USPS employee, you may bring your USPS ID badge. –Personal items are not allowed in the testing room. This includes all electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and PDAs. Also, no one else is allowed to accompany you. – You will need your Login ID and Password to access the testing website. –The assessment is designed to be taken without interruptions or breaks. Please be sure to take care of any personal needs before appointment check-in. –The test will be entirely administered and timed by the computer. –You must check out with the examiner before leaving the Testing Center. –The examiner will not have access to any information related to your assessment results or your next step. You will receive an message with instructions on how to access your test results.

In this part of the test, you will have to compare two lists quickly and accurately. You will be shown a Correct List that contains addresses and ZIP codes. A List to be Checked will appear next to the Correct List. The List to be Checked also contains addresses and ZIP codes. It should be exactly the same as the Correct List, but it may contain errors. Your task is to compare the information in each row of the List to be Checked with the Correct List. Decide if there are no errors, an error in the address, an error in the ZIP code, or an error in both the address and the ZIP code. Each row of information is an item.

In this part of the test, you will have to identify information needed to complete forms similar to those used by the United States Postal Service. You will be shown several forms on this part of the test, along with several items about what information is required to complete each form. Each part of the form is labeled (e.g., 7, 7a). Study each form carefully before selecting your responses.

* Coding and Memory This part tests your ability to use codes quickly and accurately, both with a coding guide visible and from memory without using a guide. You will be shown a coding guide, along with several items that must be assigned a code. To the best of your ability, you must look up the correct code for each item and select your response accurately and quickly. During the first section of the test, you will be allowed to look at the coding guide while you assign codes. During the second section of the test, you must assign codes based on your memory of the same coding guide. Sample Coding Questions:

In this section of the test, you will assign codes based on your memory of the Coding Guide you used as part of the coding sample questions. Take five minutes to memorize the Coding Guide on page 7 and then determine your responses to the sample questions below. Move through the items and assign codes to each based upon your memory of the Coding Guide. Work as quickly and as accurately as possible. Do NOT refer back to the Coding Guide as you work through this exercise. The Coding Guide should not be visible while you complete the sample questions.

General Hiring Guidance Selections are made from Hiring Lists using Rule of 3. A Casual employee selected from a competitive Hiring List for PSE must have a 6 day (or more) break in service before appointment as a PSE. An insurance-eligible noncareer employee (PMR/LR with more than 1 year service) selected from a competitive Hiring List for PSE must have a 5 day break in service before appointment as a PSE. There is no need to reorder drug tests, criminal record checks, or motor vehicle record checks for noncareer employees if the break in service will be (or has been) less than 90 days.

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