UPS Careers: Why Work At UPS?
Are you thinking about starting a long career with a successful company? Are you relatively young and like to work hard? Do you lack an education needed to get most high paying jobs? If this sounds like you, there are a few UPS careers that may suit you well.
I am a former employee who started at the bottom and worked my way up to a driving position, so I have the knowledge and experience to give you some inside information. I will help you decide if UPS careers are right for you and how to go about pursuing them.
Why You Should Work For UPS
Here is a rundown of all of the reasons why UPS careers may be right for you.
Career Opportunity Without A Degree
Nowadays it’s becoming harder and harder to find a good paying job without a college degree. If college is not for you, you don’t have many options to finding a career with good pay and benefits.
UPS is a definite exception to the rule. If you put in the time and are a hard worker, within a few years you could be making a high wage with Union protection, award-winning medical benefits, dental, vision, pension, and a sweet brown outfit.
Job Security
With our economy not as stable as it used to be, many people don’t feel job security the way they used to. Many smaller companies have gone under, eliminating many jobs in the process.
UPS careers offer a level of job security that it hard to resist. Not only will you be working for a multi-billion dollar company, but most employees are actually in the Union. Teamsters Union, specifically.
As long as you show up on time and don’t burn the place down, your job will always be secure.
The Salary And Benefits
Although starting out, you will be making a modest salary, you won’t believe how much a UPS driver actually makes. Not to mention what feeder drivers make.
With the proper amount of time and effort, you will be making more than many people with Master’s Degrees. For a complete salary rundown, check out our UPS Salaries post.
Also, the benefits that are available to you have won awards. I have seen them valued at over $20,000 per year. Many people have been known to work part-time at UPS solely for the benefits. They offer benefits for your family as well, so you can rest at ease knowing they have your back.
I even know of lawyers and other professionals that moonlight as loaders or pre-loaders just to receive these benefits.
Keep in mind that these benefits don’t kick in for a year, but when they do, you’ll see it was worth the wait.
Type Of Work
If you are a physical person, you will enjoy many different UPS careers.
Loaders and pre-loaders basically haul packages for three to five hours per day, and it is the best exercise you will ever get. You are guaranteed to get toned and lose weight.
Drivers are on their feet all day, driving and hauling packages around. This is another great form of exercise that will guarantee you to stay in good shape. Ever wonder why most drivers are skinny?
Any type of work with UPS is guaranteed to keep you physically fit. It is tiring and will give you a paid workout every day.
Why You Shouldn’t Work For UPS
UPS Careers can be fantastic, but they are not suited for everyone. If you fall into any of the following categories, a job with UPS may be a poor choice for you.
You Want To Work Full-Time Right Away
If you are looking for a job that can turn into a career quickly, UPS is not the place for you. They will not start you out full-time and you will not make a ton of money for years. That’s just the way the company works.
If you are OK with working very few hours for OK pay for a few years, than this may work for you. If you need to make money now, go somewhere else. It is all about seniority with UPS.
UPS is well-known for advancing people from within, so it can take years for you to work your way into a great position. But if you are patient, it can be well worth it.
Physical Nature Of Work
If you are one that likes to sit at a desk or on a phone most of the day, then UPS careers are not for you.
If you are not a hard-working person, the physical nature of work at UPS will wear you down within a week and you WILL quit. Many have come and gone in this fashion, not realizing how physical of a job they were getting.
Who UPS Careers Are Most Suited For
I honestly feel that a UPS career is most suited for young kids coming out of high school and college students. If you are a high school student or have recently graduated or started college, go to UPS.
You will almost always start out as a part-time worker, so parents or people with a mortgage to pay are really not well suited to start UPS careers. Also, the physical nature of the work makes it suitable for young people.
As a college student, the schedule can be very accommodating and you can get years of working your way up the ladder while you go to school. I have found that UPS can actually turn into your career, making your degree more of a fallback.
Overview
UPS careers are suited for young people with time to spare. If you like the nature of work and are patient enough to put in the time and effort, UPS will reward you with a great career that will enable you to live well and take care of your family for life.