When you work in the USPS (United States Postal Service), the nation relies on you to deliver many important things—on time and to the right place. No post office professional is aware of the contents of the letters and parcels, but you can be sure that many of them are vital for the recipients. With great power comes great responsibility, so a post office cover letter needs to demonstrate that you have what it takes.
Wherever you work in the post office organization, there are a few common requirements. You need to be incredibly organized and care deeply about every small detail. Courier companies are becoming ever more cost-effective, so the post office needs people who do not allow any mistakes to slip into their daily work. This reliability should shine through in the post office cover letter.
While a resume contains mainly factual details about work experience, education, and skills, a post office cover letter allows the applicant to explore their personality and motivations in greater detail. What keeps you going when the workload is getting on top of you? How do you collaborate with colleagues? How do you solve problems when something goes wrong? The cover letter is an addition to the resume, so take a different approach. If a hiring manager is interested in you, they will read it.
If you do not know where to start, our library of cover letter examples may ease you into the task. Reading lots of other cover letters could spark some imagination. There are many different considerations when writing a cover letter, so don’t be too quick to dive into the details of your specific career story. Think about some of the top-line issues first.
In this writing guide, with corresponding post office cover letter sample, we consider:
- Finding the right format as a backdrop to your accomplishments
- Which aspects of your counselor role to share with a potential employer
- How to write a cover letter if you do not have much counseling experience
- Mistakes to avoid if you want the employer to take you seriously
Take a look at examples of other public service cover letters for inspiration:
Best format for a post office cover letter
Every post office cover letter should be clearly formatted and tightly organized. There is no place for untidiness at work, so your cover letter format should be simple and powerful. Don’t diverge from the norm—make sure that you are aware of the expected standards. The typical structure of a cover letter is as follows:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting/salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
The letter should adopt a consistently professional and compelling tone, but you do not have the space to offer any detail. Err on the side of starting stories rather than finishing them. You will not have the space—that is what the interview is for.
Our comprehensive cover letter guide delves into some of the more detailed considerations such as the visual impact of the design. When you only have one chance to secure that vital interview, everything matters.
Our post office cover letter may offer some inspiration:
Dear Ms. Lee,
I am reaching out to express my interest in the USPS Teacher role currently open at the United States Postal Service, as seen in the recent posting on the USPS official website. With a background encompassing eight years in educational roles paired with first-hand experience with postal service protocols, I am excited to bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching to your team.
In my role as an Educational Specialist at ABC Logistics Company, I spearheaded the development and roll out of training modules tailored to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This responsibility not only sharpened my skill set in creating and delivering effective educational content but also gave me with a detailed understanding of logistics and mail handling procedures, establishing a firm groundwork to educate others on the critical functions of the USPS.
My Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies from Ohio State University has prepared me to construct learning environments that are both engaging and effective. My studies allowed me to delve deep into learning theories, curriculum development, and inclusive teaching strategies, all of which are vital in fostering a productive learning atmosphere.
I am particularly proud of a milestone achieved in my last role where I initiated a mentorship program that saw a 25% improvement in team efficiency over eighteen months. I am eager to replicate such success at USPS by leveraging innovative and tested strategies to nurture a highly skilled workforce.
I eagerly anticipate the possibility of contributing to learning and development in the USPS, where I can utilize my experience to facilitate a deep understanding of the postal system's intricacies. I am excited at the prospect of helping people to develop, further enhancing the efficacy and reach of USPS services.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing how my background and expertise align with the USPS Teacher position's requirements and expectations. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute positively to your established and respected organization.
Sincerely, Alex Witherspoon
Cover letter header
The header of a post office cover letter should be as perfectly formed as the address on any letter. One small mistake and it loses the impact on the hiring manager. Opt for a professional design but avoid bright colors that may detract from your career story.
Include your full name, email, and mobile number at the top of the cover letter. They should be repeated from your resume—you never know when a hiring manager may wish to get in touch.
You do not need to include your full home address—there are potential data protection issues here. Also, the inside address of the employer is no longer required—that will just take up crucial cover letter space. It may be hard to find the address of the hiring manager anyway—they could be based at a regional office, but you may not be sure.
Cover letter greeting
The greeting of a post office cover letter is not so hard to get right. Start with a formal “Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Surname.” Avoid using more informal greetings, even if you know the hiring manager. You never know who else may be reading the cover letter.
If you do not know to whom the letter should be addressed, double-check the job description. The name of the hiring manager or HR representative should be there. It may prove difficult to phone such a large organization such as the postal service to find out the name of the right person, so if all else fails opt for a warm “Dear Area Team” where you include the name of the functional area where you will be working. This attention to small details will set you apart as most other candidates will likely write “ To Whom It May Concern.”
Cover letter introduction
The introduction of a post office cover letter should get into the details of the work that you do. Pay particular attention to the job description and share a first career story that is a perfect fit with some of the more challenging work that you will be doing in your future role. Starting in such as way will compel the hiring manager to read on. They won’t read all the cover letters from start to finish, that is for sure. Make sure that they are yours at least twice.
If possible, include a performance metric in the introduction of the cover letter. There is nothing that reassures a hiring manager more than the knowledge that you are keen on measuring your success. The postal service is based on efficiency, so pepper the post office cover letter with impressive numbers and figures.
Dear Ms. Lee,
I am reaching out to express my interest in the USPS Teacher role currently open at the United States Postal Service, as seen in the recent posting on the USPS official website. With a background encompassing eight years in educational roles paired with first-hand experience with postal service protocols, I am excited to bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching to your team.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle part of a post office cover letter should get into the intricacies of the role. Try to tell career stories that are out of the ordinary, involving problem-solving and dealing with unexpected issues. Most postal work should flow smoothly, so how you deal with uncommon issues will define your success.
Post office workers have plenty of contact with customers if they work on the delivery side, so their people skills should be prominent in the cover letter. If they work within a sorting office or in other operational functions, their teamwork skills should be top-notch. Share examples of accomplishments that show your ability to hit your targets and deliver the best possible service, no matter what the circumstances.
Look carefully at the job description as you write the middle part of the post office cover letter. There may well be hints as to the nature of your future activity, so incorporate the requirements of the future role into your story. Don’t assume that you know how this particular post office role will work—each manager may have their particular way of doing things.
Your employer may use a candidate database called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help them handle the volume of applications.
For a post office role, there will likely be plenty of applicants. While the ATS won’t do the selection, it does sift through the resumes and rank for certain keywords. You do not want to miss out, so make sure that you have included enough industry jargon.
Try not to make the middle part of your post office cover letter too dry. It is a very functional role, so include some personality and motivation for the job where possible. Let your boss get a feel for what it is like to work with you.
In my role as an Educational Specialist at ABC Logistics Company, I spearheaded the development and roll out of training modules tailored to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This responsibility not only sharpened my skill set in creating and delivering effective educational content but also gave me with a detailed understanding of logistics and mail handling procedures, establishing a firm groundwork to educate others on the critical functions of the USPS.
My Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies from Ohio State University has prepared me to construct learning environments that are both engaging and effective. My studies allowed me to delve deep into learning theories, curriculum development, and inclusive teaching strategies, all of which are vital in fostering a productive learning atmosphere.
I am particularly proud of a milestone achieved in my last role where I initiated a mentorship program that saw a 25% improvement in team efficiency over eighteen months. I am eager to replicate such success at USPS by leveraging innovative and tested strategies to nurture a highly skilled workforce.
I eagerly anticipate the possibility of contributing to learning and development in the USPS, where I can utilize my experience to facilitate a deep understanding of the postal system's intricacies. I am excited at the prospect of helping people to develop, further enhancing the efficacy and reach of USPS services.
How to close a post office cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The conclusion of a post office cover letter should end with one last career story. Your future boss needs to understand that the postal service will be safe in your capable hands. Put their mind at ease. Show them just how ready you are to start that new role.
The final sentences of the cover letter should also contain a call to action. Mention that you are keen to find out more about the role during a potential interview. This may prompt them to invite you as they have no way of knowing what other roles you have on the go. It is no bad thing to instill a sense of urgency into proceedings.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing how my background and expertise align with the USPS Teacher position's requirements and expectations. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute positively to your established and respected organization.
Sincerely, Alex Witherspoon
Post office cover letter with no experience
If you do not have prior experience in the postal sector, you won’t automatically be excluded from the role. Anyone with operational experience from a range of sectors should have a chance of being hired. It will depend on the type of role that you are applying for—if your transferable skills are a match then you just need to direct your resume and cover letter to match up your career history with the demands of the job.
People are hired because of transferable skills all the time. The key here is to make the link crystal clear—a post office cover letter is the perfect place to connect the dots if your previous experience is not a perfect fit.
Basic mistakes in a post office application letter (and how to avoid them)
Post office workers need to be incredibly accurate in the work that they do. Any mistakes in a cover letter will therefore be judged incredibly harshly.
Pay special attention to the following:
- Spelling and grammar skills are important, so use an online Grammar checker to polish the writing. Ask a friend to read the letter so that it sounds like you.
- Be specific in terms of the value that you can bring to the role—only talk about the stories that fit what you will be expected to do in the job.
- Don’t be too conversational in your tone—keep it professional.
Key takeaways
- Share your stories about your post office operational expertise.
- Match the post office cover letter with the demands of the job description.
- Allow your personality to shine through—it is important to feel your passion.
- Choose a suitable design with our cover letter templates.
