I'm 37 years old. I have a college degree. I am looking to change careers to be outside more (I was in an office environment since the age of 22). I was hired off the street as a seasonal driver with UPS for the '16-'17 peak season. From what the supervisors told me I did very well. They also really liked my attitude. I am a hard worker and being outside the office was great. I loved it once I got the hang of it. I'd like to become a regular driver.
They did not hire me as a regular driver at the end of the season. But then again they may not have hired any of the seasonal drivers as regulars. Or if they did, maybe they picked those that had done several seasons already. I don't know.
There is the other route of applying for a regular driver job on the external job postings site, but that is also a long shot with internal candidates aiming for those getting priority. I did apply recently to such a posting, but have not received a call yet.
So that leaves working as a part-time package handler or a part-time supervisor prior to becoming a regular driver. The head supervisor had told me at the end of the season it would be best to work as a package handler and work my way up. I told him I had no problem doing the physical work, but that given that I was making $70K a year at my full-time office job it would be difficult (maybe that is too light a term) to go to $12 / hour part-time. Would it be possible to have an office job for a time and then become a driver?
Next day, the supervisor working under him tells me to pick out and apply for some supervisor or other non-driver non-package handler jobs on the internal job postings site and he will give me a great recommendation. So that's what I did.
I didn't hear from any of those jobs, but I kept in touch with HR and they came through for me with a part-time package center supervisor (just to clarify - not a pre-load supervisor) job in the same building I worked out of for the season. I went to the interview and it went well. It became apparent that that same supervisor from my seasonal job gave me a great recommendation for this position. It looks like I very well may have this position. I will find out soon.
So now the question...is this what I should do if I want to become a regular driver? Or would I have a quicker route to a regular driver by being a union package handler?
What is the pay for a package center supervisor in the Chicago area? Any other insights would be helpful. Thanks.
They did not hire me as a regular driver at the end of the season. But then again they may not have hired any of the seasonal drivers as regulars. Or if they did, maybe they picked those that had done several seasons already. I don't know.
There is the other route of applying for a regular driver job on the external job postings site, but that is also a long shot with internal candidates aiming for those getting priority. I did apply recently to such a posting, but have not received a call yet.
So that leaves working as a part-time package handler or a part-time supervisor prior to becoming a regular driver. The head supervisor had told me at the end of the season it would be best to work as a package handler and work my way up. I told him I had no problem doing the physical work, but that given that I was making $70K a year at my full-time office job it would be difficult (maybe that is too light a term) to go to $12 / hour part-time. Would it be possible to have an office job for a time and then become a driver?
Next day, the supervisor working under him tells me to pick out and apply for some supervisor or other non-driver non-package handler jobs on the internal job postings site and he will give me a great recommendation. So that's what I did.
I didn't hear from any of those jobs, but I kept in touch with HR and they came through for me with a part-time package center supervisor (just to clarify - not a pre-load supervisor) job in the same building I worked out of for the season. I went to the interview and it went well. It became apparent that that same supervisor from my seasonal job gave me a great recommendation for this position. It looks like I very well may have this position. I will find out soon.
So now the question...is this what I should do if I want to become a regular driver? Or would I have a quicker route to a regular driver by being a union package handler?
What is the pay for a package center supervisor in the Chicago area? Any other insights would be helpful. Thanks.
