New Hire offered PT supervisor position, thoughts?

[TheMartino]

Well, let me start by saying Hi!

I'm a new hire at ups, its my 4th week and my full time supervisor has approached me and offered me a part time supervisor position. I did some browsing on the boards and gathered some information, but I would like some more, if thats fine with you folks.

Let me lay out some guidelines, our operation is severely undermanned. (About 60 people short of what we should have) and 2 PT sups just quit within a week of each other. While I was in training, I was on break, and one of the employees that was there for months that I was talking to, told me that if they offer me a supervisor position, it's likely a trap, and to NOT take it.

Generally from what I've been reading, it sounds like a VERY bad idea. I'm not one to stick with a job I am not enjoying. Loading for the midnight shift is hardly tolerable as it is right now.

Things to keep in mind:
I don't have any college degree.
I work afternoons at another job.
I'm not currently attending college.

Things that I would like to know more about.
Pay?
Hours?
General flow of the job and what it is like to have the position.
EDIT: Oh! and I would like to become a driver at one point. Full time.

I will question as to what kind of supervisor I would be becoming tonight, but, please, thanks for any information you can supply for me now, I GREATLY appreciate it.

 

[toonertoo]

Think long, think wrong.
Its all here to read.
With no college you will never move on, it will be their excuse although many of them wont have any college either.
It will interfere with your other job.
Unless you are extremely lucky you will never drive. Just my opinion.

 

[TheMartino]

If I were stay a part time loader, would my chances of driving increase?

 

[25yrvet]

please don't put all your eggs in this basket!!!! STAY P/T LABOR & go to school or start your own business. 1 of the 5 seeing habits for us drivers is, "Leave yourself an out". Keep working hard & see what happens with other pt mgt in your ctr. If you're a good egg they'll keep asking you to take the position. But I'd follow Tooner's advice--she's been there.

 

[toonertoo]

Part timers are union, management is not, you have a guarnanteed place in line in hourly, may take time but you have a place. Mgmt you do not, you'll get promises dangled, and then you will get old. You will do what you want but 25 yr vet said it best, leave yourself an out. Part time supervision is the end of the line for most. It is a career killer.

 

[TheMartino]

Well, thank you two, VERY much. You've been an unfathomable help. I wont be taking the position.

 

[wily_old_vet]

It should also tell you something that you haven't even made seniority and they are offering you a mgt position. Also if you are 60 people short just who the heck will you manage?

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I dont recommend the job to anyone. I could mention many reasons why not to take the job but since you've already decided not to I hope I don't need to go into it in that much detail. I mean look at it this way....a company wants people with little or almost no experience to be in charge of things?????? If that doesn't sound like a cluster fu@# than I don't know what does. For example: our sup probably unloaded and loaded MAYBE one day in their short time as an hourly and now they are in charge. LOL. I know it's not rocket science but they still need more experience with things all around. All they really know is that they have a set of numbers they are expected to achieve on paper and that's all they care about. Its a continous cycle of the lowest sups trying to have good "numbers" and impress their sup, and their sup having their subordinants having good numbers makes them look good and so on. Oh god I'm starting to rant so I'll leave it at that. On the flip side...some people love the job which is good because someone has to do it. I'm glad its not me.

 

[nyymt62]

Just out of curiosity, if TheMartino took the Part-Time Supervisor job, would his chances of becoming a driver fly out the window? I guess I am basically asking if someone can leave the union to take a management job and then re-enter the union?

 

[tieguy]

You have to ask yourself what your career goals are. Nothing wrong with aspiring to be a full time delivery driver. If thats your goal then part time supervision does nothing for you.

If you plan to get your degree then being a part time sup can help. You get financial help that will help pay for school. If You have aspirations of getting a degree and getting into some competitive field of labor somewhere down the road then having the part time sup on your resume would help.

You have to decide whether you enjoy interacting with people. If you do then your role as a trainer and mentor to other upsers starting out with the company could be rewarding. If not then you will find that supervising people is a big pain in the tucas.

Some posters here will tell you all the negatives of being a part time sup. The headaches, frustrations and pressure to perform. To me those were no worse then the same types of headaches , frustrations and pressure to perform as a delivery driver. To me each job is a form of management since you have to manage a route and its customers as a driver.

We desperately need teachers , mentors and coaches in the part time management ranks. If you're one of those then your people will respect you and your people won't be the ones quitting constantly. If not then its better to realize the job is not for you. The ones I see quitting the most are the ones that did not think this through.

good luck

 

[disneyworld]

You have to ask yourself what your career goals are. Nothing wrong with aspiring to be a full time delivery driver. If thats your goal then part time supervision does nothing for you.

If you plan to get your degree then being a part time sup can help. You get financial help that will help pay for school. If You have aspirations of getting a degree and getting into some competitive field of labor somewhere down the road then having the part time sup on your resume would help.

You have to decide whether you enjoy interacting with people. If you do then your role as a trainer and mentor to other upsers starting out with the company could be rewarding. If not then you will find that supervising people is a big pain in the tucas.

Some posters here will tell you all the negatives of being a part time sup. The headaches, frustrations and pressure to perform. To me those were no worse then the same types of headaches , frustrations and pressure to perform as a delivery driver. To me each job is a form of management since you have to manage a route and its customers as a driver.

We desperately need teachers , mentors and coaches in the part time management ranks. If you're one of those then your people will respect you and your people won't be the ones quitting constantly. If not then its better to realize the job is not for you. The ones I see quitting the most are the ones that did not think this through.

good luck

No offense but I wouldn't give a crap if I got along great and had a tremendous amount of respect for my sup.It comes down to the job and what this god forsaken company expects from people. I,and I'm sure I'm not alone,would quit in a heartbeat.

 

[TheMartino]

Well, she didn't ask me for an answer yet, but instead she did drag me around the building tonight telling everyone I am supervisor material and letting other sections of the building "borrow" me for a bit. I didn't get out til 5:30 am.

She seems to have extremely high hopes for me. I'm not even that great of a check/scan/loader. I just memorize which towns go in which truck, and tons of subtle little things. I think she saw me helping and directing the people that joined up the week after me.

Crazy ass full time sup...

 

[speeddemon]

You must be a yes man.

 

[STLFeeder]

Stay a part timer and wait for a driving postion to come open or a full time inside position to open up. You'll end up making more as a driver or full timer than you would as a part time or even a full time sup if you make it that far..

 

[TheMartino]

You must be a yes man.

I actually didn't think of that. But I guess I kind of am.

 

[trickpony1]

Don't throw yourself to the wolves!
Stay a PT union employee, GO TO SCHOOL and get a degree in something marketable. If it takes 5 years then so be it.
The company will always need management (should be a clue). In 4-5 years you will have a degree, be more marketable and then you can make a decision, "should I go to FT driving or PT management?"

Once again, I have to ask, why are your superiors in such a hurry? If it's not you that falls into their trap it will be someone else. "Stay back and see it all" is one of the "seeing habits" that we drivers are supposed to be using. I suggest you do the same.
Good Luck.

 

[ducky13swing]

Part time supervision is not a bad route to take. It does not end your career. If you are successful, you can always become a driver. The contract states that full time positions can be filled on a 5 for 1 basis. What this means is that for every 5 hourly senior employees who fill a position, 1 outside hire can be placed in a friend/T hourly position. Now we do not hire people off the streets to be drivers, so that 1 usually comes from someone in the P/T management ranks. One of the requirements here is that before you can be friend/T management, you have to go on road.
As Tieguy said, you have educational benefits as a P/T sup.
So I would say if you plan to go to school, go P/T sup. If you don't, don't do it. Eventually you will have enough seniority to go driving. Sometimes up to 10 years depending on where you are, what contract you are under, and a variety of other things.
Either way, I would say give yourself six months to a year as an hourly employee before you even consider it. If your supervisor continues to ask, simply tell them, that you believe you are not ready yet, and you would like more experience in other areas of the operation. If you go supervision with only one area of experience, that is the career killer. If you do not know all of the jobs, it will be a struggle to be successful.

 

[scratch]

I just got a new Full-time Oncar Supervisor. He has never driven a Package Car. He started out as a TSG, and went into the Preload. He has never driven Package. Certainly, "the times are a changing" as Bob Dylan wrote.

 

[Working4TheBene's]

I think most of the comments as of yet are helpful. But I think tieguy expressed it the best as it is positive (not only towards hourly, but management as well). All too often, it is too easy to fall into the mob mentality. Especially when it comes to complaining about management. But the truth is, no matter what job one is in, there will always be "bad" apples in the ranks (whether fellow workers or in management). In a company like UPS where there are a much larger ratio of employees vs management personnel, it is easier to "nick-pick" on the smaller group.

As far as job security as management... I don't know of any, but I could be wrong, there aren't any companies that have a union for management staff... just ask all those middle managers in the early 90's that were laid off or forced to take early retirement. So in that regard, UPS is no different. It is a corporation in business for profit...we are all pawns!

Now, as to whether or not it is right for you... that really does depend on you. Do you run towards or away from responsibility? But keep in mind that 4 weeks is probably not long enough at any job to really understand let alone be in a supervisory capacity. Not to say that it isn't possible or that you won't shine, it's that you fellow workers will know that you do not have the experience in supervising them and making decisions for them when you haven't "mastered" them yourself.

So the bottom line... If you decide not to accept the challenge, then don't accept it because you believe you aren't quite ready for it yet. But don't sell yourself short and short change a possible career in management.

Disclaimer: I am not pro or against being in management. Just use some common sense and make an educated and informed decision. Don't just follow the mob mentality, because it is the quick route.

As far as hours, typically part time supes work around 27.5 hours a week.

 

[toonertoo]

Workingfor thebenies makes some great points.
Going to pt mgmt does not mean you can never go to ft driving, but at least in the centers I have been in, it would be hard. At mine I BELIEVE it is a 6 inside for 1 outside hire, and there is also a mechanics union vying for that outside hire. And at my center that includes the car wash, clerks, and im not sure but I think porters. My thinking on this is that they will let go of the person they can most easily replace, which is not usually the pt sup. In this outside hire, they do not have to honor anyones seniority in anything.
I also think four weeks on the job would not prepare you with the knowledge you would need to supervise people, even if you are a shining star, which you could be.
If you do not qualify should you get the chance to drive from PTmgmt, I do not think you could go back to your previous position, as you could from pt hourly. That is what I was told when I did it.
So at that point, you make it or you are gone, that is the point of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
I learned alot about operations, I learned alot about people, and I had fun, but I didnt end up in the area of UPS that I thought I wanted, because once I saw the inside workings I did not like it.
Yes you can be union, then mgmt, and then union.