Part Time Supervisor Questions

[Fernando20]

Hello,

I have been working at UPS for almost 4 months now, I am 20 years old and I am still going to school. Today my supervisor asked me if I am interested in becoming a part time supervisor. I am new here and want to hear all of your opinions. They told me that there is more of a growing opportunity for a career if I become a supervisor than if I stay loading, and this is what I don't understand. Im new and I don't know much, but it seems to me like the only way to go if i stay working at the hub is to become a driver, and honestly I don't want to be a driver for the rest of my life. Can you guys tell me some other ways I would be able to grow within the company? Is there something I can do after driving? Or is there a different direction I can go in?

My plan, or what I was thinking, was to become a part time supervisor and keep going to school for my engineering degree. But a lot of the posts here make it seem like becoming a part time supervisor is a terrible choice. I have seen 2 part time supervisors become full time since I have been working here, and it doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. But thats why I came here, and that's why I am asking you guys.

Thank you in advance!

 

[PastorBoB]

Go Sup, at the very least, it is a quicker pay bump and it's a resume builder.

Long term aspirations with UPS? Well you know what they say, once you go PT Sup you never go anywhere else.

Your other choice would be to look into budding up to HR and seeing what openings are available to college graduates and find some way that route. HR holds the keys to all the good stuff at UPS. Unfortunately, once your in a spot, you stay in that spot.

 

[Catatonic]

There is no career at UPS as a Union employee.
There are hard manual jobs that pay well due to the sacrifice of your body ( and mind as you've seen on here) and an expectation pushing yourself to extreme productivity.
The only Union job at UPS that one could consider a career-type job is a Feeder Driver (CDL Tractor-Trailer).

UPS Union jobs do offer one the ability after a period of time to make very good money - Full-timer.

First thing - You need to understand what a career is and then understand whether you are looking for a real career (Lawyer, Engineer, Accountant, Finance, Sales, etc.) or a series of job-assignments that round out your experience at UPS.
Another thing I think I noticed ... you seem to think there is a career with UPS that will allow you to work at UPS your entire work lifetime. That is a concept that died out decades ago at most Corporations. It has died out as a possibility at UPS in the last couple of decades. There will be exceptions but to make the most money, you will have to work for multiple companies to develop and maximize your career.

UPS may offer one opportunities in a career path if you have a degree in a field in which they have a need.
There should be no expectation that anyone in a career path at UPS will work for UPS for their entire work lifetime.
That is not the nature of careers ... one should plan to work for at least 5 companies/corporations during their work lifetime in a career. It is common to start out for a company and work at a couple of other companies and then return to your first company.

 

[BUCN85]

Just like some say. I hear terrible things about Pt sup. BUT. If you are only planning to do it for 2-3 years while you finish your degree and then hit the road. You will have that on a resume. Employers will look at that as a good thing.

 

[fatthief]

Supervisor is really stressful you need to meet your commitment, communicate with your employee to motivate, minimize the hours possible increase pph, lower small %, no read, introduce yourself to upper management, maintain injury free in the area, do whatever upper management says.

 

[elo]

I will be honest it is incredibly stressful. I took the job coming from a small business bookkeeping position. It's not something I see myself doing in 10 years, but it works for me & my family right now. I took the job as a choice, not as a need. That being said I love it. I've got a BS in Agbusiness and don't plan on returning to school, but I wanted to experience working for a large corporation. If I do at some point decide a ft position is necessary this will at least be a resume builder. That's just irrelevant me info though.

I would be cautious as to which sup position I was taking. I see how our reload sup gets treated and it floors me. I'm in the office I communicate with the drivers, customers, and ft management on a daily basis. I monitor misloads, coordinate how those can make service, and try to get everyone's air in on time. Then I spend the rest of my night checking time cards, printing reports, and hunting down packages with exception scans on them that didn't make it to the clerk. I don't hear a whole lot from the ft sups, but that's how I like it. The poor reload sups are constantly getting hammered on flow rate and sealing on time (I would love to elaborate on this one, but can't w/o throwing someone under the bus.) If it's not our center manager coming down on him it's one of the feeder hubs throwing a fit. It's not an easy job, but it can be a great learning experience. As for preload, I'm clueless. No one wants me there before noon.

 

[Integrity]

Hello,

I have been working at UPS for almost 4 months now, I am 20 years old and I am still going to school. Today my supervisor asked me if I am interested in becoming a part time supervisor. I am new here and want to hear all of your opinions. They told me that there is more of a growing opportunity for a career if I become a supervisor than if I stay loading, and this is what I don't understand. Im new and I don't know much, but it seems to me like the only way to go if i stay working at the hub is to become a driver, and honestly I don't want to be a driver for the rest of my life. Can you guys tell me some other ways I would be able to grow within the company? Is there something I can do after driving? Or is there a different direction I can go in?

My plan, or what I was thinking, was to become a part time supervisor and keep going to school for my engineering degree. But a lot of the posts here make it seem like becoming a part time supervisor is a terrible choice. I have seen 2 part time supervisors become full time since I have been working here, and it doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. But thats why I came here, and that's why I am asking you guys.

Thank you in advance!

Fernando20,

There are full time jobs available in Automotive and Engineering(Maintenance) also.

Remember the sad reality of careers and jobs in this cesspool culture we call "Corporate America" is "it is not what you know, it is who you know" that more often than not dictates the career path for individuals.

Sincerely,
I

 

[BrownChoice]

Fernando20,
Remember the sad reality of careers and jobs in this cesspool culture we call "Corporate America" is "it is not what you know, it is who you know" that more often than not dictates the career path for individuals.

Sincerely,
I

That is something Even I can agree with.

 

[btrlov]

it really depends on your personal work ethic.If it was good under the union than the ptsup job would be no problem. UPS has a need for STEM type degree related to computation. But being promoted has more to do with "likeability" to the person that does the promoting

 

[Ouch]

[quotPhotog, post: 1261955, member: 7966"]There is no career at UPS as a Union employee.
There are hard manual jobs that pay well due to the sacrifice of your body ( and mind as you've seen on here) and an expectation pushing yourself to extreme productivity.
The only Union job at UPS that one could consider a career-type job is a Feeder Driver (CDL Tractor-Trailer).

UPS Union jobs do offer one the ability after a period of time to make very good money - Full-timer.

First thing - You need to understand what a career is and then understand whether you are looking for a real career (Lawyer, Engineer, Accountant, Finance, Sales, etc.) or a series of job-assignments that round out your experience at UPS.
Another thing I think I noticed ... you seem to think there is a career with UPS that will allow you to work at UPS your entire work lifetime. That is a concept that died out decades ago at most Corporations. It has died out as a possibility at UPS in the last couple of decades. There will be exceptions but to make the most money, you will have to work for multiple companies to develop and maximize your career.

UPS may offer one opportunities in a career path if you have a degree in a field in which they have a need.
There should be no expectation that anyone in a career path at UPS will work for UPS for their entire work lifetime.
That is not the nature of careers ... one should plan to work for at least 5 companies/corporations during their work lifetime in a career. It is common to start out for a company and work at a couple of other companies and then return to your first company.[/quote]
Wait you're saying that supervision and management are better than union jobs? I would love to debate that. You stated the union jobs are high pay but very demanding on your body? You as one that was in management knows if you work by methods you stay healthy, and fit. I clock out and go home, the sups in our building ( full time ) work 12 to 14 hours a day. They have no voice and are all yes men. Then their is the big one. Union representation. I've seen managers and sups come and go some fired some transfered. The ones that were terminated deserved to be. The ones transfered did too good a job and took up for the drivers they had. It would suck to put 20 plus years in and the company say, you know what we don't need you anymore. Then what? To the op, you really have to be sure of what you want out of a career for you and your family.

 

[Catatonic]

Operations Management are not in in a career typically. Read my post again. I worked at UPS for 40 years of which 35 was in management and I did not have a career.
The OP was asking about careers and since he is in college pursuing an engineering degree, that implies he is interested in developing an engineering based career.

 

[Ouch]

Operations Management are not in in a career typically. Read my post again. I worked at UPS for 40 years of which 35 was in management and I did not have a career.
The OP was asking about careers and since he is in college pursuing an engineering degree, that implies he is interested in developing an engineering based career.

My apology to you sir. I misread the thread. I'm man enough to admit it. Or maybe I didn't read his thread correctly, anyway my apology. Congrats on such a long career with UPS. But I was right about the methods part lol lol. Please accept.

 

[Catatonic]

My apology to you sir. I misread the thread. I'm man enough to admit it. Or maybe I didn't read his thread correctly, anyway my apology. Congrats on such a long career with UPS. But I was right about the methods part lol lol. Please accept.

NP

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

Pt stupurvisor is lower than pond scum ....full time stumper islet gets about the respect pond scum receives. Any more questions??

 

[mercury7]

Pt stupurvisor is lower than pond scum ....full time stumper islet gets about the respect pond scum receives. Any more questions??

Sups get treated like pond scum but that doesn't mean we are...

 

[JustAPerspective]

As a part time supervisor you will have a refined skillset shoved down your throat but you will gain those valuable skills. It is an excellent resume builder but you have to put up with a lot of stress and unreasonable expectations. If you can deal with the crap it's a great opportunity, you will grow in ways you didn't know you could or eventually cave trying to.

 

[Rubber Puckies]

I just got promoted to PT sup. I worked this peak as a temp driver, was hired on PT preload and am going to school full time. center manager talked with me and offered the position and I took it. I wasn't in the union cause I didn't make it the 30 days, so it wasn't like I was sacrificing anything, and it seemed like a good fit for me. A lot of the union guys make jokes that I made a big mistake, but I have yet to see it. I now get benefits for my family and I, and make a little more money and it works perfect with my school schedule. I haven't seen the negatives yet, and once I get my degree I'll have a pretty decent resume. I say go for it.


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[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I just got promoted to PT sup. I worked this peak as a temp driver, was hired on PT preload and am going to school full time. center manager talked with me and offered the position and I took it. I wasn't in the union cause I didn't make it the 30 days, so it wasn't like I was sacrificing anything, and it seemed like a good fit for me. A lot of the union guys make jokes that I made a big mistake, but I have yet to see it. I now get benefits for my family and I, and make a little more money and it works perfect with my school schedule. I haven't seen the negatives yet, and once I get my degree I'll have a pretty decent resume. I say go for it.

Are you planning on making this your career or is just a job while you finish your degree? If this is going to be your career you may have been better off to have stayed an hourly. If this is just a job you are right in that having UPS on your resume will be very beneficial to you.

 

[Rubber Puckies]

Are you planning on making this your career or is just a job while you finish your degree? If this is going to be your career you may have been better off to have stayed an hourly. If this is just a job you are right in that having UPS on your resume will be very beneficial to you.

I'm not too sure yet. I've read a lot about it and many people warn to not get old at UPS waiting for an opportunity because it may never come. For now my intent is to focus and get my degree. When that day comes I will be immediately looking for a full time opportunity, be it with UPS or someone else. Plus I drove for peak and I'm not sure I could do your job for 30+ years, though the compensation is very nice.


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[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The job has changed to the point where I'm not sure I could do it for 30 years.

What are you going to school for?