Couriers and Messengers
Overview
SaveJob Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
Pick up and deliver messages, documents, packages, and other items between offices or departments within an establishment or directly to other business concerns, traveling by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, automobile, or public conveyance.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $48K |
| Median: | $30K |
| Low: | $21K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.
- Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.
- Receive messages or materials to be delivered, and information on recipients, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, communicated via telephone, two-way radio, or in person.
- Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.
- Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
- Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.
- Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.
- Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.
- Unload and sort items collected along delivery routes.
- Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.
- Plan and follow the most efficient routes for delivering goods.
- Collect, seal, and stamp outgoing mail, using postage meters and envelope sealers.
- Use telephone to deliver verbal messages.
- Perform general office or clerical work, such as filing materials, operating duplicating machines, or running errands.
- Perform routine maintenance on delivery vehicles, such as monitoring fluid levels and replenishing fuel.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
77%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Transportation
76%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
English Language
70%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Public Safety and Security
48%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administrative
46%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Geography
45%
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Law and Government
43%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Medicine and Dentistry
39%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Administration and Management
38%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Computers and Electronics
38%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
65%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
65%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
65%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking
60%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
60%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation
60%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Writing
60%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making
58%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
55%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
55%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
73%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
73%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Far Vision
65%
The ability to see details at a distance.
Multilimb Coordination
65%
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Near Vision
65%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition
65%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
65%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Category Flexibility
63%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Finger Dexterity
63%
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Information Ordering
63%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
84%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information
80%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
80%
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
73%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Handling and Moving Objects
73%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
67%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
65%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing General Physical Activities
63%
Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
61%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
60%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Detailed Work Activities
- Deliver items.
- Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
- Load materials or equipment.
- Unload materials or equipment.
- Relay information between personnel.
- Analyze shipping information to make routing decisions.
- Sort mail.
- Obtain written authorization to perform activities.
- Record shipping information.
- Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
- Maintain mechanical equipment.
- Provide notifications to customers or patrons.
- Operate office equipment.
- File documents or records.
- Prepare outgoing mail.
Education
Interests
Conventional
78%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Realistic
61%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Social
44%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
40%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Investigative
17%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Artistic
15%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Relationships
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
29%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
29%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.