The person in charge of a company’s incoming and outgoing mail is commonly known as a mailroom clerk. She usually works in a room where letters and packages are received and prepared for shipping by the local post office or an independent shipping service. A mailroom clerk may work for a private company, a government agency, a non-profit organization, or a military unit.
When mail is delivered to a large company, it is usually delivered to a single centralized station or room. Typically, the mailroom clerk divides the mail by department, then further by the people who work in each department. She loads the sorted items into a mail cart and distributes the mail throughout the company according to a predetermined route. The mailroom clerk may pick up outgoing letters and small packages along her route, as well as deliver non-mail memos and messages between departments, if space and time allow.
The mailroom clerk is frequently in charge of preparing shipments when a company ships packages as part of its business. She is usually expected to be familiar with the shipping rates and practices of a variety of mail forwarding companies so that she can select the quickest and most cost-effective method for shipping various types of mail. If certain shipments require special handling or instructions, the mailroom clerk is typically expected to follow those instructions.
Companies frequently use computer-generated shipping documents. Companies frequently set up an online account with various shippers, who bill the company on a regular basis for their services, shipping labels, and supplies. A mailroom clerk is typically responsible for ordering supplies and keeping track of postage accounts.
Some employers may expect the clerk to be able to operate a variety of mailing tools and machines. Postage meters, scales, sorting and labeling machines, electric envelope openers, sealers, and fold-and-insert equipment are all common examples. Taping or stapling machines may be used to securely seal boxes and parcels if a company ships large packages on a regular basis.
To perform her job effectively, a mailroom clerk is usually required to have good organizational skills. She must be in good physical condition in order to lift and transport heavy packages. To create shipping documents and maintain related files and records, good computer skills are usually required.
A high school diploma or equivalent is usually required to work as a mailroom clerk. For these positions, experience in an office or shipping environment is typically preferred. A large number of mailroom clerks see the job as a stepping stone to higher-paying jobs within the company.