What Are the Different Types of Mailroom Jobs?

It likely comes as no surprise that working in a mailroom involves processing mail. In order to keep a mailroom running smoothly, however, particularly in the case of large companies, the work of mailroom employees must be broken down into a number of specific jobs. Generally, mailroom jobs can be divided into two main categories: those related to incoming mail and those related to outgoing mail. Incoming mail usually requires sorting and delivery, while outgoing mail may need to be collected, weighed, labeled, and scheduled for pickup. In mailrooms that employ multiple clerks, one individual will often serve as a manager, delegating and overseeing the different mailroom jobs that must be completed each day.

The many different mailroom jobs involved in successfully processing a company’s mail each day can be divided into two main categories: those related to incoming mail and those related to outgoing mail. Handling incoming mail usually begins with sorting. In the case of small companies, mail may be immediately sorted according to recipient, while at large companies, incoming letters and parcels may first be sorted by department and then organized according to recipient. Depending on mail volume, this sorting process may be performed by hand or may be completed with the assistance of automated equipment. Once incoming mail has been sorted, one or more mailroom employees may deliver the mail either to individual recipients or to departmental mailboxes.

Other mailroom jobs revolve around handling outgoing mail. Outgoing items may be delivered directly to a mailroom via a chute system, or may be collected from individual senders or departmental offices or outboxes by mailroom clerks. Once outgoing items have arrived in the mailroom, they may need to be weighed and labeled with postage or other necessary information. Mailroom clerks may need to schedule pickups for items to be handled by private delivery companies. Outgoing items may then be placed in external mailboxes, in a designated pickup area, or, in the case of internal mail, rerouted to the appropriate department or individual.

In large mailrooms which employ multiple clerks, one individual may serve as a supervisor, delegating and overseeing the different mailroom jobs which must be performed each day. For instance, a mailroom supervisor may assign sorting duties to one employee, departmental delivery and collection duties to another, and weighing and labeling duties to yet another. The supervisor may also be responsible for performing higher-level mailroom jobs, such as managing private delivery company accounts and ordering postage supplies.