How to Get a Job at UPS
United Parcel Service, or UPS, operates as one of the largest and most successful logistics and shipping companies in the world. Job hunters find a plethora of seasonal, part-time, and full-time employment opportunities on the UPS website. Candidates request employment by creating profiles and completing hiring forms at the Careers section of the site.
Hiring Process Overview
1 on 1 or Group Interviews Depending on PositionHuman resource representatives then contact eligible applicants to set up interviews. Entry-level interviews for positions like driver helper, truck loader, or package handler usually commence with a tour of the building and move on to 1:1 or panel meetings with hiring managers. The UPS interview process includes interviews of 10 to 15 candidates at a time for part-time or seasonal positions, with hiring personnel spending several minutes with each applicant before making employment decisions. A single interview typically suffices for delivery applicants to gain hiring consideration with the logistics company.
Management Positions Interviews UPS also interviews job seekers for a variety of management positions. The delivery company frequently uses the panel interview format, with multiple hiring managers interviewing managerial candidates. Some hiring procedures for management positions require applicants to participate in multiple UPS job interviews.
What to Expect
Background check, drug tests Drug testing and criminal background checks remain common formalities during the entry-level hiring process.
During group meetings, hiring personnel typically take a few minutes to outline job duties and company expectations before asking candidates a few questions one-on-one.
What Questions Do They Ask?
Common inquiries used during the UPS interview process include:
- “Are you aware of the physical demands of this job?”
- Can you lift 70 pounds?
- “Did you play any sports in high school or college?”
Questions for Drivers Driver candidates field UPS interview questions concerning:
- past commercial or delivery driving experience
- following directions
- interpreting maps
- computer and customer service skills
Popular prompts include:
- “Tell me about a time you drove/delivered a package in inclement weather.”
- “How well do you know the area?”
Questions for Managers Interviewers often ask behavioral and situational questions like:
- How would you deal with a conflict between two subordinates?
- “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision from upper management; how did you move forward?”
- “How would you motivate an employee who seems depressed?”
Answer questions briefly, using professional tones.
How to Dress
What should you wear?Applicants vying for manual labor jobs like driver helper or package handler should dress business-casual for an interview with UPS. Due to the nature of the job, candidates who wear overly formal attire to the job interview may not necessarily improve chances of hire.
How to Behave
Show enthusiasm and interest in UPS operations during the tour of the building, and ask questions if given the opportunity. Refer to prior employment when possible to demonstrate experience and competency in management. Keep responses focused on company values, employee morale, and customer service, as well. Remain patient and consistent throughout each portion of the UPS hiring process and thank all hiring personnel for the opportunity at the conclusion.
Getting the Job
Recruitment staff usually makes hiring decisions at the end of the meeting. Hiring managers usually contact applicants with employment decisions via telephone and schedule starting dates for orientation and driver school within a week of the final interview.
Insider Tips
Watch Videos: former UPS employees discuss working for UPS:
UPS Driver Helper Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.UPS Driver Helper: I was a driver helper. Basically, you are with the driver and his route for the day, assisting in the package delivery, organization, and making sure everything is where it needs to be.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?UPS Driver Helper: You’re pretty much exposed to the elements, whether it’s a hot day, cold day, whatever it may be. You’re out there, you’re outside. You’re moving a lot, you’re lifting packages on and off the truck all day.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?UPS Driver Helper: My favorite part about was it’s just you and another person. It’s not really the whole coordination between a whole lot of different moving parts. It’s just you, the driver, the packages, and just kind of get the job done. It’s a partnership and real easy team effort.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.UPS Driver Helper: For the driver helper position, you usually have a set spot in the area where you meet your driver every day. And from there, you’re hitting him mid-route, just continue the rest of the day with him, and when you get to a neighborhood, he’ll give you packages to hit these houses while he’s over here doing this. So you’re working independently from him, until you run out of packages, and then just get back on the truck and go to the next area and just kind of repeat.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?UPS Driver Helper: For UPS, you usually have an online application. If you get accepted, you’ll be called in for orientation. It’s a group interview initially, so there’ll be 15-16 people sometimes. You get the background for what the position is. Then, if you decide to stay after being presented with all of that, you’ll be offered an individual interview. They pretty much ask about your job history and general things, like job history, interests, experience, anything that will be related to the organization or physical ability related to the job.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?UPS Driver Helper: Pretty much they just want to know that you can work with the driver, that you’re going to be kind of in that subordinate role, you can work under superiors, that you’re going to be able to lift over 75 pounds, that you kind of have your wits about you and the environment and the main focus, and that you’re cognitively capable of performing duties.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?UPS Driver Helper: I think initially I felt that I had a good interview and good organization. I think that’s really one of the biggest things they were looking for, that you’re organized and that you have experience working with other people. Because if you’re very introverted, then it’ll be kind of difficult to have that partner relationship with you and the driver. That’s what they’re really looking for is that kind of extrovert personality that you’re able to get out of yourself. That’s kind of what helped me get the position.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?UPS Driver Helper: I think for anyone looking for a job with UPS as the driver helper position, really be prepared to work rain, shine, whatever it may be – because whether or not the weather is good or bad, you’re going to be out there regardless. It’s really about physical preparedness. Working in the winter sometimes and if you don’t have your gloves, you’re going to be freezing all day. It’s really about being prepared, but it’s nothing too difficult or too daunting. It really is a fun experience if you go about it in the right way.
UPS Package Handler Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.UPS Package Handler: I was an inbound package handler. We took boxes into the truck. Basically, all we did was load them into the truck.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?UPS Package Handler: The environment is going to be the elements of outside. It could be very cold in there, or it could be very hot in there. You better watch out because there’s a lot of things you can bump your elbows and knees on.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.UPS Package Handler: A typical workday, you go in, I guess you wait until the belts come on. Once you’re in your truck, boxes begin to come in. You just load them up as so. The boxes will probably start off pretty slow, then the volume will pick up. Then you’ll work a little bit harder.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?UPS Package Handler: As you start off, it’s always good to know somebody there. I actually had a friend who worked there. Basically, you just go online, fill out your application. Maybe a couple weeks or so they’ll give you a call. Come in for the interview. Then they give you an overview as well. That lasts about a few days, to go in there and watch the videos. After that you’re training with someone in the truck. Someone else is actually helping you load the boxes in the truck. After they feel that you’ve got the hang of, because there’s kind of a technique to stacking the boxes, once you get the technique down it’s pretty simple. Then they just leave you on your own.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?UPS Package Handler: They asked, obviously, if you can lift at least 50 pounds, because the boxes are pretty heavy. Some actually are more than 50 pounds. There’s obviously, “What’s your schedule look like?” “Are you working part time? Full time?”
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?UPS Package Handler: My determination, because I was in school while I was doing this. If you’re a dedicated worker that would probably be the best way to be distinguished.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?UPS Package Handler: If need a good part-time job, UPS probably could work out because the hours are reasonable. The workload’s a little heavy, so you’ve got to be prepared to work if you’re really going to go there. You can’t really be too lazy. I guess it’s a pretty secure job. So long as you just continue doing your job, you can move up. If you’re looking for some kind of advancement then it actually would be pretty good too.
UPS Call Center Associate Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.UPS Call Center Associate: With UPS, I basically just worked customer service; did a lot of phone and working with people who couldn’t track their package. It’s just basically very simple. “Hi, thank you for calling UPS. This is Kayla. How may I help you?” So, that kind of person.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?UPS Call Center Associate: It was fine. It was just kind of like a call center kind of thing. Yeah, you know, your supervisor walking around making sure everything’s okay – “You got any issues?” – mainly just to make sure people weren’t texting or doing something they’re not supposed to be doing during the time. Sometimes, it was very slow. Other nights or other days, it was very fast.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?UPS Call Center Associate: Working for UPS, my favorite part, basically my job. It was because it was so simple and it wasn’t like I had to get dressed up or anything like that. It was just really relaxed environment. Being a college student, I think if you’re going to class you don’t want to be in a suit and tie, so you can just go to class, go to work, and then be done. It wasn’t, I think, where you had to make sure you looked… I mean, you had to be presentable anyways, but you didn’t have to look like… you weren’t in front of people, in front of customers. You were just over the phone.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?UPS Call Center Associate: The interview process for me, because I was in customer service – have I ever worked in customer service before, which I had. Basically, you know, how would you handle this situation? Like, they might give you a mock phone call kind of thing. Really nothing besides the general questions about yourself and the company, they’d explain a lot of things to you and mostly, like them telling you things about the company and what you’d be doing, your job duties, and if you feel like you can do that or not.
Interviewer: Did you earn any benefits or other job perks?UPS Call Center Associate: Working at UPS, I know, like my position and because I was temporary help, like I said I was hired for, which was fine. I know UPS has offered tuition assistance for those who work in the warehouse. I have friends who actually take it, you know, work at UPS and love that part about the company. UPS is very supportive of college students, thus again tuition reimbursement. After you work there for a year, you can get healthcare benefits and paid vacation time, which I think is great for college students to be able to get, because they usually don’t get that until they get into like their big job after graduation. So, they’re a company about their workers and taking care of the workers, and making sure their workers are advancing in their personal life.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?UPS Call Center Associate: Applying for UPS, I think you want to check, like see what job opportunities they have, because there’s different departments, and see what you feel would work best for you. If you’re not good on a phone, you could also work in the warehouse and do a lot of packaging, things like that or vice versa. If you know you can’t lift heavy things, you might want to do clerical work. And interviewing for UPS, again, when you go apply, dress nicely because they might interview you on the spot, which is nice, but it can be a shock to some people and they don’t feel prepared. Know a little about the company, too. That always helps.
UPS Truck Loader Interview Video 2
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.UPS Truck Loader: My job title was a truck loader, and I loaded and unloaded large boxes off of freight trucks.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?UPS Truck Loader: The atmosphere, it was very crowded, very busy, fast-paced.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?UPS Truck Loader: I did the application online. The interview process was… first, you go in. They go over the application that they pulled offline, and then they schedule you to come back, and you might be in a 40-minute, I would call it maybe a, training session just right off. If you make it through that, then that tells you whether if you are going to be hired or not.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?UPS Truck Loader: What they want to know… if you’re in good physical condition, because you do lift boxes more than 30 pounds, so they want to know if you’re physically able to lift real heavy things. That seems to be the question that comes up a lot there, because they want to make sure daily that you are able to do that work.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?UPS Truck Loader: I would tell them if you’re planning on working at UPS, be strong minded. Be in your best physical condition, because it’s going to take it. It’s very fast-paced. It’s very physical, so when you are ready to go to UPS, be ready to work.
More UPS Interview Videos:
Related Links:UPS application
