SYRACUSE — After constant news of cuts, it may surprise you to hear snail mail is alive and well here in Central New York. Kathleen Cuskyk is the transition coordinator for the US Postal Service based at the Syracuse headquarters on North Taft Road.
“This building took on Utica, Binghamton, and Watertown. We’ve closed those plants and now this is the main processing facility so we’re very busy,” says Cusyk.
Despite the cuts, the US Postal Service is still hiring workers in Syracuse. They are full time, but benefits aren’t included.
“We’re mostly looking to hire what we call city carrier assistants so mailmen. It’s a very tough job though. They can walk up to 10 miles per day, their sack can weigh up to 35 pounds and they do 600 to 650 deliveries per day,” says Cusyk.
The postal service isn’t the only industry hiring. In the past year, several areas have seen job growth here in New York including educational and health services and leisure and hospitality.
If you came to career services at Syracuse University the first question Director Mike Cahill would ask you is what do you want to do and then frame your job search around that answer.
“Be aware of what opportunities are available right now but focus first on yourself and determine what it is that you have to offer and what you’re most interested in doing and then structure your approach to the job market along those lines,” says Cahill.
The good news is there are jobs out there.
“I see it this year as slightly improving from last year which improved slightly on the year before so I think the options, possibilities and opportunities are pretty solid,” says Cahill.