Manager at USPS New Talent Acquisition and Retention Division
Navy chief petty officer seeks veterans for the U.S. Postal Service.
by Warren Duffie

What image comes to mind when you hear those words? Your friendly neighborhood mail carrier? The clerk at the post office? If so, Douglas Greene wants to change your perception a bit.

“The public normally associates the U.S. Postal Service with our letter carriers and retail clerks,” he said. “That’s fine, but we also want them to be aware of our other jobs – accountants, human resources professionals, engineers, real estate agents, to name a few.”

On the Job
As manager of the Postal Service’s new Talent Acquisition and Retention division in Washington, D.C., Greene’s main responsibility is filling and educating job seekers about these “critical” employment openings. He oversees 12 recruiters who visit colleges and military bases and partner with professional organizations to find premier talent.

And talent is needed for a variety of positions. Sales and marketing, electronic technicians, information technology, human supply management, labor relations, and finance are just some of the areas requiring skilled people.

“Right now, for example, we’re looking for accountants knowledgeable of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act [which addresses the regulation of corporate financial practice and governance],” said Greene, 43. “That’s such a complicated piece of legislation and many organizations are searching for accounting professionals experienced with or educated about it.”

One talent pool that Greene and his recruiters are targeting is the military. Of the Postal Service’s 800,000 employees, 25 percent (more than 170,000) have military experience. Greene personally knows that, regardless of branch or rank, military veterans bring drive, initiative, commitment, and adaptability to the job.

“I like to use myself as an example,” said the 24-year Navy veteran. “I was a hospital corpsman, but as I moved up the ranks I became involved in more administrative work, as well as training and career development. The leadership and communication skills I developed come into play each day here.”

America’s Second-Largest Employer
The Postal Service is America’s second-largest employer. In addition to highly competitive basic pay rates, most employees receive regular salary increases, overtime pay, night shift differential, and Sunday premium pay.

Benefits include health insurance, participation in the federal retirement program, a Thrift Savings Plan, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, and social security and Medicare.

“There are a lot of military veterans working for the Postal Service,” said Greene, “more than 170,000. If you’re coming out of the service, it’s a great working environment with a true team spirit and camaraderie.”

In Uniform
A Northern Virginia native, Greene applied to Navy officer candidate school in 1982. Although he wasn’t accepted, he did go on to enlist in the Navy as a hospital corpsman. After boot camp and hospital corpsman training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., he served in California,
Texas, Virginia, Maryland, and Okinawa. Greene’s final duty station was with a Medical Corps Recruiting unit in Bethesda, Md.

In September 2006, Greene left the Navy: “I had served 24 years and knew it was time to go. I didn’t want to hang on, and had advanced as far as I could.”

The Transition
The chief petty officer took his transition classes and, more importantly, followed his own advice about leaving the military.

“I used to tell people to do volunteer work with a civilian organization so they could network, learn new skills, and get a taste of the civilian workplace,” he said. “Right before I got out, I volunteered in the human resources department at a hospital in Maryland and secured a very nice letter of recommendation from my supervisor.”

Meanwhile, Greene was working on his master’s in quality systems management at a satellite campus of the National Graduate School. While attending classes, fate seemed to push him toward a job with the Postal Service.

“I took a Six Sigma class and the instructor was a former postal service executive – same thing with the department chair,” said Greene. “I had the chance to speak with both of them about my military retirement and they really encouraged me to check out the Postal Service. So I went to their Web site, saw an opening for a senior recruiter, and applied. I was hired and then promoted to my current job about six months later.”

While his transition was smooth, the “sticker shock” of civilian life hit him hard. Greene said he earned a higher salary but took home less pay after all the taxes were deducted.

“In the military, you don’t realize the tax breaks you receive,” he said, “as well as those nice cost of living allowances. That’s why you need to plan your transition well in advance.”