My FedEx Experience

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My wrists ache. It's been two days since I worked on the line unloading trucks for FedEx, and my wrists still ache. The three week experiment has come to an end, and now I'm considering other options.

It was a few weeks ago that I decided to try being a seasonal package handler for Federal Express. My 6 months of unemployment payments had come to an end, and something needed to take its place. It was never going to be enough hours to cover the difference, though.

The process was simple enough. I applied online, went through a background check, and was called in for orientation and training. Orientation took just a few hours, and training was covered over two days, a few hours each. Then I went to work on the line, unloading trucks.

The first two days they had me pushing heavy packages out onto the conveyer belt from the trucks. It was sweaty work but straightforward enough. Then they put me on small packages, which you would think would be easier, but really it's not. The small packages are grouped into tote bags for shipping, then once unloaded are sorted into color-coded plastic crates for the next leg of their journey. This is heavy work, both with the totes and the crates, and speed is of the essence. 

Other days I was assigned to actually unload trucks, and this was perhaps the heaviest work. Many smaller packages, yes, but also many rather heavy items. I saw a medium-sized refrigerator go through one day. Furniture tended to be the heaviest, although flooring once caught me off guard with how heavy it was. I have a new appreciation for what it takes to get our packages delivered. 

Someone I used to work with commented the following when I posted to LinkedIn about my FedEx job: "What does it say about the job market that right now that you're being hired for a skill 100M other people can do and not your more specialized project management skills." It's true that the job market is brutal right now, and project/program managers like myself can't see to catch a break.

I have done a lot right only to end up in this situation. I have 15 years of experience in project/program management, the PMP certification, and two relevant Masters degrees. All that and I still have spent over 7 months looking for a job. 

So now it's on to trying out Doordash as a revenue stream, just to keep the minor bills paid. Another experiment, and one that I hope won't fail like the FedEx gig. At least my wrists will get a rest. 

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