German-born Jens Schulten (above) was
always fond of the United States; so much so he purchased a home in Fort Myers,
where he planned to spend winters after retirement. But fate
took him in a different direction when he won the Green Card lottery
which gave him the chance to live and work in America as a permanent resident.
“Prior to moving to the
United States, I was a driving instructor. I had my own company,” the
Sanibel Island rural carrier says. “Since driving schools are much
different here, I decided to look for other opportunities. That’s when I
saw the Postal Service was hiring.
“I took the online test
and another test in person in Naples,” he explains. “I was eventually
interviewed here on Sanibel Island and hired in April 2010.
“I never thought about delivering mail before,” he says. “People think it’s an easy job because they just see the mail carriers driving around and putting the mail in the mailbox and nothing else. But it’s not so easy; it’s harder than I thought.
“We start early in the
morning here. We have to case everything and prepare the packages for our
routes,” Schulten says. “The heat can be excessive so that’s another
challenge to the job. I have 450 deliveries made up of condominiums and
businesses.”
Knowing his customers
and having a good relationship with them is very important to Schulten.
“Most of my customers appreciate the service I provide. We get some nice
letters from time to time. Some of them have ‘We Love Mail Carriers’ stickers
on their mailboxes,” he says with a smile. “I’m happy that they appreciate
my service.
“Here everybody
knows one another. Sanibel is a nice place to work,” he
says. “And I enjoy coming over the causeway in the morning and having
the chance to see the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico.
“I think this is really
a good job. It’s like a family here on the island. I get excited about my
job,” he says as he prepares to make another delivery. “And the Postal Service,
of course, is a great company to work for.”
