Vantaggi
Driver helper is an easy and fun way to get some part-time work and extra money. Every driver I worked with was nice, helpful, and patient. Just follow their lead and instructions and you can't go wrong. Make sure you hustle. Job description is literally taking packages from the truck to a house or office, about as simple as it gets. Customer interaction is generally pretty easygoing. Everybody likes the UPS guy, especially around the holidays. The drivers will teach you how to use the signature board which is very easy to use once you get it down. It took me about two days to master. Also, paid orientation! Ideally you'd like to eventually be assigned to the same route/driver just for consistency's sake. Otherwise you'll be going to different places and different times all the time. At first I was bouncing around different routes but eventually got on the same route for the last couple weeks before Christmas, which was good because it was hours you could count on plus it was more comforting getting used to the route and generally knowing what to expect. Can be physically demanding, but comes with the side effect of getting a good workout during the day. It's an easy job and I'd say better than working at the mall during the Christmas season. I'd definitely do it again.
Svantaggi
Probably the biggest downside is dealing with the winter weather element. Being December, it will more than likely be cold, windy, snowy, etc. One day we had to deliver after an ice storm hit that morning and nearly got the truck stuck. Every porch and step was covered with ice. Got to be careful! As you'd expect it's hourly pay, and work will only come as demand allows for, so the opportunity to make a ton of money is somewhat limited. Some routes may only last for three or four hours, some maybe six to eight, it depends on the route and the volume. I worked a couple eight to nine hour days the week of Christmas. If you are good at the job and a driver puts in a good word, the opportunity to work every day should be there, but there's no guarantee. Also, sometimes they will try to limit your hours if you're working a lot in a particular week, which is understandable on one hand but also kind of silly. No lunch break, so bring food. Generally there's not too much time to snack anyway on the route. I learned to eat a lot before work which would help, especially after a shift ending at 8 pm or so.