How Do I Become a Pick Packer?

A pick packer prepares a company’s products for shipment. This job won’t necessarily require you to have a specific level of education, though some employers might prefer high school graduates or individuals with general educational development (GED) diplomas. Instead, you may be hired based on your ability to read, write, and perform other basic tasks. You may also have to be physically fit to become a pick packer.

In many cases, you will only need enough education to ensure that you can interpret written communication and write well for this job. The ability to perform basic calculations, such as those involved with tallying the number of items in a box or the number of shipping containers used to package a person’s order, are usually necessary as well. While you can build these skills without graduating from high school, some employers may advertise specifically for high school graduates or prefer to applicants who have high school diplomas. The possession of a diploma or its equivalent may demonstrate a minimum level of knowledge and skill that some companies want in their workers.

Some basic computer ability is often important when you want to become a pick packer. This job may require you to retrieve listings of purchased items from a computer in order to locate the items and package them. You may also need to be able to use basic data entry skills in order to input details about an order and its packaging into a company’s database. Often, these jobs also require the printing of labels and sometimes the use of a scanner to copy information from a label into a computer system.

Decision-making skills are often required for pick packing jobs. When you become a pick packer, you will likely have to consider an order and choose boxes or other containers in which to package them. You may also have to choose packaging materials in order to ensure that items reach their destinations intact. For example, you may have to decide whether to use bubble wrap or packing peanuts if your employer doesn't specify that you always use one over the other.

You can typically apply for this job with a warehouse or distribution center. Essentially, any company that ships a large number of products to customers may have appropriate job openings. Often, retail companies offer these jobs, but companies that supply retailers and sell equipment and supplies to other types of businesses may have openings as well.

Most of these jobs also require basic physical abilities. For example, you will have to bend and lift to perform this job, sometimes handling heavy or bulky items once you become a pick packer. You may also have to reach over your head to retrieve products or climb a ladder to reach products on high shelves. Additionally, such a job often requires a good deal of standing and walking.