Envelope Machine Operator

An envelope is a bit like a piece of fine origami: The paper is folded several times and the folds are glued together perfectly. A hole is sometimes cut in the center of the envelope, and a tiny piece of clear paper is glued to that hole.

All of this work is done by machine, which makes you an origamist of sorts if you’re the Envelope Machine Operator who’s running that machine.

As an Envelope Machine Operator, you start your workday by loading a large roll of paper onto your machine, making sure it’s perfectly straight. You also load glue into the machine, then turn it on while crossing your fingers that the run will go smoothly and perfectly. Sometimes, you stop the machine and check the envelopes to make sure they’re straight, folded properly, and glued together securely. Your machine has a counter and bundles a specified amount of envelopes together, but you may pull out a sample set and count the envelopes by hand to ensure that the counter is working properly.

As an Envelope Machine Operator, you also clean the machine periodically so excess glue doesn’t build up and stain the paper. If the machine jams with paper or glue during a run, you stop it and clear out the jam as quickly as possible.

After the run, you pack the completed envelopes into boxes and take them to the shipping department for delivery. You make these trips quickly so you can return to your machine and make more envelopes. If you find maple donuts in the delivery area, however, you might be forgiven for stopping and taking a quick bite.