Job as a courier / messenger?

It isn't easy, I will grant you that. My main comments are that:

• You are paid per parcel delivered rather than any minimum guarantee. As far as I recall I was earning an average of £2.50 to £3.00 per parcel. Rates could be different now. Do the maths to calculate how many you need to deliver a day to get to the wage you want. As I recall the most I did in a day was 45.
  
• It will take time to build up the ability to deliver a good number of parcels per day. You need to learn client locations and central London A-Z. You also need to develop a good relationship with your handler, so that they give you parcels (rather than giving it to any of the umpteen other couriers they handle).
  
• Being able to deliver multiple parcels from different clients to different locations at the same time is critical if you want to earn enough, so try to start doing that as early as possible.
  
• When you go to interview / start work make sure you clearly understand the protocol for communicating over the radio quickly and efficiently. Try and find a firm that starts you off with a radio rather than with you using your own mobile. They are more likely to be a serious operation.
  
• You need a large waterproof messenger bag. If you can carry 4-5 large lever arch files in it, it is probably big enough (although no bag is ever really big enough).
  
• Carry at least three spare tubes at all times.
  
• Make sure you eat well. I lost a stone in a month when I started out. In particular, make sure you eat a good lunch (or enough during the day). I found that my concentration could start to waver in the afternoon and that is when accidents are likely to happen.
  
• Clients treats you like you are at the bottom of the food chain. If you would have a problem dealing with this it is not the job for you.
  
• With summer coming there will be a surge in demand for jobs, so it may not be straightforward to find an opening immediately.