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Need Advice from commuters: Long commute, worth taking job?
Hi ladies,
So I am fortunate enough to have two job offers within the same industry. My question is, would you take a job with a long commute to make 50% more money? Are you currently commuting everyday at least an hour or more and is it worth it? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
My husband thinks i'm insane for considering the company where my commute is longer but the pay is higher (higher than what gas would cost, plus I drive a prius). The offer where I would be closer pays less and I would be in training twice as long (meaning low pay while in training). Thanks!
Re: Need Advice from commuters: Long commute, worth taking job?
Commuting makes the work day that much longer. Is the commute an hour with or without traffic? Try driving it during the morning and afternoon like you would if you worked there. In Austin Tx it takes 30 minutes to get across town. During rush hour it can take 2+ hours depending on where you work and live.
I say if the commute is an hour then it's worth taking. Only you can decide. You can get audio books and make the commute productive and enjoyable too.
i agree with PP, it depends where you live. How is the winter weather by you? Warm, Cold, lots of snow? What is traffic like. An hour of steady driving isnt a big deal, i used to do that commute but laced with traffic is stressful and frustrating.
Also- which job would you take if you didn't have to make the commute or do you like both equally? Do you need the extra money?
I did a 90 minute commute (3 hours) for years because the pay was better and it was just a better company. It does take it's toll on you and the gas adds up. But I listened to CD lessons, audiobooks, etc and made the best of it. Sometimes I was about to take the train. Is there any public transit?
50% more is alot. I would suggest calculating the fuel/wear&tear (you did) on your car and any additional city/county taxes along with driving it once like you would for work. Would this make it a 11 hour day? What are you sacrificing? Can you live with that?
From what you have said, I would do the commute
Thank you everyone for all of the insight. I have to be honest with myself that it's not an easy commute. If any of you know the D.C. beltway area, then you know traffic is a nightmare. However two of the work days are weekends and the other days are non peak rush hour times 10-7pm. Not that is makes it any better. So if there were no traffic issues at all, it's close to an hour one way. Of course if there is traffic, then it could be at least 90 minutes.
50% is alot more so I have to decide if it's worth making it a possible 12 hour day. And yes, I have two kids.
If there were no commuting between both jobs, I would take the one that is the long commute because they are so similar and the companies are so similar so it comes down to the pay.
May 2013 January Siggy
I too have a job offer, but the job is 3 hour commute away, which really means I drive up Monday morning and come back Friday afternoon.
I have to think about accommodation, gas and time away from my bf.
Jobs are so scarce that I really need to take this one!
There is flexibility in that I can work from home some of the days.
Good luck with your decision!
I think it boils down to work/life balance since I have children. Although I love the company and the people are so great, the thought of a 12 hour day if I had to commute is just not appealing and will probably cause me to want to quit later on down the road. Then I may not be so lucky with job offers. I think on Monday I will decline the offer with the long commute. Thank you for all your advice
I've commuted for about two years in the Chicago area now. My commute has usually been a solid 2 hours each way. I don't know what type of commute you're looking at, but I would personally only consider that if you weren't going to do it long-term. People that I know that have done it long-term are the ones that get burnt out and I know there have been studies that show the effects this time apart can have on a relationship.
While I don't think you should necessarily bow down to your husband's wish, I also think the longer hours will put a lot of stress on your relationship if he didn't want you to take the job in the first place. These are all things to consider.
Overwhelmingly, though, the main thing you should be thinking about is how long you are willing to commute timewise. Will you do this if/when you have kids? What are you going to do if you start commuting and find that you just don't have enough hours in the day to get stuff done at home or to go to the gym or whatever you currently do in your free time?
I commuted from Fredericksburg to D.C. for over a year, and it was rough on both my husband and on me. I would seriously consider if the money is worth it, because it took a toll on me and it definitely strained our relationship because I was so tired by the end of the week. In the end, the money and prestigious job weren't worth running myself ragged just to work.
I tried taking the commuter train, driving all the way in, driving to the metro then metro-ing in, and they all had advantages and disadvantages.Yes, you can listen to books on tape, read on the train, etc, but you are still committing 3 - 4 hours of every day to travel to an 8 hour job.
Plus, living and working in DC/Northern Virginia, there was always something to make the commute longer, whether it was serious traffic on 95 or the Metro/VRE delays caused by weather or a sick passenger, etc. Even if you still arrive at work on time, nothing puts you in a bad mood like trekking 2+ hours just to get into work so you can put in a full 8 hours, then take the trip home.
Another thing to consider: I got a bad stomach bug and got sick at work and had to leave early, and instead of being able to quickly get home, I had to take a metro to Union Station, then a 1.5 hour train ride just to then get in my car to drive myself home from the VRE station. None of that helped my stomach. In cases of emergency and sickness, it's sure nice to be close to home.
You also spend more money just to get into the office, weather it's the ever-increasing price of public transportation, or gas and wear & tear on your car. The salary is 50% more, but the time you spend in work mode is also 50% more, and with the added expenses, is the additional money off-setting your time & monetary investments?
If you could, I would recommend taking a test commute for a few days - see how you feel after 3 or 4 days commuting to your job.
Oh gosh, D.C. traffic made me thankful for the Metro system.
I now live in northwest Colorado. My typical daily commute is 40 minutes, but with snow or summer road construction, it's an hour or more. I hate it. I like my job, but I get to work grouchy and I come home exausted. I'm seriously considering quitting. I want to move closer, but my husband's job is down the highway in the opposite direction.
Commute only if you think you would LOVE your new job. If you only like it, the exaustion and extra time away from home may not be worth it.