85-90 mile round trip, is it worthwhile?

MrXpert

Hi,
Some of you may already know i'm unemployed and looking for a 1st Line entry level IT role. I've been out of work since last Oct so basically a full year now with no work but i've used the time to gain a few entry level certs. long story short, I've come across an entry level role that seems to be based in house supporting their own users etc. Problem is is the distance, its 45 miles from where I live. The salary pays between £15k-17.5k in pound notes. I calculated i'd be doing 450miles approx for the week(mon to fri) + on top of that 240 miles at the weekend as my gf lives far away. so basically about 700 miles per week. My gf doesnt want me to apply as she says that even when we hopefully live together next year we're we intend to move to is still about 25-30 miles from that job so its not advantageous.
I just want a job.

I'm just wondering what you guys think? is it too far? the money is low but it is an entry level role so its expected, but then when i factor in 700miles per week, that could work out to £100 worth of diesel in just one week. That is two full tank fulls of fuel nearly.

kriscamaro68

MrXpert wrote: »

Hi,
Some of you may already know i'm unemployed and looking for a 1st Line entry level IT role. I've been out of work since last Oct so basically a full year now with no work but i've used the time to gain a few entry level certs. long story short, I've come across an entry level role that seems to be based in house supporting their own users etc. Problem is is the distance, its 45 miles from where I live. The salary pays between £15k-17.5k in pound notes. I calculated i'd be doing 450miles approx for the week(mon to fri) + on top of that 240 miles at the weekend as my gf lives far away. so basically about 700 miles per week. My gf doesnt want me to apply as she says that even when we hopefully live together next year we're we intend to move to is still about 25-30 miles from that job so its not advantageous.
I just want a job.

I'm just wondering what you guys think? is it too far? the money is low but it is an entry level role so its expected, but then when i factor in 700miles per week, that could work out to £100 worth of diesel in just one week. That is two full tank fulls of fuel nearly.

What you need to ask yourself is this: How much do you make right now? From what you said in your post being unemployed that would usually mean $0. Now will this job get you more than $0. If so then it means you should take it regardless of what someone says. Some money is better than no money. Also make sure to factor in gas costs. If in the end it costs more for you to drive out there in gas and insurance then the job pays it isn't worth it as you have nothing left to put into it money wise.

Devilry

Your answers will probably be a bit of a mix here. In my neck of the woods, I have always driven 20-35 miles to an employer, which is common. I live in Atlanta. It is just up to you deciding what you'll put up with.

In my earlier days I was more willing for entry level experience, now I am at 7 miles each way, and I am still complaining and looking for closer.

powerfool

I drive 65 miles round trip right now, and from the parking lot to my desk and back is 2 miles roundtrip. That is probably about the same. How much of it is highway driving? Can you do flex time and not drive during rush hour? Those things make a big difference. Having a job goes a long way in getting your next job, too. Compare it to other things you would do to get ahead... I went to school for four years in the evenings... essentially spending 16 hours a week doing that. How long could you do this job? 1-2 years and you will be sitting pretty for another job.

Version4

I drove 100 miles a day, round trip, for 8 years during my entry level stint. Drive time was nearly 2.5 to 3 hours a day. What made it a little bit better in my situation is I had 4 10 hour days for the first 6 years, so only about 400 miles a week on the car + whatever I do in my 3 days off of work (groceries, errands, trips). The last 2 years of my position I switched to 5 days a week. In both cases, it wasn't that bad. If you hate traffic it probably wouldn't be a good idea. My run was through America's #3 most dangerous Interstate, so it was tricky at times

For me, I survive the long drive times by popping in a technology related podcast sprinkled in with some CBT training. Occasionally I would listen to an audio book. Take your time and treat traffic backups as extra learning time that you get to listen to your podcast/CBT. After you have a bit of seniority at your position, try to convince your boss to let you come in a little later or earlier to miss the large majority of commuter traffic. Maybe even switch to 4 10s instead of 5 8s. There is always going to be traffic, but once you've driven your route a while - you'll learn the patterns and you can adjust accordingly.

Also do some planning ahead for alternate routes. In my neck of the woods, accidents with lane closures are common. So is road construction. Some people have a "commuter only" car just for the drive to work. There are also drive co-ops and drive pools you can join.

If it makes sense financially I don't see the problem with it, especially if you are unemployed. You can always quit if something comes by your way that is closer.

cyberguypr

Agree with the others. Anything is better than zero. And given the current state of affairs where the unemployed are sometimes ignored for open positions, it would help having a job, any job, when you want to move on. I say go for it and if it is meant to be for you, it will be. Again, anything is better than zero.

lsud00d

My commute has never been longer than 10-15 minutes...I think I'll kill myself when it gets to be more than 30 minutes each way

demonfurbie

first how reliable is you car? that can play a huge factor in to the equation

i drive about 1h 15 min (64 miles) each way, its not bad i listen to training vids ive ripped to mp3 so when i get home ive done some studying already so the time isnt wasted

qcomer

50 miles commutes are typical here in Northern CA. I usually live between Chico and Sacramento and 40-50 mile one way is pretty typical for a lot of people, especially IT.

Chipsch

140 miles round trip here. Only takes about 1hr 10minutes each way. I think it boils down to how bad do you want the position? I wanted mine bad and it was a nice increase in pay that more than compensated for the gas/wear and tear. If you are going to show a profit after calculating in gas/wear and tear and for some people sanity for the long drive then I say go for it. Perhaps it will eventually lead you to that next big break?

Priston

The longest distance commute to work i've done (on a daily basis) is 35 miles. Currently I'm doing 33 miles. My 33 mile commute might turn into a 50 mile commute in a couple of months though. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do.

SteveO86

I drive about 80 miles a days, twice as far as my last job.. In my situation it was worth but in my situation I doubled my pay, and my my whole drive is all highway so it's not stop/go city driving and traffic is not that bad, plus I can work from home

baseball1988

MrXpert : Apply to the job and see what happens! Applying doesn't mean you will get it but you can still discuss this with friends/families/gf when you receive the offer. A couple years ago, I was unemployed for 7 months and my job opportunities were limited because I didn't want to travel for more than 1 hour to work. Soon, I found a job and for about 1 year and 6 months, I have been commuting: 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to work and another 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel home. It is stressful but I am still surviving.

I am looking for a new company/job right now. Maybe closer to home.

Devilry

SteveO86 wrote: »

I drive about 80 miles a days, twice as far as my last job.. In my situation it was worth but in my situation I doubled my pay, and my my whole drive is all highway so it's not stop/go city driving and traffic is not that bad, plus I can work from home

Showoff, lol, kidding.

PC509

I've had to do it a few times in my career. Yea, its a huge pain in the butt, but good music helps. And, if you're advancing in your career or making decent money, it's well worth it. Also, make a MP3 audio CD of certification videos to listen to on the trip. Study and drive.

I've also had to quit a job because they moved and the commute would be 90 miles round trip. The pay wasn't good enough to keep the job (after fuel and auto costs, it wasn't even close to worth it). So, there are some factors to consider. My wife is a stay at home mom, so I didn't have child care to think about. If you have kids that require care, that's something else to consider. Sometimes, it's just not worth it to work farther away. Right now, though, I'd take a job 100 miles away for $10 an hour. I'm desperate.

MrXpert

demonfurbie wrote: »

first how reliable is you car? that can play a huge factor in to the equation

i drive about 1h 15 min (64 miles) each way, its not bad i listen to training vids ive ripped to mp3 so when i get home ive done some studying already so the time isnt wasted

she's so far so good.Done only 64k so far but it is a diesel, however timing belt will be due at 80k so that would be a big spend out.
I worked out it would take me 90minutes to get there when traffic is reasonable but if there's an accident on the m25 then this can quite easily double. Unfortunately over here in england our traffic maintenance/response/police etc teams are not as efficient as over in the USA. Sometimes even a simple incident such as a vehicle stranded on a single lane or even pulled over into the hard shoulder can cause major delays.Sometimes they even close the entire motorway for several hours forcing diversions. Also got to factor in tyres into the equation at £130 per corner.yikes.

I'm still not sure what to do but i have time to think about it as deadline to get the app in isnt for another 2 weeks. I would like to apply for it but i'm in two minds and i dont want to apply for it, go for the interview and then magically get the job, say yes and then after a few weeks start regretting it cos i'm getting home at 8pm and dont have time for much else.

Devilsbane

If you need to work you need to work. It won't be fun, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

My round trip is about 45 miles a day. The drive itself isn't bad except the traffic jams that occur. In winter the drive becomes miserable, so I'm looking to move closer before then.