Considering the Commute with a New Job

Considering the Commute with a New Job There is one thing that everyone in the workforce has in common: a commute. Whether its 20 miles on the highway, or a simple walk down the hall to your home office, we all have a daily commute. While mileage and time spent varies, a commute is a shared commonality with every job. Its also something that is very important to consider when you are offered a job, or start looking. Time spent on a daily commute can not only impact your work life, but also your personal life. Well discuss the implications and trade offs below. Burdens of a Long Commute When you are pursuing a job with a long commute, there are a number of factors to consider. The first is obviously overall fatigue from long travel time. Having to sit in traffic for a large percentage of your day can have a strong negative impact. Well talk about how to offset this in a few paragraphs. Another factor that a long commute can impact is sleep. A longer commute means waking up earlier, and less sleep. While you could offset this with an earlier bedtime, that means at this point, your  commute will start  to cut into your free time. A long commute may cut into your valuable free time. Free time is probably the biggest loss with a long commute. This is time that could be spent with family, friends, or a good book instead of  sitting in traffic. If you have to give that up, you should be doing so for a good reason. Lastly, gas can be expensive, so factoring that in may help your consideration. Sometimes employees take a job further away  because pay is better. Just make sure what you wind up paying in gas wont eat up that increase in pay! Commute Considerations If youre going to have to consider a longer travel, there are a few things you can compare it to for some perspective. First and foremost is salary. Previously we mentioned this is the reason many people consider spending more time behind the wheel. You should just take into account if the pay increase goes beyond gas money, but also if it is worth the sacrifice of time. The old adage of time is money is especially true in this situation. If pay is better with a longer commute, make sure youre not paying the difference in gas. Another important factor when considering a commute is job satisfaction. It can be extremely challenging to find a job that you find fulfilling, so its no  surprise that people go to great lengths when they find one. Last but not least, you should consider room for advancement. If youre in a job 5 minutes away where you know youll never move up, the job 35 minutes away with upward mobility might be a better option. If the further job is something that would offer you a better opportunity in the future, consider it from a long term perspective. If you invest the commute hours now, that opportunity may pay off with  a better position in the future. Making the Commute Fun No matter what you end up choosing, there are ways to make the commute more enjoyable, and financially bearable. If you know someone who works and lives near you, consider carpooling. This would allow you to split the cost of gas saving money, and have  someone to talk to and make the car ride more enjoyable. Just make sure its someone you would enjoy spending time with! If you decide to carpool, make sure its someone whose company you enjoy! Another popular option is audiobooks and podcasts. While you may not have time to sit outside and read with your new hectic job, taking in an audiobook during the commute is a great way to look forward to the drive, and advancing the story. This last suggestion  is better suited for a 30-45 minute travel time: mentally  planning out your day. Preparing for that days meetings and interactions will help you be ready to tackle everything once you arrive. At the end of the day, you can do a systems check on what you achieved, and what should be carried on to the next day. We hope this discussion gave you some further insight into your commute considerations and final decision making process. If youd like to share your  own stories, please let us know what your own personal time  preference is in the comments!