Your Dream Job May Not Be The Best For Your Gas Tank And Wallet

We all have a moment in our lives when we think we have finally found our dream job. The pay is great, and the benefits mirror the overall appeal. Everything about it seems amazing until you realize the amount of time you have to spend commuting. So what should you do? Could you have avoided this?

Looking For Your Dream Job

One of the great things about jobs these days is the amount of information you can learn before actually applying. We discuss other things to consider when looking for a job in another article, but this is one we left out. When looking for a dream job, there are often many thoughts running through your mind. Our focus on the big things such as compensation, title, and job requirements tend to blind us from some of the ancillary items we must also consider. The biggest one would be the time we are wasting commuting. As you look for a job, be sure to map out where exactly you are going to be working. If you are given an interview, consider confirming the location where you will be working as well. It might seem silly to ask where you are going to be working when you are interviewing IN THE BUILDING, but you never know if there are other locations.

The Job Offer – Consider Your Options Carefully

Once you have interviewed and received the job offer, be sure to review all of the information provided. Make sure you know where you are going to be working. Again, this sounds like a silly thing to confirm, but others have had employment locations be different than what they originally thought (yes, that was me). It would also be beneficial to ensure you are comfortable with the commute. If it is a short one, it is likely not an issue. However, some have to agree to an hour or longer commute every day. This can be stressful for many reasons such as time wasted with family, longer days, expensive fuel costs, and higher potential for hitting traffic. Just because a job offer appears to be offering you the sun and the moon, it does not mean it is the perfect opportunity.

The Job Offer – Making Accommodations

Many will take a job offer regardless of the extra accommodations needed. Depending on your living circumstances, it can be quite easy to simply move closer to work and avoid the commute. In other situations, you can find a carpool buddy to share the ride and make the trip more enjoyable. In many states, there are high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes which will allow users with special plates to drive solo in them if they are unable to carpool. This option will likely require you to purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle as a requirement. Regardless of your circumstance, if you have already accepted or want to accept a job offer, just know there are other things you can do to make the commute easier.

The Job – When Things Change

After working for a company for a while, you might be forced with location changes. In these situations, you will be forced to make a decision of having to take action. Either you will adapt to this change in location, or you will consider starting the job search process over again. If you choose to stay, consider discussing with your boss alternative work from home schedules or altered work weeks (the worst they can say is No). If you decide to start the job search again, remember the steps you went through before. Understand where you would like to work and adjust from there.

Commuting to work is something most of us do every day. If you have the opportunity to work from home in your job, you should certainly take it. Having a smaller commute is also something to enjoy. Both of these not only help reduce carbon emissions, but they also provide a reduced cost on gas. Keep in mind, your commute is just one of the things you should consider when thinking about a new job. Honestly, you may be someone who enjoys driving! In this case, I hope you get a very long commute, even though your kind of weird.