Commuting for work - how far is too far?

[392hemi]

Hello my fellow geeks!

Like many of us on the forum I work in a different profession by day and let out my inner detailer at night and on the weekends.

That being said, where I am now is a place where I do not see much growth anymore. In fact, I get bored at work and spend the majority of my days browsing the Internet and studying new technologies (I'm a network engineer).

I received an offer for a new job that is absolutely my DREAM job, but it will take my commute from 30 to 60 minutes. They are flexible on work times, and will even allow me to telecommute 1 day out of the week, but I'm just nervous about the longer commute eating into time with my wife and daughter.

So... that being said, does anyone currently have a ~1 hour commute? If so, how do you pass the time so you don't go crazy? I was thinking audiobooks and podcasts would be a good start, but I'm just not sure if the commute will beat me down enough to the point that I regret my decision.

Anyway, thanks for any advice or input you all can offer!

-Nate

You mention dream job, perhaps you expanded on this but what makes it your dream job? How is the stability there?

I commuted 2 to 3 hours one way to work lol. It sucks bc you lose out on half your day, you could have spent with family or doing a million other things. I used to listen to Pandora, listen to youtube videos and make work calls during the commute time.

To me an hour commute is considered "good" but I live near NYC lol.

[natewood70]

You mention dream job, perhaps you expanded on this but what makes it your dream job? How is the stability there?

I commuted 2 to 3 hours one way to work lol. It sucks bc you lose out on half your day, you could have spent with family or doing a million other things. I used to listen to Pandora, listen to youtube videos and make work calls during the commute time.

To me an hour commute is considered "good" but I live near NYC lol.

My dream job is somewhere that will not only help grow my career, but takes an interest in ensuring my personal life's well being. In my current position (in general) I have a couple of career paths to typically go down:

1. Expand my technical expertise to become an elite network engineer
2. Move into leadership

This company has paths to both... where I'm at now, I've kinda hit a dead end. Not only do they encourage growth, but the following is provided to get there:

- Training and certification costs covered (For the certification I want which is a CCIE, the total cost for training and travel will exceed $15k)
- Internal leadership/mentoring program
- Tuition reimbursement for all class levels (I am also seeking my MBA)

Outside of the career growth, here is a small list of the benefits they offer:

- 100% paid health, vision, and dental premiums
- Unlimited 40% 401k contribution matching up to IRS limits
- 15 days PTO immediately
- 4 weeks of paid paternity leave if I have another child
- 2 volunteer days to help out in the community that doesn't eat into my PTO
- $300 contribution for each child for extracurricular activities (little league, ballet, etc...)

In addition to the benefits, they have some cool perks in the office... It's a tech company, so think of what you see at Google.

Hope that helps you understand what a dream job is for me!

[rms64]

Perhaps if you prove yourself at the new place, the telecommute option could be expanded to more than one day per week? My office is in the Bay Area, where 2+ hour commutes (each way!) are not uncommon.

I've solved the problem by telecommuting from Reno about 90% of the time, which has two bonuses:

- normal commute is about 6 seconds (distance from bedroom to office across the hall). 8 seconds if I trip over the cat.
- when I do have to appear in person, my commute is 210 miles, but one of the most beautiful in the country, over the I-80 pass

Good luck!

[Don M]

I used to have a 180 mile round trip drive that was mostly interstate and I didn't mind it too much. I had a VW Golf and I drove it hard. My advice is to get a car you like to drive and gets decent gas mileage. I found the drive relaxing and it actually gave me time to clear my head after work. The morning drive was the worst, just buy a coffee maker with a timer and set up a schedule where you are not rushing. Learn to enjoy your own company or check out the possibility of a ride sharing program in your area. You would be surprised at the number of people that commute.

I don't have to be at work until 0800, but I leave the house ~0600 so I can stop and get coffee and have a nice relaxing drive in with minimal traffic ... my Camaro is also my daily driver and I love driving it, so all is good.

[WindyCity]

I will chime in as well as my commute just went from 30 minutes one way to 1:15 one way. My wife got her dream job in Madison WisconsinI have been at mine for 20 years in Illinois near the border. If I transfer I lose my bidding seniority, which sucks, plus because of the vast territory our zones cover in Wisconsin, my drive would probably be longer. So we found the house we have always wanted in a small town smack dab between Milwaukee and Madison. In a normal neighborhood with normal neighbors. Here is the kicker... The detached 1000 sq ft garage in the back yard with heat, air, heated floors..... And a proper lift. The drive will suck in the winter, but we love the house.

Your work scenario sounds familiar...ill take a shot in the dark, do you work for UPRR?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[392hemi]

My dream job is somewhere that will not only help grow my career, but takes an interest in ensuring my personal life's well being. In my current position (in general) I have a couple of career paths to typically go down:

1. Expand my technical expertise to become an elite network engineer
2. Move into leadership

This company has paths to both... where I'm at now, I've kinda hit a dead end. Not only do they encourage growth, but the following is provided to get there:

- Training and certification costs covered (For the certification I want which is a CCIE, the total cost for training and travel will exceed $15k)
- Internal leadership/mentoring program
- Tuition reimbursement for all class levels (I am also seeking my MBA)

Outside of the career growth, here is a small list of the benefits they offer:

- 100% paid health, vision, and dental premiums
- Unlimited 40% 401k contribution matching up to IRS limits
- 15 days PTO immediately
- 4 weeks of paid paternity leave if I have another child
- 2 volunteer days to help out in the community that doesn't eat into my PTO
- $300 contribution for each child for extracurricular activities (little league, ballet, etc...)

In addition to the benefits, they have some cool perks in the office... It's a tech company, so think of what you see at Google.

Hope that helps you understand what a dream job is for me!

Wow that sounds like a great step up!
With all those details I would take it in a heart beat! Good luck on your decision!

[natewood70]

Once again, I am truthfully thankful for all the input from my fellow Geeks!

I have accepted the position with my start date on June 5th.

Thanks again for being a great sounding board to go over the pros and cons, and sharing some of the personal experiences many of you have had with your commutes/careers.

[fly07sti]

Congrats Nate. I hope everything goes well for you.

[oneheadlite]

Congrats! Let us know how it (both the commute and the new job) goes!

[Pats300zx]

Congrats Nate !!!! Good luck in your new position !!!!