When you are interviewing for a job, it is surprising the things that interviewers say.
One interview I had was with a company that was a great fit. The interview was going great. I had chemistry with the interviewer, it seemed like a good fit for both me and the company and the interviewer remarked on that as well. It was just winding down and off-hand the interviewer asked where I lived. I told him and he said, “That is a long commute”. It was about an hour in Chicago. I said that I didn’t consider it a long commute and I could move to a neighboring place since I was single and shared that I had a gf in that neighborhood.
He didn’t really respond to that. I didn’t get the job and I am sure that in his mind, the commute meant I wasn’t a good fit. The thing is that if someone is willing to commute why not let them do it?
It isn’t the longest commute I had for a job either. I have worked jobs that at times the commute could be 2 1/2 hours. Normally it was 1 hour, but you know traffic in the city can be stopped many times for many reasons. It isn’t just the average time to travel that you have to consider when taking a job, but the likelihood of getting in a traffic jam and it is longer.
I shared earlier that a short commute has a big influence on happiness in life. So why would I apply for jobs that have longer commutes? One of the reasons is that for me, I love to drive and don’t mind commuting. Another is that I have been able to work for great companies by commuting. Another is that in large cities where I have worked like Chicago/NYC traffic is unavoidable so you just accept that is part of the time you commit to the job.
Would I love to have a short commute? You bet. However, when I don’t, there are advantages to being in the car. For one I get to add music to my music playlist. I get to think about things without being interrupted, and I get to be away from a computer and see interesting things.
There are always benefits in every situation. You just need to be open to them.