Long Distance Work Commute

Puff_Dougie

I have an interview next week for a position that sounds like my dream job. Like, if I could write my own ideal job description, this would be it. Pay is good and it's within the same company I work for now, so I'd be able to keep my benefits.

Only issue is that it's in Philly and I live in Pittsburgh (about 4.5 hours away). Can't see doing a 9 hour daily round trip commute, and we can't move (for lots of family reasons), so the only way to make it work would be to rent a room in Philly during the week and come home on the weekends to be with the fam. 

Just curious if anybody has experience with that type of situation and how it worked out?

jlmarta

I’ve done that on construction jobs. My employer paid the rent and my fuel came from the job site so the only thing that took a bit of getting used to was sleeping alone during the week and eating in restaurants. 

Oh, well. It paid the bills......  

ForMud

Are you factoring the cost of renting a room in the equation? If your talking center city, it can get expensive.
How long do you think this is going to last? I can see running back and forth on the turnpike ever weekend would get old quickly.

peter4jc

I know you're a godly man, so you'll be praying for God's wisdom...

If it was going to be for a limited time, say a year or less, it could be doable.

Can your bride manage the homefront on her own M-F?

Pros vs. Cons...  how much better would that new position be compared to what you have now?  Would those plusses outweigh the difficulties?

Amos_Umwhat

I spent a year or more on a set-up crew building rock quarries in my early 20's.  Left out 0430 Monday morning, usually got back sometime Saturday afternoon.  Welding and operating 80 ft. boom crane, mostly.  As well as whatever else my boss said to do.  We hit the site at sun-up, left at sun-down.  

Was making GREAT money, for the 1970's, but two major problems occurred.  My son was quite young, like 2, and was pretty confused as to my role in their life after a few months.  Then, the bigger problem, didn't matter how much money I made, which I thought we were saving, because my wife (the first wife) spent every last damn bit of it and then some!  

They ate Shoney's for breakfast, McDonalds for lunch, and a steak house every night, because I'd told her I didn't think it was fair for me to come home to a sink full of dishes every Saturday.  Took her brother out, too.  My treat.  And then there were the other purchases I was unaware of, because she'd be straight, for the weekend.

Of course, I don't think this will be your problem, but after a year or so, well, you got married to live with your wife and family, right?  

deadman

Though my 1.5 hr commute was bad. 

Pros vs cons. Could you transfer back if it doesn’t work out?

jgibv

Do you have any kids at home? 
How about grandkids that you spend time with during the week?

It's doable, but if you're already having doubts about it I think you'll be miserable. 

I know a few people that are gone almost every week, M-F, and only home on the weekends. 
The folks that make it work have no kids or grandkids at home, their spouses are extremely independent and they have clear expectations / roles / guidelines for not only the week when they're apart, but also for the weekend when they're both at home on the weekend. 

If you and your wife are extremely independent people and you don't mind seeing each other (and your family/ friends) only on weekends then go for it. 

silvermouse

What a tough decision. Good luck. Any way you could convince them to let you work fewer, longer, days?

Martel

I went from April to June without my family when we first came to PA.  They visited once in that time, and I went down at the end of it to help finish the move.  It was really hard.  Skype helped.  But the wife and I missed each other.  For more than just that, too, but yeah, that.

We had kids at home so it was harder on her than me in some ways, but she got help. 

If we'd gotten to see each other every weekend, it would have been more sustainable, but doing that commute every week, indefinitely, on my own dime and time would probably be a deal breaker, especially with another abode to pay for. 

I have friends who commute about an hour and a half to work at some government agency and others who are closer to 2 hours to work in DC.  I think they're nuts.  More than that, though, just doesn't seem sustainable.

Puff_Dougie

ForMud said:

Are you factoring the cost of renting a room in the equation? If your talking center city, it can get expensive.
How long do you think this is going to last? I can see running back and forth on the turnpike ever weekend would get old quickly.

I am figuring that in the cost. In this role, my sole client would be SEPTA, so I'm thinking I could find housing anywhere along the tracks and be able to get where I need to be, though center city would be more convenient. Also hoping it would be temporary, until a similar role opens up on this side of the state. 

Puff_Dougie

silvermouse said:

What a tough decision. Good luck. Any way you could convince them to let you work fewer, longer, days?

That's definitely a question I'll be asking during the interview.

Yakster

I hear that this sort of arrangement is fairly common in Silicon Valley, but I have no direct experience with this.  I really enjoy working from home on Monday's, the 50 minutes it took last night to drive 12 miles home at 6:00 PM seemed unbearable, but nothing compared to what you're contemplating.

webmost

Don't do it.

CharlieHeis

I knew a guy that drove a semi long haul for four days and was home for three. He loved it. Maybe the difference between a two and three day weekend, though. 

0patience

My boss lady would never go for something like that. When I got called south last year, she said she'd never tolerate something like that again. A week once in a while out of the area for tech support is ok, but extended times, she won't even consider it.

Good luck on what ever you decide.

dirtdude

Only you know your situation.  My wife encouraged me to take a position in the Congo, 9 weeks on 3 weeks home, great job, great money. Wouldn't do it again.

Puff_Dougie

These responses are very helpful. Thank you all for weighing in. Part of the issue is that my current position has become financially untenable. My comp plan was changed and my pay, assuming that I remain consistently productive, has been reduced by $1,500 per month. If I don't write new business, I don't get paid at all. It's a straight commission gig. So, I have no choice but to find a different job. It's either that, or lose the house. Being away through the week is not ideal, but my hope is it would be temporary. 

Trish

Explore your options,  find out during the interview what the potential for relocating back to your area will be. Sounds like you are in a position to move forward regardless so what's the harm in trying it out if it's the dream job. Best case it all works out, worst case you tried it and find something better suited. What do they say,  with great risk comes great reward. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Diver43

Tough decision and only you and yours know if it will work. Military folks spend weeks to over a year apart for training and deployments. These days with cheap ling distance phonecalls, texts, facetime/skype its not so bad as waiting on snailmail and 50dollar phone calls. Talk at home, do the math and decide what is best, at least until you find something better

jd50ae

Use to travel 100s of miles in a not very big boat just to go ashore for about an hour or so. Then come back.

And I once had a job that took all of 1 minute to walk to.

Not sure which one I liked better.

First_Warrior

I walk up a hill about 75 yards to my studio every single day. Been doing it for almost 40 years. First time i climed the hill it was all woods. Two solid years of work and i had my self built studio. I go down for lunch, back up and down for supper. Back up once again for a cigar.The hill seems to be getting steeper.

Bigshizza

Hope this doesn't mean you'll become a Flyers fan... You need to take chances and be happy I'm sure your great family will support you.

Markwell

Just tuned into this. Sounds like a tough decision, but I'm always an optimist so here's an few pros:

1. Seeing that you'd be working with SEPTA it may be possible for you to get a rail pass through them for Amtrak. That will save you paying your way for transportation. 30th street to Harrisburg on the Keystone Line, then Harrisburg to Pitt via the Pittsburgh Division. Only one passenger train per day in each direction west of Harrisburg though...SEPTA hasn't reached us yet.

2. Would you be working out of their main offices in Philadelphia? There are very nice options for renting in the suburbs. Have family in Media, Prospect Park, and Glenolden. All very clean, very safe areas just a few stops out of 30th Street.

Best wishes in this new segment of your career. Hmu if you're passing sometime and we'll burn a few.

ForMud

Great Idea about riding Amtrak back home..... On the same vane, you could find some place outside the city that's close to a SEPTA rail for the daily commute. Traffic at rush hour can be a nightmare in and around the city. 

Puff_Dougie

Update: Thanks for all of the good feedback. There's an Amtrack station 4 blocks fro my house, but I haven't confirmed that the line goes to Philly. Had a phone interview on Friday with two hiring managers. My experience and qualifications are definitely a match for the job, but I feel like I didn't nail the interview. A few of the "tell us about a time when" questions caught me off guard. We'll see. The job would require me to be at various SEPTA locations 4 days a week. The 5th day I could work from home making calls and doing data entry. They said they're in the early stage of the process, so I probably won't hear anything more for a couple of weeks. 

Flyers fan @Bigshizza??? Bite your tongue!!

ForMud

Who are you going pull for when the Eagles play the Steelers?

dirtdude

Puff_Dougie said:

Update: Thanks for all of the good feedback. There's an Amtrack station 4 blocks fro my house, but I haven't confirmed that the line goes to Philly. Had a phone interview on Friday with two hiring managers. My experience and qualifications are definitely a match for the job, but I feel like I didn't nail the interview. A few of the "tell us about a time when" questions caught me off guard. We'll see. The job would require me to be at various SEPTA locations 4 days a week. The 5th day I could work from home making calls and doing data entry. They said they're in the early stage of the process, so I probably won't hear anything more for a couple of weeks. 

Flyers fan @Bigshizza??? Bite your tongue!!

Good luck bro, I know the 'didn't nail that interview' feeling and for me it is usually associated with 'do I really want this job'. Good luck with whatever you decide to put your hand to.

Wylaff

Every job I've ever gotten came after feeling like I bombed the interview. Maybe you felt like you weren't using the correct terminology, but they loved the way you were down to Eath Like Peter said, pray about it. His will be done after all.

I took a night shift knowing it came with a 15% raise and my wife's support. 6 months in that support fell apart and I started praying about why I took it in the first place. Last week they moved me back to day shift, where I am home before the kids every day, and kept my pay intact. Everything happens for a reason. Just make sure you ask about what your options are to back out if it doesn't work like planned.

Puff_Dougie

Still waiting to hear back, but in the meantime, I found an identical position open at another firm, and this one is in Pittsburgh, so I wouldn't have to move or commute long distance. Submitted resume. Phone interview is Monday.

Usaf06

Good luck Puff

Yakster

Pulling for you.