thinking of going back to work. opinions please | Taste of Home Community  

thinking of going back to work. opinions please

Last post Aug 11, 2012 1:32 PM by beachgirlAZ . 15 replies.


Forum Jump:
Page 1 of 2 (16 items) 12
  • thinking of going back to work. opinions please
    Ive been home with my kids for many years and loved it. Thinking of going back to work part time for the first time in over 20 years. Found a job I love but it's an hour away. I think that's too far. Thoughts ?
    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please
    I guess that would depend on how you feel about spending 2 hours a day, or longer sitting in your car. It would also depend on how young my kids would be. If there's a chance they would need me and it would take an hour to get to them and I have no one else to depend on I probably wouldn't take the job. I would not only take the distance into consideration but also traffic. Charlotte, NC technically is only an hour away from me..but the traffic on the stretch of interstate would keep me from taking a job in the area. Lots of variables to consider.
    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    I have been home with my kids for many years.  During that time, I did work partime when the youngest was in preschool-just during his school hours.  For me, an hour commute each way would be too much.  Are you driving it every day or a couple of days each week?   You need to do what will work for your family.  Does this mean that evenings and mornings will be hectic for everyone to get out the door?

    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    I would not drive an hour away for a part time job. Heck, dh drives almost an hour each way to his job and it's full time but the gas.....if he could transfer to a unit in town the money saved in gas alone would add up considerably.

    I encourage you to find a job nearer to home. Unless your kids are full grown then do what you want!Big Smile

    False

    Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

    Adria's World

  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please
    All great points. 3 kids grown. 2 in college. 1 two years left in high school. Job would be part time mornings. I agree, awfully far for part time. But after I declined the face interview I felt like I had made a mistake. Really hope something in the same field opens up near me
    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please
    Meant to say face to face interview. First one was on the phone
    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    I don't know about the hour's ride, but my advice is to get a job in line with your passion.  That way it won't seem like a job to you. 

    False

    Silence can never be misquoted.

  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    The last 2 years of high school can be pretty tough and pretty busy for a parent.  I know I spent a lot of time running and my boys weren't that active (and I live 5 min from the school).  Being an hour away could be tough.

    False

    Community Moderator ~ Taste of Home.com and Birds & Blooms.com

    Feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns with the Taste of Home website or community.

    Feel free to PM me here, find me on Facebook or email me sstetzel.toh@gmail.com

    Proudly serving as a Taste of Home Field Editor since 2009.Big Smile

  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    Living in the Chicago area, I had LONG commutes and it was very difficult.  Where I am now I am about 10 mins from work with little traffic congestion.  Plus my employer is very flexible-if we have appointments etc we are free to go without any hassle.  Thats the key when you work and have kids-a flexible employer!  My DS is in HS but you would be surprised with how many times I have to leave work or adjust my schedule.

    Its something you need to decide.  Write down all of the pros and cons and see if its worth it.

    False
    Witty Whitney!
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    I personally would not drive that far for Part time work.  With the Price of gas now...and it is on the rise again.  Not only that, but you also have to think about the wear on your car...tires will need replaced A LOT sooner, more oil changes..it ends up costing a good bit more, in the long run, than just gas.

    I see you said you turned down the face to face interview...is there something closer to you that you could maybe do part time??

    Good luck to you!!

    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    whineandcheesed

    Living in the Chicago area, I had LONG commutes and it was very difficult.  Where I am now I am about 10 mins from work with little traffic congestion.  Plus my employer is very flexible-if we have appointments etc we are free to go without any hassle.  Thats the key when you work and have kids-a flexible employer!  My DS is in HS but you would be surprised with how many times I have to leave work or adjust my schedule.

    Its something you need to decide.  Write down all of the pros and cons and see if its worth it.

    Given the gas prices today I am not sure it would be worth your while to make that commute for a part time job.  You'd be spending a good percentage of your paycheck on gas!  I would look for something closer to home if you really want to go back to work.

    whine& cheese: Your situation is exactly the same as mine.  I left the Chicago area 18 years ago.  While I lived there I had an hour+ commute one way every day in all kinds of weather.  It was brutal.  I have been at my present job 18 years (I got this job shortly after I moved.)  I work 10 minutes from home.  And also work for a very flexible employer.  Actually I will be retiring next July.

     

    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    I guess it would depend on the pay, how you feel about driving (and that particular drive), and what "part time" means in this instance.

    For instance, three 6-hour  workdays, made 8 hours long by the commute, would probably be reasonable.
    Five 3-hour days probably wouldn't.

    "Probably," because it also depend on whether your vehicle can take the extra wear and tear, whether the job pays well enough to compensate for the cost of gas, the wear and tear on the car, and the wear and tear on you.


    Something else to consider:  Would the drive be into the rising or setting sun?  Would it involve sitting in stinky traffic?  Those two things make a huge difference in how tiring a commute is.

    False

    A lot of this is folk memories and cultural hangovers.

  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    personally I would not take a job that far away....part time IMO would not be worth the drive etc....

    False

    It's not how you start, it's how you end....so end strong!!

    Walk yourself strong!!

  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    In my opinion, 1 hour is way too far. But i had a friend that worked with me that drove and hour and 15 min every day. It was worth it to him. So I guess to each his own. It did definitely rob him of his family life. He use to sing Cats in the Cradle ALL the time. Thankfully, he doesn't work there anymore.

    False
  • Re: thinking of going back to work. opinions please

    Sometimes part time jobs morph into full time, or you're in a better position to move on to a different job.  Hate to say it and it isn't fair/right but unfortunately there is a bias against those who have been out of the work force for a while, whether by choice or circumstance. If you are serious about getting back to work, you may have to take a less than ideal job to get moving to where you want to be.  Plenty of teachers around here have LONG commutes as they have to shift around from district to district and don't want to keep their families moving every couple of years.  Right now I am a substitute teacher, I'd probably take at least a half time job that's an hour away if it was a good fit, but I probably wouldn't be super excited about a class or two a day especially if the commute was more than 30 minutes.  But there are those kind of jobs posted.

    False