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Time versus money - long commute - MMO

Posted: Aug 01, 2012

I am doing some thinking about what is important to me. I have been looking at jobs on Indeed.com and found 2 coding jobs that I might qualify for down the line, but they both involve a 1-1/2 hour commute via public transportation each way. So that's 3 hours a day getting there and back. After working at home more than 10 years, that idea seems very daunting to me. I could look for work closer to home, but the pay would be considerably less doing outpatient coding for a dr's office. The hospitals close by (10 minute drive) have had no openings less than coder 2 and want 3 to 5 years experience. I keep telling myself that the 3-hour commute would be temporary until I could either move closer or buy a new car (at least a year). If I worked closer to home, I could get the experience of coding and then try at the closer hospitals. I don't know if the higher pay is worth the long commute. Any thoughts? Anyone else in this situation, and if so, what did you choose? Time versus money? TIA.

Do the math - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Once you add up all of the costs of commuting, does the job really pay that much more?

I grew up in a small town (nothing was more than 15 minute drive away) and found myself in a major metropolitan area and after a year of a 1-1/2 hour each way commute could not move quick enough to cut that commute to 20 minutes.

I guess it depends on your ultimate goal and what will get you there quicker. If they both end up at the same place around the same time, I would always choose time. However, if the commute gives you more opportunity and a quicker route to your goals, you can do anything for a year or so.

It is an extremely tough choice.

The cost of the commute isn't that big a deal - MMO

[ In Reply To ..]
The cost of the commute would be about 78 dollars a month for a bus pass. If I drove myself, the cost of gas would be more than that, plus car maintenance, higher insurance bill, etc. It's more about the time. Thanks for the reply, gives me more to think about. I will probably end up at the same place at the same time either way, and I would certainly choose time.

First off - Congratulations on your new coding - career!!

[ In Reply To ..]
I dont know what your hours would be or anything like that, but I am guessing all that has to be taken into consideration when commuting 3hrs round trip everyday. Is it possible for you to move sooner than a year?

Kind of a hard one, but you need the experience and if you can get started with one of these jobs, I would say go for it. I dont know if you have a family - Husband, kids or if you are living alone. But if you live alone maybe you should start preparing yourself for a move if thats what its gonna take to get the job you need.

Good luck and keep your eyes open...who knows, maybe something else will come up thats a little closer for you.

Time versus money - Curious one

[ In Reply To ..]
When you say you "might qualify for these jobs down the line", what is your time frame? Have you applied and/or been invited to interview? Has the employer made an offer? Unless they have, you don't know how much it truly pays. Make sure you want the job first and that it's definite, before you worry about transportation. You're talking about a 3-hour commute; that probably means getting up very early and arriving home quite late. Consider meal preparation, you are going to be tired when you get home. If you have a family, are they going to be okay with that? The cost of relocating and/or purchasing a new car would be substantial. If you drive back and forth, consider that fuel is $4.00+ per gallon. I can tell you that doing a commute like that for a year would be pretty bad, unless it were my absolute dream job. Personally, I'd opt for the outpatient job closer to home. It might sound a bit low key, but if it's your first coding job, it may be a good way to gain some experience, then you may qualify for the local hospital jobs. It certainly would be less stressful, and even though it probably pays less than the other jobs, when you factor in all the expense, you'll probably come out ahead. I'm assuming you already have your CPC or CCS. Regardless of where you choose to work, you will be required to have them. Best of luck.

3 to 4 months - MMO

[ In Reply To ..]
It will take me 3 to 4 months to get my CPC and CCS. I am looking at all possibilites in the area where I live. The commute is 1-1/2 hours each way on public transportation. In a car, the drive would be about 30 minutes each way, gas probably around 100 bucks a month. The hub of the main hospitals are in that area, north of downtown and I live south of downtown. I will keep my eyes peeled for more jobs in the months ahead. There are a lot of medical office buildings close to where I live.

Good luck - Curious one

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm sure you'll find something that will be a good fit.

tough one - here is a way to think about it...

[ In Reply To ..]
If you consider that it's not uncommon to drive a half-hour to work, try to think of this new venture as an extra hour at each end of the commute.

The public transportation part is huge - both in time and money. You can use the time to sleep, read, study, balance your checkbook, etc. Like you said, perhaps you can think of it as temporary and give it a whirl. In the meantime, you will discover whether the money is worth the time.

I can understand anyone finding this decision daunting. It certainly makes for a long day. Good luck. I believe whatever decision you make will be the right one for you!

Some perspective - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
1. Look at jobs posted in locations other than just Indeed.com. Not all employers use that site. Many large facilities use their own websites.

2. Consider federal jobs like the VA or military. They have their own website at www.usajobs.gov.

3. A commute on public transportation is a commute during which you can read, study, or listen to audio books. You can use your time profitably to improve your skills and credentials. That can pay off in terms of job opportunities.

4. It is not a good idea to assume that a local hospital will accept doctor's office work for experience. It depends on how desperate they are. They WILL accept the expeience from those jobs that are 3 hours away, so in that respect, the 3-hour commute may be considered as necessary to get the experience.

5. Your best plan now is to do whatever it takes to get to the point that you can pass both the CCS and CPC. With both, you can apply for more local hospital jobs and fo really challenging office positions.

6. Do not make decisions now. When you get one of those far away jobs, it may be that you would be able to work remotely anyway. You might only need to commute fora few months.

Perspective - Curious One

[ In Reply To ..]
The OP stated that she was 3 or 4 months away from the CPC/CCS, and wondering about how she's going to get to and from a job she hasn't even applied for, a lot of assumptions are being made. She needs to get an interview and get hired before she worries about how she is going to get there, a lot can happen in 3 months, the job in question may not even exist by then.

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