Long Distance Monday Morning/Friday Evening Commute?

westv

Has anybody here done it? I'm considering doing a Yorkshire to London commute coming down Monday morning, staying in a flat share perhaps and going back Friday evening. Just an idea at the moment. Curious to know if many others have tried it.
I'm also in two minds as to whether to just put the fact that I want to do this type of commute on the CV or just leave my address off of it and make any agency/employer aware in a covering letter.
I know that some (many) employers/agencies won't even consider me if they know I'm a long way away.

Wellery82

I did that for the best part of a year, living away in a hotel in the week for a different role in my existing company. It wasn't really a problem for me personally and i only left when the project ended.

Going back a few years however when i was applying for jobs in another area of the country i used to put a friends address on my CV, or state in bold letters i had somewhere to relocate immediately - when i worked in recruitment i can recall many people disregarding those who said they would relocate, as often it was more of a "possible" than a "reality"

mildred1978

Did it for 7 years - not Yorkshire but similar distance. Bought a flat in London to stay in.

Was utterly exhausting - not just the travelling but having to try and fit in so much at the weekends. Got to the point where I didn't remember any if my journey when I got home. Scary stuff.

The_ICT_Engineer

I used to commute from Dorset to London in the 1990's 2hrs 20 min's each way. I was expected to stay in city within 30 min's of the office. It does have an effect on family life after a while. Nowadays most employers/agencies do require that you are less then 30 min's from the place of employment. I been turned down for Jobs in Cambridge for living to far away (Fens). Yet I have had to travel more than 2000 miles to do the current Job.

westv

My idea is rapildly loosing it's appeal - if it ever had any in the first place!

wine_night

It's not impossible- at least in the short term. I am based in Yorkshire and my fiance (now husband) was based in the South East for work, and used to commute up here on a Friday evening most weekends and then drive back on Sunday evenings. After a couple of years he was pretty tired of it but if it's for a short period you can live with it.

More recently, I moved to the South East to join him and he managed to find a job that was based in the city but would allow him to work from home anywhere in the country. At one point we had sold the South East property, and as I had a work contract to fulfil down there, we were living a Travelodge during the week and living in our house in Yorkshire at the weekends!

It depends on if the opportunity is worth it, and if it justifies taking 7 hours or so out of your weekend to do the commute. If it gives you some great experience to put on your CV it may be worth a short period of inconvenience.

Kynthia

I've known people who've done it but it does put a strain on marriages. I've seen men end up cheating on their wives which puts me off the whole idea. I also know a woman who's done it for years successfully, but it is hard when she gets a call that one of her children has had an accident or been taken to A&E and she's hours away.

Staying at friends is more sociable as it can be lonely on your own each night. If there's a local cheap hotel you could maybe negotiate a long term rate or maybe to move rooms mid-week if it gives them more bookings. Plenty of people would love to rent a room to a person who's not there at the weekend.

I think it's better if you're single. Or if you have a family to work a four day week instead, so that you arrive at work Monday morning and leave for home Thursday evening giving you three days with your loved ones.

InsideInsurance

I'm surprised someone would rent to avoid a 2hr20 commute, know several people who's daily commute is longer than that.

Not personally done it but plenty of the people I have worked with do. It obviously depends on the nature of the work that you do but most employers can be fairly flexible (at least if you are project based).

I have a chap that comes down from near Hereford, he comes in a bit late on Monday and leaves at 2pm on Friday but more than makes up the hours on the other days. At my last place we had a guy from north wales that worked mon-thurs in the office (most the time) and fridays from home.

It certainly can get lonely but as I say, most that I know to have done it work extended hours so probably less time for it. I certainly wouldnt do it if I had a young family, fragile relationship or a partner that needed a lot of support.

One guy previously was doing a daily commute from Derby to the City as his g/friend was pregnant. Now that to me was crazy (not to mention the 4 or 5 beers he had before getting on his bike most evenings)

GotNo£

westv wrote: »

My idea is rapildly loosing it's appeal - if it ever had any in the first place!

If you plan to be in London for 5 days a week then why not just make it the whole 7 and sod the long weekly commute?

Plus, I'm sure weekends in London would probably more exciting than in Yorkshire.

dizzyrascal

GotNo£ wrote: »

Plus, I'm sure weekends in London would probably more exciting than in Yorkshire.

AND 3 times the cost!!
Not everyone finds London that alluring. Unless your quality of life is based on clubbing/partying (expensive options too)
Also, if you own an average priced house in Yorkshire you cannot just up and move to London and buy a similar property. The price difference is enormous.

Slinky

My husband did it for 3.5 years. We bought a studio flat that he lived in during the week. Up at 4.30am on Monday morning for him to leave at 5.30am. His work finished at lunchtime on Friday which allowed him to battle the M25 at a reasonable hour.

We got sick of it though, it became a real pain trying to get all the things like gardening and house maintenance done at the weekend only, particularly as my work requires me to work one weekend a month, and I needed his help for my work on another weekend day a month.

I would not want to go back to us living like that.