Long commutes

westv

Treehugged wrote: »

Yeah but there's nothing. This is my first short list in over 180 applications since April 3rd. Yes you heard me: First shortlist in over 180 applications since April 3rd when I started to save my job applications!

I feel your pain fellow jobseeker.

westv

KiKi wrote: »

Also, just seen someone mention £250 a month - don't know where that's from, but with the tube (and you have to get all zones), even with the 12 month discount, you won't get travel for less than £380 a month from Victoria.

KiKi

Well the cheapest is £3,720 which is £310 - still not £250 though

Treehugged

westv wrote: »

Well the cheapest is £3,720 which is £310 - still not £250 though

Eh? Fuxake.

KiKi

OP, obviously you have to do what you have to do to get a job.

But with a 4 hour commute every single day for £24k - you may come to resent every moment of your job. I have a job I love in London, but I couldn't do it 5 days a week, leaving the house before 0700, never getting home before 1900, often 2000. You have no life. And on £24k that's a HUGE sacrifice. And that's on a day when the trains run. When they don't, it can be a 3-4 hour commute just to get home.

Seriously, seriously consider any other option you may have. Your take home pay will be £1184, which means travel will be 25% of your post-tax salary, for the privilege of sitting on a train for 4 hours a day.

KiKi

westv wrote: »

Well the cheapest is £3,720 which is £310 - still not £250 though

That's for FCC - which doesn't go from Victoria (hence saying £380 from Vic).

OP would have to travel to London Bridge (or Blackfriars or Farringdon on some services) to get this service; it's not as frequent as Victoria, and it's a stopping EVERYWHERE service which can take over an hour from East Croydon alone (rather than the 40 mins to East Croydon that Southern take). Gatwick Express is even quicker.

I would pay the extra £70 for Victoria every single time, no question.

Treehugged

I may have to get myself a weekend job to top up then. I haven't been offered the job yet so this is all speculation really.

westv

Treehugged wrote: »

I may have to get myself a weekend job to top up then. I haven't been offered the job yet so this is all speculation really.

Did you get an interview? They might not cosider you anyway due to the distance so the decision might not be yours anyway.

KiKi

If you do that commute you'll be too knackered to work at the weekends! I know it's only 'sitting on a train', but honestly - commuting is tiring. People used to laugh at me for saying then, then two of my friends started commuting to London. They both have no idea how I've done it for 12 years!! IF you get the job, consider it very carefully. And be prepared to realise that it may not work for you. Don't overburden yourself with a weekend job until you've settled into a pattern and know how you're going to feel come the weekend after 3 months with no break.

MiddyMum

I wouldn't do it, my partner did it for a few months and his trains were always getting delayed!

harz99

It's do-able as long as nothing goes wrong on the day.

Bakerloo to Victoria is a simple cross platform change either way at Oxford Circus, so 30 minutes should be ample for that leg.

How easy the main line bit is depends on what hours you will have to do, and how flexible they can be. On the current timetable there are no direct trains from VIC to PP between 0621 and 0817, the second of those arriving 0918 if on time. If that is too late, as others have said changing Haywards Heath or E. Croydon would be needed, with a journey of 80-90 minutes.

Similar on the homebound, an hourly non stop at roughly xx55 past each hour, taking 60-70 minutes, or changing at E. Croydon taking 70-80 minutes.

You should note that the trains to/from E. Croydon will mostly be FCC rattletraps not noted for their comfort.

Good Luck.