I don’t know about you, but rolling out of bed on a Monday morning at 6am is difficult. My commute is relatively painless, although I do live out of town so my travel is normally 1 hour door to door. Add in my 9 hour working day and I am away from home a good 11 hours. I am sure that most people reading this blog will empathise. But if some of you are thinking WOW, she has it easy, I would love to hear from you.
Sat in my car, safe from the rain, listening to the radio and traffic announcements, my thoughts this morning were with those commuters who’s morning has turned to chaos due to Waterloo Stations £800m refurb. With 9 Platforms permanently closed and 4 operating on a limited service commuters are rethinking their travel strategy for the next three weeks.
For some of you, this chaos will seem like short term pain for a long term gain as the refurb will provide benefits for commuters including extra space for passengers. For some, the chaos won’t affect you as you have the ability to work flexibly. But for those of you that really are feeling the effects over this summer period is it time to consider a role that is closer to home?
Most roles outside of London pay a slightly lower salary but without the commuter costs, is the drop conceivable?
A lot of clients that I work with are keen to employ industry professionals but often miss out on strong candidates to companies based in the City, as it appears to be ‘the place to be’ by most workers. Clients situated on the outskirts of London realise their losses and for the right candidates are willing to increase their salary offerings to make their job roles more attractive.
Working closer to home can have a large impact on your work/life balance and can relieve the stress of commuting. If you’ve been with your existing employer for some time, making the change can also see you take on a refreshing new role and challenge.
The financial services industry is fast paced; industry and market movements are happening all of the time and in this incredibly small world, it is a good idea to play your cards close to your chest. If you are thinking of dipping your toe into the market to see what jobs are out there, then do it sensibly. Stay away from the job boards and choose a trusted industry focussed recruiter who can provide market information, discuss your career options and represent you impartially and discreetly!
Recruit UK Ltd specialise in Recruitment within the Financial Services Industry and we’d welcome a conversation with you. We can arrange a call when it’s convenient and safe for you to speak and we will take the time to understand your situation, providing you with honest and educated feedback.
Link in with us and send us a message if you’d like to arrange a telephone conversation.
Please also see our related blog on how you could be affecting your well-being by travelling more than 20 minutes to work