How To Find A Job Close To Home

By Sky Ariella - Nov. 11, 2020

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Nobody wants to start and end their workday with a lengthy commute. It can end up costing a lot of money in car-related expenses and drain your valuable energy. This can negatively impact your work performance. That’s why finding a job close to home can help you be the best employee you can be and make your professional life a lot more efficient.

Tips for Finding a Job in Your Area

Whether you’re relocating or just looking for a position that requires less of a commute, finding a job in your area can be a task. When you’re in the midst of a job search, there are a few tools and strategies you can use to find a job that’s close to home.

Consider the following tips for successfully finding a job that’s close to home.

  1. Search job websites with location settings. Job-search websites are used by applicants to find companies that are hiring for open positions. Many of these websites have specifications for locations. You can use these advanced search tools to discover opportunities within a zip-code area or a certain amount of miles from a specified location.

    Some of these websites are larger search engines that provide opportunities for various industries and positions. Others may be tailored to fit specific fields. Think about the kind of job you have, and decide which sort of job-search site would work best for your needs.

    Examples of job-search engines with location settings include:

    • Indeed

    • Craigslist

    • SnagAJob

    • Simply Hired

    • Glassdoor

  2. Network locally. Even if you’re currently employed in a position you love, networking is still an excellent resource for the future of your career.

    Networking is an investment of time and effort in making professional connections that can help propel your career. You can work on your business relationships through online networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, or by going to in-person events.

    For finding a job closer to home, in-person networking events can be better because they allow you to meet with professionals in your industry who are close enough to attend.

    You can find local networking events on:

  3. Look into state-run job resources. Many states provide job-resources to help their residents land their next position. Look into what your state offers in terms of job support. They may even have local listings for specific counties or cities.

  4. Career fairs. A career fair is an event that’s usually for students or recent graduates, which gives them the chance to meet with employers directly and build local professional connections. They are a fantastic option for individuals who are new to the workforce to interact with potential employers in their area.

  5. Utilize community boards. The phrase ‘community board’ once referred to a physical bulletin-board in a city or town’s public hubs where employers could post local job opportunities and neighbors could communicate. Today this concept has mostly moved online through virtual community boards. The purpose of these websites is for neighbors and community members to freely discuss helpful local information.

    In addition to large websites that incorporate a variety of neighborhoods, your town may have its own community board website for its residents. This can be very useful for a job-seeker looking for a position that’s close to home. Get on a few virtual community boards and see what information you can find.

    Examples of virtual community boards:

  6. Join the alumni association of your alma mater. College isn’t only the time to learn what path you want to take career-wise. It’s also a valuable resource for making connections and gaining access to job opportunities.

    You can join your school’s alumni association through their website anytime after graduating. Being a part of your university’s alumni program can provide you with training, workshops, and even position openings.

    If you live near the city where you went to college, this can be an excellent way to find a job nearby.

  7. Go directly to company websites. If you’ve researched potential companies that you’d be interested in working for, you can go directly to their website to inquire about listings near your location. Most organizations will list their job openings and locations on a ‘work for us’ section of their website.

  8. Get a remote job. No commute is the shortest commute, and working remotely awards you this benefit. Remote jobs are becoming more popular with the rise of technology, especially after the events of 2020. There’s a multitude of possible remote positions that could be well-suited to your skills.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Job Close to Home

While getting a job that’s close to where you live can have many upsides, it can also have some setbacks.

Consider the following advantages and disadvantages of working for a position that’s close to home.

  • Advantages

    1. Shortens travel time. Shortening your commute is a significant upside to living close to your job. It’s probably the single greatest advantage of living close to where you work. It can increase productivity, punctuality, and save you a lot of money and time. Less travel time also lessens the extra stress that comes with working far from home.

    2. Improves work satisfaction. Taking on a long commute can dampen the spirits of even the most passionate employees. It can exhaust your motivation and increase your stress. Eliminating the difficulty of living far from your job can improve your overall job satisfaction and attitude.

    3. Strengthens work/life balance. It’s a learning process for all employees to balance their life outside of work with their job responsibilities. It can make it a lot easier to develop your social life if you have time to do so.

      Living close to your job can save you a lot of valuable time that you can put towards strengthening these skills involved in work/life balance.

    4. Makes you a more reliable employee. Living close to your job can make you a more reliable and dependable employee. It removes room for traffic-related situations that could prevent you from arriving to work on time. It also makes you available to be on-call when you’re needed, which can be a great asset in a lot of positions.

    5. Reduces pollution. While this advantage may not seem directly relevant to your work, we all live on the same big rock floating through space, and we need to work together to take care of it. Driving a far distance to your job can do more damage than you may think. Doing your part with a shorter commute can dramatically lessen the air pollution you’re contributing to the environment daily.

    6. Improves productivity. Productivity is crucial to being a successful employee in any field. It’s the quality that allows you to get your work done well and on time. Living closer to your job can improve your productivity by saving you time and eliminating stress.

  • Disadvantages

    1. You may need to relocate. If you live in a rural or isolated area, you may need to consider relocating to a larger city to find a position in your field that’s close to your home. Most industries place their best-paying jobs closer to or in bigger cities.

      This can be a major disadvantage for people who prefer the quietness and community of a smaller neighborhood.

    2. You may need to take a lower salary. An alternative to relocating to a big city is accepting a lower-paying position closer to where you currently live. Adjusting to a lower salary can be a significant setback in finding a job that’s closer to a smaller, rural area.

    3. Your employer may often call you in. When employers know that you live very close, it can make it more likely for them to call you to come to work when they need help. While you may initially be eager to assist your employer in whatever way you can, this can quickly become irritating if you’re always the first call because of your proximity to the job location.

    4. No excuses for lateness. When you live close to your job, you really have no excuses for showing up to work late. While an employer expects their entire staff to show up on time, regardless of where they live, they’re more likely to sympathize with an employee who has to travel a far distance if they show up late.

    5. Running into co-workers and clients outside of work. Living closer to your job greatly increases the possibility that you’ll run into your co-workers or clients outside of work. While this isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, it can become a hassle if it’s a consistent occurrence, and you need some space from work on your time off.

    6. Limit career opportunities. Applying the stipulation of needing to live close to your workplace can severely limit your job opportunities. It reduces the number of possible job openings that you can find and apply to. Additionally, it can stifle career growth if you’re unwilling to consider a position that includes a commute.

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Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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Topics: Jobs