Job Offer: Wolverhampton to London Daily..Would You?
Discussion
Hi guys,
I have just been offered a position in the banking sector in London - Middle Office.
Have experience in banking. But not in London really...It was only a matter of time before London came knocking. This has played on my mind for a few years now...All the major hubs are in London, NY, Singapore etc..
Now, I refuse to move and as a result I will be lumbered with a heck of a daily commute.
Wolves to Euston is 1h45 (I live 10 mins away from train station)
Then i Got to do the Northern Line for 20minutes
So whats that? Give or take? A 5hr round trip!!!!!!!!!
Would you even consider it??????
I have just been offered a position in the banking sector in London - Middle Office.
Have experience in banking. But not in London really...It was only a matter of time before London came knocking. This has played on my mind for a few years now...All the major hubs are in London, NY, Singapore etc..
Now, I refuse to move and as a result I will be lumbered with a heck of a daily commute.
Wolves to Euston is 1h45 (I live 10 mins away from train station)
Then i Got to do the Northern Line for 20minutes
So whats that? Give or take? A 5hr round trip!!!!!!!!!
Would you even consider it??????
Grenoble said:
No.
It will ruin your health.
And social life.
And relationships.
I think I will turn it down for the reasons above...been playing on my mind now the offer is concrete. Really really cant be arsed with moving for work again.It will ruin your health.
And social life.
And relationships.
Wife is expecting too, so no doubt will miss seeing kid grow up. f
k it..If the offer is too good to turn down, rent a place down here. You only have to leave early Monday morning for London then head back north Friday after work - if you can get some kind of deal to work longer hours midweek, you might even get to go home earlier Friday afternoon. I know someone who did that.
Hoofy said:
If the offer is too good to turn down, rent a place down here. You only have to leave early Monday morning for London then head back north Friday after work - if you can get some kind of deal to work longer hours midweek, you might even get to go home earlier Friday afternoon. I know someone who did that.
With a new born? Fastest route to a divorce.MysteryLemon said:
Rent a room in a shared flat somewhere or don't bother.
Why won't you even consider moving?
Have a nice house. Spent a small fortune on it....Why won't you even consider moving?
Been a bit of gypsy. Moved from Newcastle, to Leeds and now to Wolves. Wife is gettign a bit miffed and just wants to settle. Hence why we have a sprog on the way.
Got into banking a year ago. And its very clear the real money lies in the major hubs in London.
HannsG said:
Hi guys,
I have just been offered a position in the banking sector in London - Middle Office.
Have experience in banking. But not in London really...It was only a matter of time before London came knocking. This has played on my mind for a few years now...All the major hubs are in London, NY, Singapore etc..
Now, I refuse to move and as a result I will be lumbered with a heck of a daily commute.
Wolves to Euston is 1h45 (I live 10 mins away from train station)
Then i Got to do the Northern Line for 20minutes
So whats that? Give or take? A 5hr round trip!!!!!!!!!
Would you even consider it??????
Not for a second. A cursory glance at the logistics shows that...I have just been offered a position in the banking sector in London - Middle Office.
Have experience in banking. But not in London really...It was only a matter of time before London came knocking. This has played on my mind for a few years now...All the major hubs are in London, NY, Singapore etc..
Now, I refuse to move and as a result I will be lumbered with a heck of a daily commute.
Wolves to Euston is 1h45 (I live 10 mins away from train station)
Then i Got to do the Northern Line for 20minutes
So whats that? Give or take? A 5hr round trip!!!!!!!!!
Would you even consider it??????
...you'll leaving home at 6:15 every day. To get to the office for just after 9am. Realistically, in FS this is too late so you'll get the earlier train and leave home at 5:30. You'll never see the family in the morning.
...you'll be getting home at 20:30 every day. This is leaving the office at 17:30, which is too early for FS. So you'll get the later train, and not get home till 21:00, at the very earliest. And that's when you leave the office on time; often (>50% of the time) it will be later. You'll just about see your wife before you crash into bed, as you'll need to up 6 hours after you get home. Forget seeing the kids.
...a Virgin season ticket is the wrong side of £10k. Out of taxed income. I hope the payrise is worth it.
Frankly, trying to do that would be lunacy. If it's an opportunity of a lifetime, then do the weekly commute - you won't see any less of the family than you would if you went home every day.
The best way to do this, if the job is truly worth it, would be to negotiate 2 or 3 days a week at home and stay in town 2/3 nights a week. Even then it's not a great lifestyle, long term.
I've been working in consultancy for years, where working away during the week is the norm, and frankly you're either young, or divorced, or looking for a way out. The number of family people happily devoting their entire waking lives to their jobs in that way is vanishingly small.
deckster said:
...you'll leaving home at 6:15 every day. To get to the office for just after 9am. Realistically, in FS this is too late so you'll get the earlier train and leave home at 5:30. You'll never see the family in the morning.
...you'll be getting home at 20:30 every day. This is leaving the office at 17:30, which is too early for FS. So you'll get the later train, and not get home till 21:00, at the very earliest. And that's when you leave the office on time; often (>50% of the time) it will be later. You'll just about see your wife before you crash into bed, as you'll need to up 6 hours after you get home.
Pretty much how I envisioned it if you commuted every day. I'd last maybe a week. On the trip home, I'll probably sleep on the train and wake up in Edinburgh. Then, after making it back home Saturday around 3am with much swearing, decide to resign on Monday. ...you'll be getting home at 20:30 every day. This is leaving the office at 17:30, which is too early for FS. So you'll get the later train, and not get home till 21:00, at the very earliest. And that's when you leave the office on time; often (>50% of the time) it will be later. You'll just about see your wife before you crash into bed, as you'll need to up 6 hours after you get home.
I grew up in the Midlands and the father of one of my friends through school and college did this exact journey the entire time.
Looking back I'm not really sure how he did it, my friend rarely saw his Dad, he always looked knackered and often ended up sleeping in his office whenever the trains played up. Oh and he occasionally returned to Wolverhampton to find his station car had been stolen.
Saying that he did it, his family lived comfortably and his wife never left him, so I guess it can work.
Looking back I'm not really sure how he did it, my friend rarely saw his Dad, he always looked knackered and often ended up sleeping in his office whenever the trains played up. Oh and he occasionally returned to Wolverhampton to find his station car had been stolen.
Saying that he did it, his family lived comfortably and his wife never left him, so I guess it can work.
Never. Did Swindon to Canary Wharf for a year and any longer would have put me in AA. On top of the commute you'll spend the weekend on the booze to blot out the commute, believe me.
I contract and decided to move back home to North Shropshire/Wales and only take contracts that mean max 3 nights away. I get decent sleep in a hotel and refreshed for a weekend of fun with the family rather than moping about. I wouldn't consider doing it as a permie the rewards just aren't there.
I contract and decided to move back home to North Shropshire/Wales and only take contracts that mean max 3 nights away. I get decent sleep in a hotel and refreshed for a weekend of fun with the family rather than moping about. I wouldn't consider doing it as a permie the rewards just aren't there.
I did exactly this for 10 months daily in 2010 - used to take the 0704 which was the morning 'fast' service at 1:38, down the Northern line to exit Monument station, then back again on the 1823 or 1843. You soon get to recognise the regulars from New St, Intl and Cov and I can state categorically I was the only one doing it from Wolves daily.
My journey was slightly longer as I had to drive in from Salop so if you can walk/cycle to the station thats a bonus.
If you're doing this 5 days a week it's only bearable in 1st class which is about £500/month more than standard and about £16k/year overall - easy for me as a contractor because it was tax deductable but if you're employed this is a big cost to swallow, and will easily rent you a reasonable base in town. But like the OP I had a newborn and it just wasn't feasible.
My journey was slightly longer as I had to drive in from Salop so if you can walk/cycle to the station thats a bonus.
If you're doing this 5 days a week it's only bearable in 1st class which is about £500/month more than standard and about £16k/year overall - easy for me as a contractor because it was tax deductable but if you're employed this is a big cost to swallow, and will easily rent you a reasonable base in town. But like the OP I had a newborn and it just wasn't feasible.
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