by Julie Desmond

Job seekers typically know their strengths, weaknesses and the title of the work they do best. They set boundaries around pay and schedules and duties, but they forget that the biggest obstacle between any one person and success is often a few miles and a few inches of snow. Distance can be a deal breaker. Focusing applications on companies within a five mile radius of home streamlines the search process, reduces the stress of the work itself and can make finding that work much easier.

Distance equals time.

Time getting to work. Time away from family, friends, exercise, hobbies and evening television.

Distance equals hassle.

Driving through a snowstorm or tangled in traffic, long commutes add tension to workdays that might already be stressful. Bus and train commuters know their unique challenges: long waits in cold weather and sloshing to the next corner to pick up a transfer, for example.

Distance equals expense.

Commuting costs real dollars spent on gas, car repairs, bus passes and the fast food you pick up for the family because you are too tired at the end of the drive to cook a healthy meal at home.

A five mile job search is easy to orchestrate. Online, bring up a search engine such as indeed.com. Type in your zip code and choose the filter “within five miles.” Note that you didn’t enter any key words. This is because, at this point, you just want to discover which businesses are in your target area.

The five mile search works because you are not the only person who wants to stay near home. People who live near you are likely to have connections to people you need to connect with. Determine who you know, schedule informational interviews and make sure your neighbors know where you want to work. You might be surprised at how easily you can get through to the right managers when recommended by a neighbor or friend.

Employers know well that reliability and flexibility go up as commute time goes down. During interviews, managers often ask the general question, Why do you want to work here? Help yourself out by including proximity among your reasons. No one ever lost a job because they lived too near their work.

Julie Desmond has fifteen years recruiting and staffing experience. Currently, she works as a contract specialist for Specialized Recruiting Group in Minneapolis. Write to julie@insightnews.com.