I’ve prepared myself for the eventuality that there would be resistance to hiring me because of my location, hence why I’m currently preparing to move closer into the GTA. Call it a pre-emptive strike or a way of overcoming objections before they can occur.
What follows is one of my most recent experiences with a potential
employersin the GTA:
“Hi, Jessica? This is
So and So calling about the Resume you’ve submitted for our Available
Position…. Where are you located? ... Hamilton? *silence followed by a clearly
audible sigh*(you can almost hear the
gears in the brain churning in an attempt to fathom this turn of events)…That’s
a lot of travelling for you every day isn’t it? It’s not really an ideal
commuting situation for you?”
I explain that I’m well aware of the distance and that I
have taken this into account; I don’t feel that it would be an issue. I patiently assure the employer that this
would not affect my prompt and reliable attendance. I stress the importance that this would be
a temporary situation; I’m making plans for relocation, which means I will end
up being within the area in the very near future. As an
aside; myself being a bit of a planner (bordering on OCD), it would be preferable
for me to have something lined up prior to moving day.
Besides, isn’t Hamilton just outside of what is considered
the GTA? Burlington is generally accepted as GTA, we’re only the next city over. In fact, on a clear day, I can see the CN
Tower far down the shoreline from the Hamilton beaches (but in a different way than how Sarah Palin can see Russia from her
house).
See? It's not that far...
No matter how much of a fight, or how many objections I try
to overcome, it never seems to suffice.
Please remember I plan
on becoming a Torontonian in the very near future, so the opinions expressed
herein are those of an outsider trying to get in.
I generally think that some people live in what I like to
call the Toronto bubble. The bubble
skews the reality of time and distance so that a mere commute of 45 minutes or
so can appear to be ENDLESS.
Those of us outside the bubble see it differently. Commuters understand that the distance isn’t insurmountable,
which is probably why there are commuter trains from Hamilton to Toronto daily,
during peak commute times. The
possibility of sitting in traffic doesn’t make us cringe, nor does the thought
of taking a nap on the train to and from work.
We accept it as part of working in the big city, and plan ahead for any
eventuality. We like to look at it as
though it is a problem solving project; we aim to forecast any hindrance that
may arise and ensure that we arrive to our destination in a timely fashion.
In other words; let me worry about the transit and whether
it’s too far for me. I don’t apply to
positions I know I can’t access and I’m not interested in wasting your
time. You only need to worry whether I
am qualified for the position. If I am,
the city in which I live should not be a factor. I understand there’s concern that an out of
town employee may be perceived as less reliable, due to mitigating factors. But try not to discriminate against someone
who is a great candidate just because of the location of their living space,
especially if they have a proven history of reliability. Ultimately, attendance
and prompt arrivals should be the concern of the employee.
Ultimately, it all comes down to work ethic; whether a
person commutes, or if they happen to live a block over, their work ethic
decides whether they are punctual for work.
Some of us have a greater sense of responsibility than others, and the
right position with the right employer can be worth waking up early and
catching a train at 6 am.
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