How to say something like this in a cover letter

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

For employers who don't care about your commute time, they are not going to care. For employers who do care about commute time, it is not going to matter.

My brother had a series of interviews with a company earlier in the year and every group he met consistently harped about his 30-45 minute commute. He did not get the job.

Out of curiosity, is your public transportation a train, bus or what?

That is so true, I thought this one place would give me the job since I only lived 2 blocks away but that was not the case

[groar]

Originally Posted by Life7

My minimum wage job?

they still might not put two and two together.

and people with minimum wage jobs still manage to have cars - beaters that used to belong to their parents, or something like that.

if they like your credentials otherwise and they're wondering about it, they'll ask you. they're not going to reject you outright because they assume you take the bus. well ok some managers might, but confirming that you do take the bus but assuring them that you really, really love the trade is not going to help with those people.

[zoso1979]

Originally Posted by Life7

I really enjoy the printing trade, but I think most employers are turned off when they see that a job candidate lives so far and would take public transportation with a commute between 60-90 minutes. Is there something I can say on a cover letter that tells them I really love this trade so much that I don't mind the commute and that it would be absolutely worth it, or would I sound silly and/or desperate?

Hmmm... Long commute, minimum wage (?) in a dying industry. Let's break it down.

1. Long Communte. A long commute may present some issues as has been discussed here and can pose some obstacles. My suggestion is to leave it out; don't answer questions that haven't been asked AND might raise any doubt about your ability to be a reliable employee as the farther you are away from work, things can happen out of your control.

2. Printing Trade. The printing trade is a dying industry. My background is printing and you could say I love it. (I grew up in a print shop.) And I had a very good job for quite a while in print production/print project management. Key word here, HAD. I stayed in the industry too long and am now having to reinvent myself in the 2nd half of my life especially since I have roots and don't want to move out of state.

3. Minimum Wage. If this is a minimum wage job you are putting a couple bad eggs in one basket and I'm not sure this is going to get you very far in life anytime soon.

If you really want to do this, move closer and commit to learning the entire business, get a degree or trained in a related specialty. Just make sure it's technical. Even then, you need to know it's not an industry that is growing. If you are committed, you may likely have to move if the plant closes or is bought out. Which brings us full circle to your commute question.

If you are young, which it sounds like you are, take some aptitude tests and look for options that will give you a greater shot at a future. Good Luck!

[wideworld]

Originally Posted by Life7

I really enjoy the printing trade, but I think most employers are turned off when they see that a job candidate lives so far and would take public transportation with a commute between 60-90 minutes. Is there something I can say on a cover letter that tells them I really love this trade so much that I don't mind the commute and that it would be absolutely worth it, or would I sound silly and/or desperate?

Yes, you can say that, but stop there.

Don't mention the commute. Let your passion speak for itself.

[Nema98]

Don't mention it in your cover letter, if the potential employer is concerned about, they will bring it up. Don't worry about and it just relax and see what happens.

Don't over think it, and again no mentioning it would be really odd. No reason to bring it up, and if they see it as a problem and decide they won't hire you, then nothing you bring up will change it.

Good luck!