亲爱的安妮：在过去的几年里，我从小镇到城区的办公室上班，每天单程要花近两个小时。当初接受这份工作时，我还没有意识到路程这么长——当然，糟糕的交通状况是罪魁祸首。我热爱这份工作，但是每天在通勤上消耗大量的精力却让我吃了不少苦头（头痛、背痛、失眠）。可是我当初在镇上买房子的时候正值房地产市场的高峰期，现在的房价已经远低于当时，所以我又不能搬到城区。

    我想在住所附近找一份工作，但是有两个问题：第一，听起来有点荒唐，但是我在小镇上的确没什么认识的人，因为一天中除了睡觉的时间，我不是在车上，就是在办公室（或健身房），我绝大部分的活动都是在市区里。第二，这附近也没有理想的大公司，所以没有明显的求职目标。您有什么好的建议吗？——疲倦的赶路人

    亲爱的R.W.：您没有提到具体位置，但愿您不是在洛杉矶。德州农工大学（Texas A&M University）本周早些时候公布的一项研究显示，全美国最拥堵的七条道路有六条位于洛杉矶市内或周边。

    这份报告中所提到最糟糕的一条路位于“道奇体育场（Dodger Stadium）附近向北约3英里长的110公路”，通勤的上班族每年堵在这条路上的时间长达140万小时，而所耗费的汽油多达210万加仑。

    当然，大多数通勤路线的状况并不会这么糟糕。美国人口普查局（the Census Bureau）的最新数字显示，美国人平均通勤时间为单程25分钟。还有13%的幸运儿不到十分钟就可以抵达工作地点，只有2%的人要花90分钟或更长时间。

    既然你属于那一小部分人，你的身体倍感压力也就不足为奇了。去年一份盖洛普民意调查研究发现，上班族的通勤路程越长，越容易出现健康问题，其中包括颈部与背部的不适。该调查还发现，通勤时间超过90分钟的上班族中，心理压力方面的疾病——慢性焦虑症的发生率高达40%。

    那么如何在家门口找到一份好工作？通常情况下，最有效的办法就是借助人际关系。但你目前还没有建立本地的朋友圈子，所以你的情况比较特殊。为此，全美高级管理者职业交际网络ExecuNet的编辑给出了如下五条建议：

    Dear Annie: For the past several years, I've been commuting almost two hours each way, from my home in a small-ish town to my office in a major city. When I took this job, I didn't realize it would take so long to get to work -- and it wouldn't, if the traffic weren't so horrendous. I like my job, but the hours I spend on the road every day are taking a toll (headaches, backache, insomnia). Moving closer to the city isn't an option, since I bought my house at the peak of the real estate boom and now owe more on it than it's worth in this market.

    I'd like to start looking for a job near where I live, but two problems: First, this might sound crazy, but I really don't know anyone in the area, since I spend nearly all my waking hours in the car or at the office (or the gym) in the city. And second, there are no big employers nearby, so no obvious places to start searching. Any suggestions? — Road Weary

    Dear R.W.: You don't say where you live, but for your sake, I hope it isn't in L.A. A study released earlier this week by researchers at Texas A&M University says that six of the seven most congested roads in the U.S. are in or around Los Angeles.

    The absolute worst, the report notes, is "a 3-mile stretch of northbound Highway 110 near Dodger Stadium," where commuters spend an annual total of over 1.4 million hours stuck in traffic, burning up 2.1 million gallons of gas.

    Of course, most commutes aren't that bad. The average commuter logs about 25 minutes each way, according to the Census Bureau's latest figures. A lucky 13% travel less than ten minutes in each direction. Only 2% commute for 90 minutes or longer.

    Since you belong to that tiny minority, it isn't surprising that you're suffering from signs of stress. A Gallup study last year found that the longer a person's daily trek to work, the more likely it is that the commuter will experience health problems, including painful neck or back trouble. The study also found that the highest incidence of psychological stress, notably chronic worry (40%), occurred among people whose commute takes 90 minutes or longer.

    So how do you look for a job in your own backyard? As with any other job search, the most effective approach is through in-person networking. In your case, since you don't know any locals (yet), staffers at ExecuNet, a nationwide career network for senior managers, recommend starting with these five steps:

    1. 通过邮政编码寻找雇主。在许多求职网站，包括CareerBuilder.com，Dice.com（IT业）以及RetirementJobs.com（针对50岁以上退休或未退休的求职人群），都可以输入目标地邮编，通过搜索来显示该区域内的职位空缺。即便是搜索结果中没有让人一眼相中的就业机会，至少也可以大概地了解附近有哪些企业正在招聘。

    2. 阅读当地的商业期刊和社区报纸，留意正在扩张（注意：这是招聘的信号）的公司。关注当地的新闻动态可以帮助你发现一些曝光度不那么高的工作机遇。

    3. 加入最近的商会。这类组织提供大量的本地商业信息，通常还包括核心高管的联系方式。瞄准其中几位感兴趣的对象，准备好一段两分钟的“电梯游说”，向其展示你的才华。

    然后就是介绍自我推销了。“盯紧这些公司的需求，”ExecuNet的董事长马克•安德森说。“分析自己的技能和经验能为解决他们的具体问题和挑战带来什么样的帮助。”

    4. 去当地的写字楼查询企业目录。写字楼大堂的企业指引目录通常标明各公司的房间号，中小企业和创业公司的名录也在其中。仔细研究他们的网站，启用谷歌快讯功能（Google alerts），及时跟踪目标公司的最新动向，这些都有可能引导你获得有关职位招聘的真实或潜在信息。

    1. Search job boards by zip code. Many job sites, including CareerBuilder.com, Dice.com (for IT jobs), and RetirementJobs.com (for people over 50, whether "retired" or not), allow you to enter your target zip code and get a list of openings in the area. Even if nothing pops up right away that seems like a fit, this will give you a general idea of who's hiring near you.

    2. Read regional business journals and community newspapers, with an eye toward identifying companies that seem to be growing (read: hiring). Staying on top of local news can often help you spot opportunities that aren't advertised anywhere.

    3. Join the nearest Chamber of Commerce. These groups have a wealth of information about local businesses, often including contact information for key executives. Pinpoint a few that might interest you and develop a two-minute "elevator pitch" about what you could offer.

    Then introduce yourself. "Target companies with needs that you can fill," says Mark Anderson, ExecuNet's president. "Analyze how your skills and experience could solve a specific problem or challenge they're facing."

    4. Check out the directories in local office buildings. Those lists in the lobby showing suite numbers for different companies are a Who's Who of small-to-medium-sized employers and startups. Study each of their websites. Set up Google alerts to catch updates on their activities that might clue you in to actual or potential job openings.

    5. 结识行业内的猎头，如果你还没有这样做，那现在就行动吧。“招聘人员通常专攻某一职能或专注于某一行业，”安德森指出，“他们通常广泛撒网，在很大的区域内寻找职位应征者，他们或许正在你的住所附近，为某些总部位于其他地区的大公司物色人才。”

    第五条建议：如果可能的话——也许在周末——试着参加附近的社区活动。教堂（或犹太教会堂、清真寺）、本地红十字会（Red Cross）、基督教青年会（YMCA）或基督教女青年会（YWCA）、家庭教师协会（PTA），众多此类的组织总是举办各种活动，在小镇上也不例外。这些都是结识街坊邻里的好地方，说不定就有人能为你介绍工作。

    诚然，以上建议中提到的各项功课都需要付出大量的时间和耐心（但同时也可能会充满了乐趣）。另外，在求职的这段时间里，为什么不和现在的老板谈一谈，看看能否每周让你有一两天远距离办公的时间呢？

    “越来越多的经理人正采取这种方式工作，”安德森说。“科技发展已经使之成为非常实用的方式。员工的压力减轻了，也不用把时间浪费在堵塞的交通上，工作效率大大提高，公司也能真正受益。”

    重新安排一下日程表，每周有一部分时间在家办公，或许那些不得不通勤的日子也能变得轻松不少。

    反馈：你每天通勤的路程是否很长？如果你在小城镇找到了一份工作，你是怎样做到的？欢迎发表评论。

    译者：富来细特\汪皓

    5. Get to know headhunters in your field, if you don't already. "Recruiters often specialize in a particular function or a specific industry," Anderson points out. "They tend to look for candidates over wide geographical areas, and they may be trying to fill openings near you for big client companies that are based elsewhere."

    A fifth suggestion: If at all possible -- maybe on the weekends -- do try to get involved in a nearby community organization. Churches (or synagogues, or mosques), the local Red Cross, the YMCA or YWCA, the PTA, and many other kinds of groups often have lots going on, even in very small towns. They're great places to start getting to know your neighbors, including those who might know of job openings.

    Granted, all this research and reaching out on your part will take time and patience (although it might also be kind of fun). While you're looking, why not try negotiating with your current employer to let you telecommute for at least a day or two each week?

    "We're seeing more and more managers doing this," Anderson says. "The technology available now makes it practical, and companies see real benefits to productivity when people have less stress and less wasted time stuck in traffic."

    Who knows? If you could rearrange your current schedule to let you work from home some of the time, your commute -- on the days when you still have to do it -- might be a little easier to take.

    Talkback: Do you have a long commute to and from work? If you've found a job in a small town, how did you do it? Leave a comment below.