If possible, most people will avoid a long commute when accepting a new job—thus making location and daily commute time a vital piece of the puzzle when evaluating a job offer. Who doesn't find it convenient to work close to home?

A recent survey of over 4,400 CollegeRecruiter.com Network members were asked, "How long is/was your commute to work for your most recent job?" The result—over 73 percent of business professionals said they work less than 25 miles from home.

More than 45 percent of polled members said that they commute less than 15 miles to work, more than 27 percent commute 15 to 25 miles, less than 17 percent commute 25 to 40 miles and a little over 10 percent commute more than 40 miles to work.

More and more business professionals are choosing to work close to home in order to help maintain a healthy work/life balance. Commute time alone, can make a significant dent in time available for family and after-work activities. When searching for a new job or making that next career change, its wise to consider and incorporate local niche websites that are geared towards providing resources and business opportunities within your local area or industry of interest. Many sites allow you to define your search by zip code, area code or city. Other options to consider include:

• Continue to build a network of local contacts
• Search for positions in the local or association newspapers
• Attend local career fairs
• Consider using a resume distribution service to target employers close to home.