College-Educated Office Workers - Do you spend a lot of time doing nothing? (collect, paycheck)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Every corporate office gig I've worked involves a ton of time spent staring the wall of my cubicle. Projects seem to move at a snail pace, so my workflow is really slow as well. I'm kind of sick of it. I feel like I'm wasting my life away.
Just curious - are you new to your position? Are you a newer college grad?
My first few years out of school I went through a corporate development program. I had a lot of really great experiences, but due to the lackluster organization of this program, I was often left underutilized. I sat around a lot. They didn't want to give me "grunt" work (I actually begged for anything, I'm one of those people who believes anything is an opportunity), but they didn't want to give me any long term projects as I would be gone in 3-9 months. It was maddening at times.
I find what has helped me is getting to know department heads outside of my own and asking them if I can help with anything. I guarantee you can find someone who needs a helping hand. If it seems like boring work, take it anyways. I have learned some really cool and useful things over the years by doing some mundane, short term projects. It opens you up to working with other people and minds that are not necessarily wired like yours. Even if they don't have anything to offer, ask if you can listen in/shadow on any interesting meetings or projects that are going on. Granted, this has to happen with the blessing of your supervisor, but I feel like if the supervisor is a good leader and wants to see you learn, they will have absolutely no issue with this (as long as you get your other work done!).
Have you actually asked for more work? A good way to ask for this without sounding bored is to ask for more "opportunities" or "assignments" to expand your role.
HOWEVER...even with doing the above, there are many times I have been bored. Even when begging for work. I'm the kind of person who likes to feel like they have really earned their paycheck. I get upset when I'm not busy and it actually makes me quite depressed. I begged for work for about 6 months at my new gig, and now I can barely come up for air!
Every corporate office gig I've worked involves a ton of time spent staring the wall of my cubicle. Projects seem to move at a snail pace, so my workflow is really slow as well. I'm kind of sick of it. I feel like I'm wasting my life away.
As a college grad working in an office: Yes, my work ebbs and flows. Like today, because we didn't work on Veteran's Day, it was really busy for the morning but I still was able to get everything done and the afternoon dragged. I found stuff to do such as filling supplies and what not otherwise I would have been sitting staring at my computer trying to look busy as I had finished all my other work.
Found that it can be hit or miss.... Some jobs I was brutally under worked while my current job is feast of famine.. Can always ask your boss for more work or go to him/her with an idea - always a plus
Every corporate office gig I've worked involves a ton of time spent staring the wall of my cubicle. Projects seem to move at a snail pace, so my workflow is really slow as well. I'm kind of sick of it. I feel like I'm wasting my life away.
Some days are more active than others. Like today was very active but tomorrow can be slow and when things get slow I keep it to myself.
Just curious - are you new to your position? Are you a newer college grad?
My first few years out of school I went through a corporate development program. I had a lot of really great experiences, but due to the lackluster organization of this program, I was often left underutilized. I sat around a lot. They didn't want to give me "grunt" work (I actually begged for anything, I'm one of those people who believes anything is an opportunity), but they didn't want to give me any long term projects as I would be gone in 3-9 months. It was maddening at times.
I find what has helped me is getting to know department heads outside of my own and asking them if I can help with anything. I guarantee you can find someone who needs a helping hand. If it seems like boring work, take it anyways. I have learned some really cool and useful things over the years by doing some mundane, short term projects. It opens you up to working with other people and minds that are not necessarily wired like yours. Even if they don't have anything to offer, ask if you can listen in/shadow on any interesting meetings or projects that are going on. Granted, this has to happen with the blessing of your supervisor, but I feel like if the supervisor is a good leader and wants to see you learn, they will have absolutely no issue with this (as long as you get your other work done!).
Have you actually asked for more work? A good way to ask for this without sounding bored is to ask for more "opportunities" or "assignments" to expand your role.
HOWEVER...even with doing the above, there are many times I have been bored. Even when begging for work. I'm the kind of person who likes to feel like they have really earned their paycheck. I get upset when I'm not busy and it actually makes me quite depressed. I begged for work for about 6 months at my new gig, and now I can barely come up for air!
I'm newish but not that new. I work for a fortune 10 company and it seems like there is red tape everywhere. Side projects seem to idle and good ideas die often. I'd argue it's a company problem, but I experienced this same exact culture in a different large organization as well. I think I might need to get out of the office economy entirely. It seems to attracts a very certain type of worker -- not very ambitious, happy to surf websites and collect a paycheck, make noise in useless meetings, etc.
I find office work to be very surge-ee, if that makes sense. For example in my current job, we are understaffed, esp in critical skills. Yet there are days when there is literally nothing to do. And then as if flipping a switch, there is more than can be done and everyone is putting in ridiculous OT until everything bogs down when it hits the choke points. Then you wind up with some folks, those who have to wait on the choke point, doing nothing and the folks in the choke point hitting OT limits. And then things lurch along until the next choke point and repeat.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
