Free Career and Job Search Advice

pressure219 · New User Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 5 Career Advice: +0/-0

Ok here is the background

I am recently 23 years old and graduated and started my first real world job about 3 weeks ago. So far it’s been ok. During the interview, it sounded like they would have lots of stuff for me and even said that 45 hrs a week would probably be about normal. First thing walking through the door is I noticed I am pretty young. Everyone here is about at least 15 or more years older than me, with the exception of maybe 2 people out of 35. What can I possibly have in common with people who are my father’s age?

But that’s not the real issue, the problem is I am frustrated because I don’t seem to have a real niche here. I have no day to day responsibilities and I don’t really do anything. I have been given two projects but they require me to wait for people to do their part which maybe days or weeks before they get back to me. I’ve told my boss “If there is anything that you think would be valuable for me to work on, don’t hesitate.” I’ve mentioned something indirectly along those lines to him on at least a few occasions.

I want to work and to contribute and have IMPORTANCE. But I am basically paid to pretend I am working.

I am almost afraid to ask for more projects because I feel like there isn’t any. It’s like they hired someone with certain intentions but now that I am here they can’t keep me busy. I’ve tried to look up the job description again but couldn’t find it.

In fact, I am writing this while at work because I am so bored. How do I get more stuff to do???? I feel like office space where I do about 1 hour of real work a week, but zone out the rest. And I don't want that. Unfortunately they proved little training so I can't start on things myself yet. It's always me asknig what to do next.

Raya74 · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:22 am Post subject:

I was recently in a similar situation- just graduated, started a new job and really didn't have much to do so of course i would get bored sitting around all day not doing very much but watching the clock ticking on by so slowly and feeling like the day would never end.. but fortunately for me i started getting more to do- actually a lot more to do and now i hardly have a minute to sit down...even though a lot of what i do includes things like photocopying, shredding, filing and that sort of typical office work it still keeps me busy and that's one of the reasons i want a job....days seem to go by a lot quicker and i like to feel that i've accomplished something at the end of the day.....i think you need to either have an honest, straightforward conversation with your boss and ask him again what the job description entails and tell him that your looking for more challenges and this will also give you the chance to showcase your skills and abilities and find your niche- you might even want to consider moving to a different department within the company..or just moving on altogether and finding a different job if thats what it comes down to because if it is not stimulating you and challenging you at all then your really not getting anything out of it and it is just a waste of your time. Even though i really don't love the job i have now i still think it is a learning experience for me and will help me grow and get a better idea of where my strengths and weaknesses lie - I think it is also important to think in terms of the future and ask yourself if the job you currently have will help you or hinder you in getting a better job later down the road...so i suggest trying the first approach i suggested and if that doesn't work just move on and cut your losses now....Best of luck to you:-)

lilo · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject:

))))

I'm laughing because I have this friend who works in the advertising field, as an account. She's been on this job for about three months now and I remember her in the first month, I was asking her what's it like and stuff and she was totally bored, saying the same things you have said. And I told her....you should not worry, my friend,..there will come a time when you'll be overwhelmed with responsibilities and you'll cry for that again. After a month and a half, I was talking to her, and she was telling me she's totally active now. After two months and a half, she begun complaining she comes tired from work, cause she had A LOT to do. Very Happy

So my point is...be patient. This is a good time to learn and to steal some useful skills, if you get my point Very Happy

All the best!

lexa10881 · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:45 am Post subject:

Keep in mind that you are the new guy. Introduce yourself and get to know others. You think that you might not have anything in common with these other people, but have you truly tried to interact with them? Try it. And be patient.

http://www.cvtips.com/get_noticed_at_work.html

ank06 · Expert Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 247 Career Advice: +1/-0

Aaaahhh....this has almost nothing to do with you being very young and all. Everybody is busy in there and they don't really have time to get you notice and things like that. I'm sure this is the reason. But don't you worry about you not having too much to do right now. As one has said above, you'll remember these days when you'll be busy yourself and you won't even have time to breathe.
Question: are you bothered just by the fact that you are not as important as you might want to be, or does this situation affects your salary for example? Because if it doesn't affect your financial status...what is the real problem Very Happy

? I'm sure you know what I am referring at Wink

pressure219 · New User Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 5 Career Advice: +0/-0

in reference to lexa,

the problem is i do nothing. this is my first job, and when it comes time to do a review and this continues and I have nothing to show for it, im going to be pissed because it looks bad on my part. plus, its a huge waste of my time and their money to not invest in my becoming of a succificent employee. i don't care if they waste money, but once they start wasting my time i get frustrated.

i know some people say "oh thats cool you get paid to do nothing", but no its not cool, boring jobs are the worst of all jobs.

the real kicker is i am wondering what my boss thinks i am doing if he has no projects for me. like today he gave me a project that lasted maybe a half hour, but thats it. the rest of the day was up to me to figure out. shouldn't he think to ask what i am working on or need help or something? he has to know that i don't know enough to do anything on my own yet so thats not an excuse.

its just bad planning on their part and im suffering for it.

lexa10881 · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:39 am Post subject:

You'll do fine, and if you are not the patient type, this will be a time to learn patience. There will also come a time when you are so sick of work and look forward to a day off in a way like no other. Keep that in mind.

I should have sent you this also:

http://www.cvtips.com/career_building.html

Katja144 · Expert Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 177 Career Advice: +2/-0

I was about to ask what one does in this situation...

I was bored in the beginning at my job because no one had time to train me, so they would say things like "I need you to do this but not right now because I have no time to teach you how to do it."

Then things picked up, but six months later I am again bored. My work comes in small waves where I am busy a day or two, then I spend all the next week trying to fit two hours worth of work into 40 hours.

I hate it because I have nothing to do and that's boring, I hate it because I feel it's unethical for me to be paid to do next-to-nothing (but I also am not about to suggest to my boss that this is perhaps not a full-time job because I don't need him to cut me back to part time! I already don't get paid enough!), I hate it because I'm afraid someone will walk in and see me doing nothing and I'll get in trouble (I don't think anyone's ever questioned anything though because obviously stuff does get done), I hate it because I get tired of frantically looking for things to do.

I just need to figure out how to ask my boss for more work without him loading it on to an unbearable degree, and without looking like I just have no ability to be a self-directed worker (though they should know better than that by now, being as I've come up with several new ideas and such in my time there). (And, since I'm looking for another job right now, I'd hate to have my boss give me more work or new projects only to then leave right away and leave them unfinished!)

Randy · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject:

Enjoy every single minute of it! Volunteer for nothing! It's "their" job to delegate and manage the work, not yours! You're already learning the single-most important lesson of all: It's far, far more important to get along well with others, to like and be liked, than it is to actually DO something. So, as is said in this part of the country, milk that puppy for all you can and good for you!

carmen_RO · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:59 am Post subject:

I have been at my new job for about a month. I am bored to death.

I did retail before, for a few years and I hated the fact that I had to stand on my feet all day, look busy no matter what, work weekends, work holidays, take all kind of S*&% from customers and not say anything back, make little money etc... I used to dream about how nice it would be to have an office job with decent pay and good benefits.
Well.... after a looong search the dream came true: i have the office job, I sit down most of the day, I do light computer work, the pay is not bad and the benefits are very nice.

The reality is that I am upset because the management complains how much work they have to do, how the department is not meeting Dead Lines etc but in the same time I struggle to stay busy...many time I have to ask for something to do. I don't feel my position is vey secure because of the lack of responsabilities and because what I do now can be easily done by the individuals I am helping or...by kids...its that easy...

I am afraid to ask for more responsabilities because:
1. -I really feel that other employees are not happily willing to share their work because having all that work means job stability for them, it makes them more important for the company
2. - I might get too much work, more than I wished for and I might not have the needed help in the beginning until I would get adjusted with all the new responsabilities
3- I don't know for sure if I would do the new responsabilities at a good level, especially in the first month or two (there is a lot to be learned)

Theoretically this should have been my dream job but in reality is more like a job that makes me feel like crying...every day....out of boredom...... Crying or Very sad

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