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A couple months ago I walked into my bosses office after a few weeks of pure boredom in my job:
“We need to talk,” I said, “I enjoy working for you, and I feel like I have gained a great deal of priceless experience, but I’ve been incredibly bored over the past few weeks and when I ask for more work, I get bitch work. I need to know where my job is going.”
He was caught a little off guard, but responded “Well, to be perfectly honest, there is no vertical growth in our department. If you were to stay at this company it would be in another department. You aren’t thinking of quitting already are you?”
I smiled, “You know I always look for more responsibility.”
I appreciate his honesty, but I was caught off guard a bit by his frankness. On one hand it’s good to know, but on the other I was just told I was in a dead end job and I needed to figure out my next move. My lingering question became, do I start to look for a new job then (after 6 months on the job, the last person in my job lasted 7), or do I do as I’ve been told by most people I’ve met with: stick it out for at least a year.
Fast Forward 2 weeks. I have breakfast with a powerful HR executive who I met through my father-in-law (networking extraordinaire). I ask him about my situation to further our conversation, because effective networking occurs when you ask for advice. His response was just as I imagined. “Stick it out for at least a year,” he then caught me off guard, “then send me your resume.”
I was flattered, to say the least, but I still had 6 more months to stick it out… I’m fine with being worked to death, but pure boredom is another thing all together. I would later find out from a co-worker that the girl who had my job before me watched Grey’s Anatomy and anything else she could online, and that the guy before her brought in DVD’s to watch at work. This is something I could NEVER do, I view it as wrong on any number of levels, so I would need to find other things to busy myself.
Today I’ve been on the job about 10 months, and I have become the unofficial corporate webmaster, in charge of maintaining our less than par website that was put up in the mid ’90s. I have since made it my goal to get us a new corporate website, actually this is something I told my boss we needed right after I was hired.
I began lobbying slowly, but gained some backers and was able to successfully create a presentation on why we need a new website. The presentation was successful and I got the corporate funding for it (very surprising because of the cost cutting measures my company has taken). Now I am the point man on working with company executives from all departments and a 3rd party firm to develop the site. I’ve been balancing schedules and putting together an advisory team to watch over the development. I got much busier when working towards the new site, and I even took stuff home with me one night (something I never do).
By broadening my exposure and working toward my goal of getting the new site, I now have something that gets me excited for work. It is well outside of my job description, but it has enabled me to gain invaluable management experience and exposure that will surely look good on my resume and aid me in the search for my next position.
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Comments
07.24.08
Good for you! I'm actually in the same situation where my position does not have much wiggle space. My company is a well-oiled machine that is set in their ways so there really isn't anything for me to do to really change my outlook on needing to change pace.
I have figured out my dilemma after 3 months and everyone also told me to stick it out for a year. I always have a problem with that b/c a year is not a couple of weeks but I guess you have to make the best of it.
Good luck in your future decision 'cause 2 months is around the corner!
07.24.08
Tiffany,
I here you, it feels like forever when you are looking forward! It's only when you look back when you can realized that time really flew by.
I'm also waiting out to see what kind of review/raise I get. Considering I've taken on a number of things outside my job description, I'm hoping it will be a good raise and review!
-Daniel
07.24.08
I have had this same bordem problem in the past. You know its bad when you stop trying to hide the fact that you are doing nothing productive, and openly do nothing; just waiting for a new assignment or responsibility can get annoying. Also, a problem I've found with this is that when you actually do have work to complete, you've become so complacent in surfing the web all day that you dont even want to do your work...
Not to say that I am lazy, or do not enjoy a challenging work environment, but sometimes once your mind is made up about a job (you hate it, its boring, there is no room for advancement, it pays horribly, etc.) then it is hard to get back to the attitude you may have had during the first week of the job.
07.24.08
It's great that you are able to make the best of your job in this way.
Let this be a lesson for all you ambitious types who will be in management someday. Don't EVER let a job like this exist in your companies.
If you are expecting your employees to search for work to do, you might be pleasantly suprised that some take the initiative.
But you'll find many more who take advantage of you.
07.24.08
Sounds more like a first job. It doesn't matter what the job is, most people will tell you to stick it out at least a year so that your resume doesn't look like crap. On the other hand, who cares? If your job sucks and there's no future with it, why would you be lackadaisical about finding another job? Yeah, you have to pay your dues. But are you paying your dues?
07.24.08
Good luck with that website. I wrapped my head around my job and got it into primo productivity mode within three months of my arrival. Then, I got bored. Same thing - proposed a new website project. They loved it - start working on it, they said. Form a committee, they said. Do research, they said. Then they said, wait. Hold on. A year later, there are plans to get everything operational by Labor Day, but I know that song and dance.
I hope you don't run into the same problem, but don't get your hopes *too* high.
Also, make sure that you don't get lost in that "unofficial web guy" role that you'll never get any credit (or pay) for. I learned that one the hard way too.
07.24.08
Before I read the second half, I was going to say 'create your own projects/opportunities'.
Since the company is cost-cutting, there might be opportunities left vacant, some could be cross-departmental. That means there are more opportunities for you & it doesn't really cross boundaries that much. So find out opportunities & ask!
I learn the lesson the long way, in the first few month in my first job as a data analyst; it took me months before asking to help others out. After 6 months or so, I had work with 1/2 the customers in the department & have full knowledge of their customize process+data. This made me fit to be responisble for a mid-size account(a well-known computer company), which lead to project to lead + virtually train others overseas to our process.
Basically, The role just grew to fit me.
It sounds like if you take charge, you can design your own role in the company; so I hope you don't just leave without test some opportunities out.
07.24.08
Great article Dan. I think the key thing that stands out is that while previous employees watched DVDs you've gone out of your way to take on extra responsibility and get more out of your role.
It's an important characteristic to have and not that common. Apply that in a company with good opportunities and the rewards will be greater.
07.24.08
LMAO about "bitch work"--excellent term!
I think this post is exactly right--and would just add one thing. I think doing something like this can give you an idea whether it's worth it to stick it out or not. In your situation you proposed something and they gave you the go-ahead and you got to run with it. It showed you that they respected and valued you--which is why it's worth it to stay.
On the other hand, when it goes the other way--as it has for me--it's a sign that there's no point in sticking it out for a year. Penelope blogged about it a while ago, I think--I forget the title of the post but it would be worth searching for.
In my case I did the same things you did--taught myself html, became the webmaster, developed well-supported recommendations about what needed to be changed and why, etc. And it went nowhere, because that was the kind of company it was. No amount of "sticking it out" would have made a difference--the only thing you can hope for in that situation is a change in leadership, which could possibly change the dynamic. I did stay longer than a year, btw--a year and two months, to be exact. ;)
07.24.08
@ Zach, I know that EXACT feeling! It's hard to overcome!
@ Holly, I fully intend on getting credit for it, and getting a good raise out of it. But I feel you, people will walk all over you if you let them!
Thanks for all the positive response!
07.24.08
This was my experience at my first job as well. I would ask for greater responsibility from my supervisor and get "bitch work" instead. I started working with other coworkers on projects that they would have going on so that I could be learning something. The last straw came when there were two more senior positions open and they hired from within the company rather than promoting me.
You might want to have in mind what would be your breaking point. It might be that they don't give you a raise or a promotion or there are no other opportunities in other departments.
07.24.08
Good job on being proactive and taking charge of your job! Just make sure to get out soon or get a raise because you are probably doing all that extra work for free!
07.24.08
It's amazing how terrible some managers can be. I know way to many people who are completely bored at their job, I was one of them at my old job.
I wouldn't recommend sticking it out for the sake of working a year, but it seems like you took some great initiative to build your skills, experience and resume. And you learned how to make the most out of a terrible job.
best of luck with the next one!
07.24.08
Brother, I've been in this situation for sure, at my first, second, third job etc. Sometimes there's nothing to do but blog and read articles all day. You're doing the right thing though by creating your own project; that's a line you can put on your resume and when you go to get a reference from your boss, that's a significant component.
07.24.08
Way to go, Daniel! It sounds like you've played this one perfectly. By lobbying for more responsibilities, you've given yourself a stellar addition to your resume and made your current job more tolerable. Well done!
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