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I accepted a new job 8 months ago in a industry I'm passionate about and was excited for. My supervisor works remotely, but I work in the office with a majority of the company. Because my boss isn't in the office, I feel overlooked for a lot of projects. I think I probably have about 10 hours of actual work to do per week. The rest of the time I am desperately trying to find things to do.
I have tried to volunteer and make myself available for work to help other departments and co-workers, but most of the time I get a, "thanks, but I'm good" type of response. Most days I end up just doing busy work/reports that no one really looks at or cares about.
My position really wasn't needed and my supervisor shouldn't have been justified to hire a full time person for my role. I've talked to my supervisor several times about my work load and I keep getting a response of, "don't worry, we will be swamped soon" but it never happens. It's getting to the point that I don't have anything to contribute in meetings. I'm always the last to know things. I feel useless and invisible.
But, I'm not exactly miserable. I'm getting compensated extremely well (six-figures) and its a industry I want to stay in.
If you keep bringing it to their attention that you have nothing to do (which is what you're doing by always asking about new work and volunteering to help others with their work) eventually they will stop and think about it then let you go.
Most people would cut off a limb to be in your situation (six figures, low stress, ample free time). I would relax and enjoy it while you can because it won't last.
I've had similar jobs from time to time. I disagree that it's low stress and full of free time. You're still at work...so it's not exactly free time. The boredom and monotony makes the day drag on and on and on. Most people are chronically overworked, but that doesn't mean that being chronically underworked is good.
And it's not low stress. OP feels some shame and guilt about the job. He feels "useless and invisible". There's always this looming fear of being "found out" (not that OP is doing this on purpose, but it's a stress that exists in his mind probably anyway). There's the stress of your skills and knowledge atrophying. Six figures is a great salary, but not if it only lasts a a short while and leaves you in a bad spot in the job market.
If you keep bringing it to their attention that you have nothing to do (which is what you're doing by always asking about new work and volunteering to help others with their work) eventually they will stop and think about it then let you go.
Yep. Sometimes it's better to just keep as low of a profile as possible.
I accepted a new job 8 months ago in a industry I'm passionate about and was excited for. My supervisor works remotely, but I work in the office with a majority of the company. Because my boss isn't in the office, I feel overlooked for a lot of projects. I think I probably have about 10 hours of actual work to do per week. The rest of the time I am desperately trying to find things to do.
I have tried to volunteer and make myself available for work to help other departments and co-workers, but most of the time I get a, "thanks, but I'm good" type of response. Most days I end up just doing busy work/reports that no one really looks at or cares about.
My position really wasn't needed and my supervisor shouldn't have been justified to hire a full time person for my role. I've talked to my supervisor several times about my work load and I keep getting a response of, "don't worry, we will be swamped soon" but it never happens. It's getting to the point that I don't have anything to contribute in meetings. I'm always the last to know things. I feel useless and invisible.
But, I'm not exactly miserable. I'm getting compensated extremely well (six-figures) and its a industry I want to stay in.
I had a job like this and it drove me crazy. Drove one hour to and from and sat in my office. My boss was such a control freak she wouldn't train me and wouldn't give me anything to do because I wasn't trained. I devoured books because I had nothing to do. After 8 months I couldn't take it anymore and quit.
Yea long periods of downtime make me antsy and also guilty like I am slacking off. That is the nature of things at some places feast or famine. Some days or even weeks I am spending most of the day on city-data and reddit bored out of my skull other days I am so insanely busy I feel like United Airlines having to "reaccommodate" people.
Wow. That sounds painful. Do you have any ability to create working groups or things like that? Are there any projects or problems you know of that need solving, even if you don’t know how perhaps you could look into things... I guess it depends on the specifics.
Most people would cut off a limb to be in your situation (six figures, low stress, ample free time). I would relax and enjoy it while you can because it won't last.
It's not as low stress, as you would think. Initially, it feels safe. After months of showing no value, you start to worry about being laid off or being forced out.
Eventually, they will have to do expense reduction or streamline operations. They will be wondering what value I am providing and let me go.
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