How to handle being bored at work

[Anonymous]

Are others in your office busy? Is the work there or is there just not enough work for the staffing level?

I'm a longtime fed, and in the first six months of my current job I had a similar experience to yours. I started thinking there just wasn't enough work to go around. But slowly I got busier and now three years later I am swamped. I got on a couple of long term projects and built some good client relationships (I'm an attorney) and now most of my work comes directly to me from people I've worked with before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been in a new job since Jan and since Jan its been pretty slow. I keep asking my boss for more work and he usually has an excuse like "oh its been slow for me too", and I talk to his boss about getting more work. Sometimes I get a few small assignments and it keeps me busy, but I have usually it done a week later and back to asking for more work. My boss is also terrible- new at supervision, no clue how to manage people and never checks in or follows-up. I am midcareer Fed employee so I am wondering if this is how it is in federal agencies? I have started looking for other jobs and networking. Should I just suck it up and deal until something new comes along?

Focus on the benefits. I bet no one freaks out if you need to leave early to pick your kids up, or acts like the world is going to end if you don't respond to midnight emails. Being bored isn't the worst thing in the world. I second pps advice to take some Coursera courses. You could also look into actual trainings or courses related to your job - sounds like it wouldn't be hard for you to spend a week in training this summer?

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all those who answered. Yes I realize there are worse things, and half my team is busy the other half not. The people who are busy were those who have been there for many years so yeah it may take time.

[Anonymous]

I am a Federal Employee and I have also had periods of time that I was bored, but I always either found a new group with more suitable work or waited until the work flowed in. Some positions have slow periods followed by extremely busy periods. Often, when you're new, you are simply not able to jump in for various reasons and it takes time before you can be truly effective. Other times you become a subject matter expert and your work feels slow because they've essentially put you in a place where having you there makes other people work much faster, because you can answer questions or whatever, so you may be providing value, but still feel useless. You can't tell that this far in, though. I'd imagine this is just being new.

Contrary to popular belief, and comments throughout DCUM, this is not a norm for government work. The fact that you're bored means that you aren't lazy. Government work requires a lot of self start. You need to be motivated. If you feel like this now, and you're asking for work, you will be fine. Keep doing what you're doing, be respectful to your bosses, and if it doesn't get more exciting, use your new federal status to look for something better in a year.

[Anonymous]

Headphones and YouTube documentaries

[Anonymous]

I jog at lunch and I'm writing a novel.

[Anonymous]

This is so me (mid-30's too), but my outlet is DCUM . There are busy periods and down periods, but the emails never stop. I can answer those with my eyes closed.

I've been at my same agency/office for 8 years now and have been applying for other jobs. Not sure if I would take a new job ---flexibility along with being a subject matter expert and having great working relationships might make me stay. I'm inclined to see what else is out there.

[Anonymous]

I spent close to 10 years with the feds and there was almost never a time when I could fill my work day with work, no matter how much I tried. It made being a working mom much easier because I had plenty of time to focus on our personal life. I also spent way too much time on DCUM.

Now I'm in the private sector and I haven't been bored for a minute. While I'm learning more, feel productive and my days fly by, I don't have as much time for my personal life and find juggling work and home to be tougher than before.

[Anonymous]

I would try to do some things for me...

1. work out during lunch breaks (no big deal if lunch is longer than usual)

2. ask if you can work from home 2-3 days per week

3. take on-line courses

4. work on on-line photo books (shutterfly, etc...)

[Anonymous]

I work in the private sector and I'm so bored at work. I telework 2 days a week and do all my chores then - laundry, deep clean parts of the house (like, fridge one day, guest room another and so on), cook big dinners, etc. I keep telling myself to write a novel or do online courses or some self improvement but I don't. Also I work I have tons of coffees with colleagues and now I'm one of the best networked people on my floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good grief. This is pretty much the sum total of what I suspect goes on when working in govt.

No need for the off base put downs.

[Anonymous]

Are most of you 'bored' workers in admin type positions? Just wondering if this is related to the type of work you do or if this happens across the board.

[Anonymous]

I'm 8:26,

I'm a program analyst with adminstrative like task, but I mainly analyst and review programs.

[Anonymous]

You could sign up at CodeAcademy and learn software coding.

[Anonymous]

It's a little dangerous to be bored all the time. You aren't developing skills or gaining work experience. It's tough to explain what your duties are on your resume. If there is a reduction in force coming, you would be high on the list.

Ask for a lateral transfer, sign up for training courses, take online education classes, or just walk around to the busier people and ask to help.