Would you leave a job where you pretty much surf the Internet all day?

[Anonymous]

You sound like someone I know. Except this person is lazy, loves sucking every last drop from the organization and will probably never leave voluntarily. Eighty percent of the job is spent doing personal things. Oh, and its full flex with optional telework.

[Anonymous]

Look for a different government agency. Our lawyers are plenty busy.

As with most things, it depends on the agency. I would be hard pressed to think of dead wood where I work. I have been detailed to other agencies where I did see some clock watchers. A few have reputations of being horrible.

I have found as a general rule of thumb that the fewer political appointees an agency has, the more professional the environment seems. I'm not blaming the political appointees per we, but there are reasons of mission why some don't have all that many.

[Anonymous]

Per we = per se

[Anonymous]

OP, when you say you're a government lawyer but you aren't a fed, what is it you do? Do you work for a defense contractor? State's attorney?

[Anonymous]

Your life IS wasting away. So is your development and you're paid peanuts.
Only stay there is you like low stress, low impact punch in/out jobs and/or don't want to compete in the real market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, when you say you're a government lawyer but you aren't a fed, what is it you do? Do you work for a defense contractor? State's attorney?

Not OP, but I think when she said she applied to the fed jobs, but didn't get hired, she was talking about applying for other fed jobs. She is currently a fed lawyer everyone.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. I am not a fed lawyer. I work for local government. I am also not lazy which is why I am posting here for ideas. I have actually taken on pro bono cases, I teach, and have volunteered (and received) extra work from our agency head. I have also asked my immediate supervisor for more work but there is none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP raises a good point that I struggle with myself: where are the jobs that actually take up a full work week but don't leave you bored for hours a day or take up evenings/weekends? Because I've found that to be a hard balance too. When I was child-free, it was no biggie to work 10-12 hour days (sometimes without much pay) plus weekends and travel. But now, at 40 and with a masters degree and a 4-year-old, I feel like I've paid my dues to a point and shouldn't have to work crazy long days anymore. I've love to work a solid 8-hour day, get my (not huge) paycheck and go home. OP, I hear ya. Being bored saps your energy, and it's hard to get motivated again when there are busy times. good luck.

I work about 50 hours a week and most of the time, my job is challenging and interesting. Some of that extra time is nights when I'm at home with the family. Personally, I opted for a job that's a bit busier than is totally comfortable with two children because I can't stand to be bored. Of course, my kids are older (elementary school aged) and my husband is a good partner. Couldn't do it without a husband who does his share, and more, as my job requires.

[Anonymous]

I'd rather be a barista at Starbucks than a bored government employee chained to an unfulfilling desk job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather be a barista at Starbucks than a bored government employee chained to an unfulfilling desk job.

Well, there's always that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. I am not a fed lawyer. I work for local government. I am also not lazy which is why I am posting here for ideas. I have actually taken on pro bono cases, I teach, and have volunteered (and received) extra work from our agency head. I have also asked my immediate supervisor for more work but there is none.

In that case, keep applying for other jobs -- eventually something will work out; if you're getting really impatient, then set a reasonable deadline for finding a new job and if you haven't by then, then maybe start planning on how to start the new business as that planning will at least occupy some of your time and I expect it'll take time to determine whether you want to leave a secure 100k job for a new business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP raises a good point that I struggle with myself: where are the jobs that actually take up a full work week but don't leave you bored for hours a day or take up evenings/weekends? Because I've found that to be a hard balance too. When I was child-free, it was no biggie to work 10-12 hour days (sometimes without much pay) plus weekends and travel. But now, at 40 and with a masters degree and a 4-year-old, I feel like I've paid my dues to a point and shouldn't have to work crazy long days anymore. I've love to work a solid 8-hour day, get my (not huge) paycheck and go home. OP, I hear ya. Being bored saps your energy, and it's hard to get motivated again when there are busy times. good luck.

+1. I have left a job before because it wasn't challenging. It is hard for me to justify flying out every week with a 2 hour plane trip plus 1 hour drive to be bored out of my mind. I was in consulting at the time and I think part of it was that the supervisor had some personal things going on and didnt have time to figure out what could be done to make the assignment better.

I don't like the feeling of not earning my salary and my fear is too long in that environment I would lose my edge. Part of what I believe makes me an attractive employee is thinking five steps ahead, the energy, wanting to move an organization forward etc. At home we are reading about pets and trying to find the right pet, and it's pretty clear you don't take a high energy dog that needs to have a job like a sheepdog and keep them in an environment where they are cooped up all day and don't have a job. That's a recipe for disaster. If you are more sheepdog than pug when it comes to work, you should start planning to look for another job. Realistically any new job takes extra time/ energy the first six months as you learn the ropes so you a want your toddler to be a little older if possible and make sure your spouse is on board to help pick up some extra home duties e.g. Doctor apps when you first start the new job.

Keep in mind you are one new supervisor, re- organization, and or budget cuts away from the formerly cushy job being gone. Suddenly you could be considered deadwood by the organization ( even though years ago you begged for more work) and you don't have a record of accomplishment to fall back on to get that next job or even prove why you are needed in the current job. Unless you have pull like that, you could find yourself out of the 100K job and having to accept something far worse than if you got out earlier on your terms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP raises a good point that I struggle with myself: where are the jobs that actually take up a full work week but don't leave you bored for hours a day or take up evenings/weekends? Because I've found that to be a hard balance too. When I was child-free, it was no biggie to work 10-12 hour days (sometimes without much pay) plus weekends and travel. But now, at 40 and with a masters degree and a 4-year-old, I feel like I've paid my dues to a point and shouldn't have to work crazy long days anymore. I've love to work a solid 8-hour day, get my (not huge) paycheck and go home. OP, I hear ya. Being bored saps your energy, and it's hard to get motivated again when there are busy times. good luck.

+1. I have left a job before because it wasn't challenging. It is hard for me to justify flying out every week with a 2 hour plane trip plus 1 hour drive to be bored out of my mind. I was in consulting at the time and I think part of it was that the supervisor had some personal things going on and didnt have time to figure out what could be done to make the assignment better.

I don't like the feeling of not earning my salary and my fear is too long in that environment I would lose my edge. Part of what I believe makes me an attractive employee is thinking five steps ahead, the energy, wanting to move an organization forward etc. At home we are reading about pets and trying to find the right pet, and it's pretty clear you don't take a high energy dog that needs to have a job like a sheepdog and keep them in an environment where they are cooped up all day and don't have a job. That's a recipe for disaster. If you are more sheepdog than pug when it comes to work, you should start planning to look for another job. Realistically any new job takes extra time/ energy the first six months as you learn the ropes so you a want your toddler to be a little older if possible and make sure your spouse is on board to help pick up some extra home duties e.g. Doctor apps when you first start the new job.

Keep in mind you are one new supervisor, re- organization, and or budget cuts away from the formerly cushy job being gone. Suddenly you could be considered deadwood by the organization ( even though years ago you begged for more work) and you don't have a record of accomplishment to fall back on to get that next job or even prove why you are needed in the current job. Unless you have pull like that, you could find yourself out of the 100K job and having to accept something far worse than if you got out earlier on your terms.

This is OP and you are right. I worry about exactly this as well. Every time we have a change in management I worry that I might lose my job when they look at productivity. Also when interviewing it is hard to make what I am doing seem interesting or challenging. I feel really stuck and am frustrated. And yes, I am losing my edge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP raises a good point that I struggle with myself: where are the jobs that actually take up a full work week but don't leave you bored for hours a day or take up evenings/weekends? Because I've found that to be a hard balance too. When I was child-free, it was no biggie to work 10-12 hour days (sometimes without much pay) plus weekends and travel. But now, at 40 and with a masters degree and a 4-year-old, I feel like I've paid my dues to a point and shouldn't have to work crazy long days anymore. I've love to work a solid 8-hour day, get my (not huge) paycheck and go home. OP, I hear ya. Being bored saps your energy, and it's hard to get motivated again when there are busy times. good luck.

I work about 50 hours a week and most of the time, my job is challenging and interesting. Some of that extra time is nights when I'm at home with the family. Personally, I opted for a job that's a bit busier than is totally comfortable with two children because I can't stand to be bored. Of course, my kids are older (elementary school aged) and my husband is a good partner. Couldn't do it without a husband who does his share, and more, as my job requires.

I understand what you're saying but why would you want to 'not be bored' by doing work at home, aren't there so many more interesting things to do? Spend your precious free time reading great books, watch movies you've always wanted to see, time with the children doing activities, trying new recipes, visiting girlfriends, learning new hobbies and activities? Life is short, it seems like there is not enough time to fill all the 'bucket list items' so why would anyone want to do work during this otherwise would be spare time? Even organizing finances, planning fun vacations, getting photo albums organized and stuff like that could be done. So you must find work really fun? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

I am in IT and feel the same. There just is not enough to keep me busy the whole time.
Very very frustrating.
I have discovered that my weekness is that I need a work environment where something is happening all the time. Unfortunately those jobs are not so easy to find.
I stayed at a job like that for a few years because it really was convenient, a short commute, day care for my baby near by, and the flexibility I needed. My spouse was not able to pick up and fetch the kid from day care so that limited my career choices.

But when I changed I felt wonderful. The only problem is that with my new job I also have times when I am not busy. I just wish it was different