does anyone have a job where

GreenTeaDisease

more often than not, you have nothing or very little to do?
I often feel very "alone" in this and it makes me feel bad about myself. it would be nice to know if others are in the same position. the job is fairly high paying professional job that is difficult to get. but then I got here and I'm really not sure why they hired me at all.

it probably sounds good to many people, but it really isn't. one slow day here or there is nice, but I don't feel productive, my resume won't benefit, and if I continue with low utility they could lay me off, making it hard to get another job.

p.s. I do volunteer for anything I can and I always ask for work. I'm starting to find out that the problem is deep rooted in inter-office politics among higher-ups and isn't really my fault, but that doesn't make it easier to come in every day.

and yes I have started looking for other options but 1) it's pretty slow going right now and 2) I can't really leave here until august anyway.

libragirl

I'm usually very busy..but I do have some down time..It's usually during the summer

macci

There are some days where I am super-busy & there are not enough hours in the day (usually close of quarter or tax time)........then there are some days where I don't have much to do at all. I hate those days.

failedpersephone

I have a job that has waves of CRUNCH time...and whole months of very little to do.

sometimes I have to stretch a job that would take me 30 minutes over a week. Just to have something to do.


I mean besides writing nonsense here.

GreenTeaDisease

failedpersephone wrote:

I have a job that has waves of CRUNCH time...and whole months of very little to do.

sometimes I have to stretch a job that would take me 30 minutes over a week. Just to have something to do.


I mean besides writing nonsense here.

this is very similar to my line of work, except it's been a while since I've been on a project requiring any crunch time at all.

I stretch stuff out as much as I can too. a lot of stuff is little tasks someone needs right away though.

shadowcast

I'm in sales and I became a Director of Sales 5 years ago. Since becoming a Director I have come to realize that my job is to make sure my staff makes their numbers. Hence, I am not out on calls as much and it get boring. We do go through busy stretches but I find I am more of a psychologist than a director. So I see what you’re saying on losing your edge if you will but I find myself going out on calls more with them as of late.

So yes I understand.

GreenTeaDisease

freeworld4u&me wrote:

I'm in sales and I became a Director of Sales 5 years ago. Since becoming a Director I have come to realize that my job is to make sure my staff makes their numbers. Hence, I am not out on calls as much and it get boring. We do go through busy stretches but I find I am more of a psychologist than a director. So I see what you’re saying on losing your edge if you will but I find myself going out on calls more with them as of late.

So yes I understand.

i'm starting to realize that I think I was hired to be a liason of sorts between our office and another office and to do the things they do in the other office as part of larger client projects here- if that makes sense. but apparently the other office doesn't want anyone else involved with what they do or something. so as a result, I have nothing to do. when I do have something it's never in my field of expertise or challenging in the least. I really have no role in this company!

Stone Is God

I'm in IT so I know the feeling. There are days that I do nothing but there are days where orders are missing, computers break, and operators have errors. It's kind of feast or famine.

Right now I'm taking a break from my feast to re-group.

decides2dream

failedpersephone wrote:

I have a job that has waves of CRUNCH time...and whole months of very little to do.

sometimes I have to stretch a job that would take me 30 minutes over a week. Just to have something to do.


I mean besides writing nonsense here.

this is me.
4x a year, MAJOR CRUNCH time - for 1-2 weeks at a time. last october i worked 3 weeks of hours in a 2 week period. outside those 4x a year....pretty mellow. sure, some work flows in but no where NEAr the volume of activity. however, when presented with work, the only *stretching out* i can do is in one day, maybe to two days....after that...it MUST go out to the client. most of my/our work is extrmely time-sensitive. eh well. so sure...posting right now is my profession.

GreenTeaDisease

I think the worst part is, while everyone in consulting has down times, most of my office is fairly busy most of the time, and has a pretty clear role in things. it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but I think I do everything I can. it just feels wrong to not really earn your paycheck.

decides2dream

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

I think the worst part is, while everyone in consulting has down times, most of my office is fairly busy most of the time, and has a pretty clear role in things. it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but I think I do everything I can. it just feels wrong to not really earn your paycheck.

this is my firm. MOST people are uber-busy year round, with even more crazy peaks of activity. my position is very *specialized*...and thus, different. i have 1 colleague who does the same work as me. also, the woman i replaced held this job for the last 16 years. it DOES seem very odd to me, especially given my previous fields...but i do see it as just the nature of the work.


just ride the wave......
eventually if you don't get more work, are unhappy, can move on. if you obviously need to stay put for now, just deal and make the best of it. there are a LOT worse things in this world than being well-paid and not working much.

GreenTeaDisease

decides2dream wrote:

there are a LOT worse things in this world than being well-paid and not working much.

yeah I know. it's just bad for the conscience and makes me worry about the future of my career. plus it's just boring. believe it or not I'd rather be doing something other than posting here!

norm

yep.....feast or famine.....sometimes works doesn't stop for a couple months and then.....nothing.....which would be cool but i get paid when it's busy and none when it's not.....:)

markymark550

cutback wrote:

yep.....feast or famine.....sometimes works doesn't stop for a couple months and then.....nothing.....which would be cool but i get paid when it's busy and none when it's not.....:)

my job is either feast or famine too....fortunately for me though, I get paid regardless of down time

I've been in a famine mode since the start of the year, but it's starting to pick back up again....

GreenTeaDisease

markymark550 wrote:

my job is either feast or famine too....fortunately for me though, I get paid regardless of down time

I've been in a famine mode since the start of the year, but it's starting to pick back up again....

unfortunately, there's nothing that I really *can* do here, other than really remedial tasks. I'm not an electrical engineer, nor do I want to be. I have no idea why they hired an environmental economist, they have no use for one.

markymark550

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

unfortunately, there's nothing that I really *can* do here, other than really remedial tasks. I'm not an electrical engineer, nor do I want to be. I have no idea why they hired an environmental economist, they have no use for one.

during most of the down time, I just waste the days away in the message pit since there's not much else to do, but I always make it look like I'm working

comebackwoman

I'm usually very busy during the academic year...but during breaks (especially summer break) it can be sloooooow. I try to keep busy by creating educational programs or plan events for later in the year...but even that doesn't fill up my time. I don't understand why we're not 10 month employees...but then I guess I would take a cut in my salary. I know what you mean GTD - when I'm not productive I can feel down on myself...and after a while the less I do the less i want to do

GreenTeaDisease

markymark550 wrote:

during most of the down time, I just waste the days away in the message pit since there's not much else to do, but I always make it look like I'm working

see it doesn't matter if I look like I'm working or not, because I have to bill my time to clients, so my time sheet just says "unbillable" anyway.

GreenTeaDisease

comebackgirl wrote:

...and after a while the less I do the less i want to do

precisely! I have hyperfocus adhd, so I need MOMENTUM and something to focus on or everything basically goes to shit! If I've been sitting around all day at work, I even have a hard to time getting myself to make something for dinner or do any chores.

markymark550

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

see it doesn't matter if I look like I'm working or not, because I have to bill my time to clients, so my time sheet just says "unbillable" anyway.

well, that sucks

just bill it to a Mr. E. Vedder

GreenTeaDisease

markymark550 wrote:

well, that sucks

just bill it to a Mr. E. Vedder

hahaha