Pointless office jobs

What a lovely first world problem to have. I’m struggling to have any empathy with your situation.

It's nice that you can express this openly. My dad always said every promotion just fell in his lap so I know it can happen. Sorry I can't give you any help here. Hope you can find a way to it giving you more meaning.

I totally get it OP. I'm fortunate not to be in that situation, but I have done some office temp work at various times and often thought how many pointless jobs exist and wondered why/how people do them - or do they not recognise that? I have no idea.

What would you enjoy doing? What would give you a purposeful role? I am certain there are jobs for you at a similar salary.

I think it’s a bad time to even entertain such thoughts when so many all over the world are suffering without. You are one of the lucky ones.

Do not worry Ai will suck up all admin job in a few years

You have to work to live rather than live to work. I have a similarly pointless job. But I was unemployed for four months so am trying to practise gratitude. It's better than no work, believe me.

I disagree that 99% of office jobs are pointless or even admin.

Most professionals work in an office and without their expertise, businesses will likely be breaking one law or another whether it be financial, legal or health and safety. And even with AI, you need knowledgeable humans to distinguish between actual requirements and the plausible sounding nonsense that AI often comes up with.

Those on the ground jobs won't pay that. But more senior roles in such organisations will, you may just have to take a small pay cut whilst learning the industry. Find a good mentor and be a sponge for a year. eg: Fundraising Director, this is a science and an art, or Operations Director if logistics is your thing....
Self employed consultant if you can fund your early days.

You get 80k for this? Bloody hell. My office job is full on with added risks from the public all for 32j. Maybe you should switch to something more interesting and let your employer find someone more engaged with their work.

@wanttoworkbut so people thrive 'live to work' and work is there passion and life. For others it is possible to combine both when you love what you do. They aren't mutually exclusive, and I personally don't think they should be for many people.

I've got one of those bullshit jobs and I'm happy to play the charade if they keep paying a lot of money for not a lot of work.

Politics? Might be a way to make a difference locally or nationally. Lobbying ?

I doubt that your job will exist for another 30 years if it really is a "pointless" office job. AI will wipe most of those out. I should make the most of earning 80k whilst you can.

And yet I do a job that does literally change lives and I get no where near your salary.

This is why they’ve invented AI, isn’t it?

The Chinese spy affair guy is staying put.

Is it Civil Service because if it's a private company why don't you start pressurising things in the pointless meetings and get things moving - save it lots of money - get promoted so you can save and retire earlier ??

... or a charity???

I felt the same when I went back to work after my dad died, so I think your period of absence is probably part of it. It wore off; I know I make a difference but I don’t think anyone looks at their job and thinks ‘yes I can do exactly this for the next 30 years’!

As a teacher I’d like to know where the non-impacting office jobs that will pay me £80k are!

What does your organisation do? It must make something, provide a service, facilitate other businesses…..all of those things are worthwhile in some way.

Haha. I used to feel that way on minimum wage staring into the middle distance for 8 hours a day.

A reception desk that's not open to the public and the only instruction I ever got was to tell a mystery voice through a radio to 'open the loading bay'. When someone asked where the loading bay was I had no idea because I'd never been shown around the building I was the receptionist for.

I have a few friends in similar jobs. Easy money. Most of them are WFH as well. I think we have a big AI work culture shift coming…

I'm not in exactly the same situation, but definitely similar. I have some useful stuff to do but my actual day job by spec doesn't fill my time. And I wish it did!

The days drag and it's quite mind numbing like you say! Im paid similar to you and it does trap you (in a nice way compared to many people) from moving roles as you know you won't get paid the same else where.

If it makes you feel better, I've managed to stick it out for nearly 25 years now 😄

I absolutely understand. When my employer started encouraging people to WFH, it very quickly became clear that some middle managers didn't really have anything to do. While the people they managed got on with their work at home, the managers would be in the office, floating around.

My only solution would be find something worthwhile that you can do part time, and reduce your hours to allow this.