To think about of jobs are about filling seats?

[WellHereIgoagain]

Or something similar?
Just started a new job, less than a month in....and the lack of work has started already. We're a very small team of 4 and to top it off no one really speaks so you don't even have a bit of a laugh or fun to help get the day in.

The role was sold to me as everyday is different, you don't get a minute etc which is what appealled to me as my last job was very quiet and you couldn't make up work (I know people try to say to do this like systems etc) but it's actually worse.

I just want to be busy and earn my wage, I feel like a complete imposter. The person before me left after 10 months and they left their old notebook/diary and the things in it per day you could have done by 9.30.

I hate to be so negative but it's getting me down. I do have a month review with my manager in the next few weeks and I'm going to have to say something I just don't know what.

I've had two jobs like this before, my last and one a few years back and please if anyone says I'm living the dream, it's soul destroying.

I'm not in a technical role but very much one of the common sense roles (general admin) or tell me what to do and I'll do it and more! And whilst the work is "seasonal" ie as it comes in I figure there'll be a good few periods like this (which I didn't expect!)I have been given a small piece of work to do today which won't take me too long, enough to fill the afternoon. I have been looking at courses etc but find it hard to focus whilst working as the office is so small I fear someone will see what I'm doing! Wow @Merryoldgoat I can see how that would have drive you crazy...I did toy with trading in something finance or accountancy related as at the end of the day there'll always be transactions and payments and the end of the day business revolve around numbers.

Ah you have my sympathy OP, I had this in a previous job (civil service). It was awful. Zero job satisfaction, no motivation. I knew if I took 2 weeks off, no one would even notice. It was honestly dreadful! I was middle management too so on a fairly decent salary. I cried every day, it was honestly incredibly stressful.

I moved to the NHS and have a very stressful job now and I bloody love it!!

My advice is - move on. Good luck!

I voted YABU while browsing MN to kill time during my boring underworked job. The irony!

Mostly I do feel lucky, when I think back to all the waitressing/kitchen portering/grape harvesting/production line slaving I've done, but you're presumably in a professional job where it isn't a case of either slave labour or moping around in abject boredom. When I was in a temp office job awaiting the end of my contract after the project I was working on got cancelled, I got plenty of reading done. Best job ever!

That's basically the job I'm in now. Last day of a 2 month contract so it doesn't really matter. Basically the management is dysfunctional and doesn't communicate, and the temps sit around doing nothing either because they've been given nothing to do and either don't want to do the wrong thing or are taking advantage of the confusion to do nothing. French public sector, nuff said!

I'm so sorry there's so many like us. My task today has been unbelievably dire. Tried to give some ideas.... waste of time it seems, their way is best.

@WellHereIgoagain

One tip I’d give is go for something you think it out of your league. I’ve done this a few times and it made a massive difference.

I had this in the civil service, so boring. I was a replacement and I would finish my work in a couple of hours by working slowly.

Well today's update, was told to arrange a meeting - I did, my manager then arranged a meeting with said persons manager. My person came back with a time to Which my manager said just leave it until their manager comes back making me look incompetent. Just had a cry in the toilets (pathetic I know) boss is in a meeting so it's just me alone...and I've sent my CV to an agency. Progress.

Hang on ...
Your manager says "Arrange a meeting with Fred."
Your manager then contacts Fred's manager to arrange the same meeting.
You & Fred agree a meeting.
Your manager says this meeting can't happen ...
Because Fred's meeting must be arranged by his manager and yours.
So why piss about telling you to sort the meeting?

Yup, you need a more sensible job! Good luck: hope you find something better very soon.

@GarlicGrace my thoughts exactly and it just made me look completely incompetent like I didn't know what was going on. Partner said my job is just one to make the business look better by having more staff on board for anyone external...totally is.
On the brightside it seems I only have a weeks notice period until I complete my probation (which is 6 months).
I've put feelers out with a couple of roles via agencies so 🤞 these get me somewhere! Just the hard part of getting away for any interviews😂

I've just had 9 months of this in a senior public servant role. It made my blood boil as it was such a waste of public money. I knew at the end of the first week something was very wrong but i was fobbed off with excuses about colleagues on long term sick/holiday and that once they were back it would improve. I gave it six months and got another job. Whole place is obsessed with head count but has no idea what to actually do with people. I was embarrassed to leave so quickly but I'm bored rigid. Just finished my 3 months notice and I start the new job on Monday.

@FastBlueHedgehog good luck in your new role! I really hope that it works out for you. Ironically public sector kept me busy!

I was thinking I'd never had this, then I remembered an admin role back at uni. The job was to type in dental records and I was told to "try to do 3 by lunchtime". Loads of them were single pages, so I'd done over 50 by lunchtime. The team got pissed off with me, and I was told to "stop "showing off and go slower", which made me pissed off with them. I found the supply, collected my own, and got thousands done speed typing by the time the next contract came through. Apparently the manager was coming to find how they'd made so much progress, so the team leader actually got me to leave early. Lazy bunch of wasters.

Just get another job OP!

@GRex been there too although the team leaders loved me as they were hitting the targets and I didn't care that I (and some of the others) were doing more work - got the day in!!!

It's like @Doingtheboxerbeat said really, some people enjoy being busy to make the day fly by and you are one of those @WellHereIgoagain, whereas some aren't fussed and enjoy chilling!

its been a long time, but when I had a job with downtime, training was always an acceptable use of my time. It was harder back then. I often had to go to the library and find a textbook. Now you can just find courses online.

I would find something relevant to your position that you think might also help you with whatever job you might want next and just start working on it in your downtime. Don’t worry about hiding what you are doing. If you don’t have enough work, improving your skills is a good use of company time. If you need to take a class that isn’t free, consider asking if the company will pay as often there is a budget for this.