Boredom/frustration in job - whether/how to tackle

[Depressedbywork]

I’ve name changed makes me feel better.
Sorry long - there aren’t many jobs in this so moving not easy.
I work in a group of about 9 advisors. I am on national phone line and appointments in the main office, local phone calls. Most of the others are in outreach and busy all day when there, also do local but not national line. It really happened because the others drive and I’d worked on national phone line before.

National line is very quiet, one call an hour. I’m very bored and frustrated. As well as having nothing to do the others will be in and rota for local calls, while still needing to do admin from outreach. So even when they are very busy I’m stuck doing nothing on national. I also feel guilty that the others are so rushed.

I have ASD (not disclosed) and intrusive thoughts about being useless, pointless. Low level currently, had active depression in the past.

This is a national charity fixed term contract and I feel have less skills in case they change what they want. I have asked about doing outreach but that was denied. Now I find that they are recruiting to an outreach post.

I don’t know how to tackle any of this even if they weren’t recruiting to the new post. Even writing this is upsetting me. I’m worried I’ll get upset if I go to a meeting and raise it. The managers, colleagues and organisation are really nice.

Sorry didn’t ask a question- how could I tackle this, or should I just keep quiet? Have a one to one in a few weeks

If I'm reading it right, you have a job you find boring? If you feel you can't do it long term because you find it boring then you'd best look for another one.

For the record it does sound frustratingly dull! But it's subjective, someone else might find it to be the best job ever. Horses for courses.

They don't have to give you the other work or other job just because you'd like to be more stimulated. I've had two jobs I found crushingly dull and I did raise it with both employers - I put it in terms of needing a new challenge to aid my development rather than being bored stiff 😉 One employer said tough and did nothing (I left) and the other was amazing and found me some more interesting things to do alongside my own job (I stayed a bit longer than I would have done but still left).

If there is an outreach vacancy and you'd like to do that job then you should apply. This is different from just being slipped a bit of that work to do alongside your current job.

I feel your pain. I have been bored at work recently. Yesterday I helped another team with some admin tasks which helped pass the day - might that be a possibility?

If you're on a fixed term contract, how much longer have you got? It doesn't sound like they are interested in developing you if they rejected your request to do the outreach work but then recruited for it externally.

I'd start looking for another job, if you're sitting there twiddling you're thumbs feeling bored. Sure sign you need to find something more challenging.

I’ve had this in previous jobs and felt extremely stressed because I was so bored. Am now in a job I love! I’d recommend speaking to your manager about what else you could be doing as one call an hour doesn’t sound like very much and is boring. Do you have team meetings to share what you’ve discussed on the calls for example? Perhaps you could help each other in sharing knowledge and your approach/ style in how to deliver great a customer experience.

I was once in a job where I was bored. After weeks of my manager doing nothing I brought in a career related textbook to read during quiet periods, saying it was for my 'continued professional development '.

Embarrassed at this visible sign of me having nothing to do, and therefore his mismanagement, he soon found me other tasks.

Just to check I have the correct info.
You're on a fixed term contract for the helpline only.
You requested to be considered for outreach work too. When? And it was denied stating?

If they're now recruiting for outreach, you can obviously apply. The refusal may simply be because they want the national helpline role kept distinct from the other roles. That could be due to planned reorganisation, due to knowing that there's a need to keep this role independent of the other roles.
My suggestion is look at the job description. Make notes about why you think you meet the essential and desired criteria. Then speak to the recruiting manager about possibly making an application.

You could apply for the outreach role.

It does sound like you’re currently at risk of redundancy, with a fixed term contract and low workload.

Can you see things that could be useful to your organisation that you could do, without driving? Eg research, written work, outward phone calls to supporr fundraising?

Is driving a job / having own car requirement for outreach? Sounds like it could be.

Being bored in a job is very stressful, though obviously in a different way from being swamped by work. You need to deal with it one way or another, for the sake of your mental health.

What options are open to you?

• Accept this is just how things are. (Don't recommend it long term.)
• Just leave. Can you afford not to have money coming in for a while? If so, how long?
• Get another job - external.
• Get another job - internal.
• Do some training - what do you really want to do? Start preparing for it by filling your knowledge gaps. Is there online training available in-house? Get a library book. Do online courses - LinkedIn, MOOCs, all sorts is available these days.
• Speak to your colleagues and management about what other tasks you could do. If there's something you're interested in which you could do, suggest it. What about work shadowing another role, to see how it works?

The best way to avoid getting upset in a meeting is to prepare for it. Know what points you want to raise, and be prepared to counter the obvious barriers they might mention. Take notes in to make sure you cover it all. If you have someone at home or a friend who can help you practise with role-playing, then that can help, too.

Hi
Been away from the thread a few days. Thank you all. Just to answer a couple of queries. Initially we were all recruited to the same seed roles. I happened to be allocated to phones. I was allocated to phones because I had used the system before. Also I don’t drive. No-one really knew how it would go as a new service.

Thanks for tips on meetings.