I'm bored out of my mind with nothing to do

[GMH1974]

What am I meant to do? I have days on end with nothing to do. I've only been there 3.5 months. I have asked my boss and their boss for something to do. I think they're too busy to give me anything.

What sort of work/employer?

Private firm?, Public Sector type function (even if a private contractor).

If they employed you they should be utilising your skills and not wasting your time by leaving you to do nothing. Speak with the boss again but definitely look for another job. No one is to busy to give you anything.

Is there any e-learning you could access - particularly if it would look like it’s relevant to your current job but would actually help you with changing jobs?

Mine is similar. Started in March. I will be transferring before the year is out. I read books on project Gutenberg. I write myself a journal on Google docs. I corrected all the grammatical errors in the shared documents. All personal admin is done in work. I'd take being bored over being stressed, but I feel the frustration!

It's a charity. It's an entry level finance position. I'm changing career and studying the AAT exams. Just finished level 2 and awaiting final results. It's mad because my manager takes work home at the weekend she's so busy. When I had the study to do I did that in the downtime but there won't be more study unt

Sorry posted too soon. I was saying there won't be more study until September. I literally did my food order, read a book and chatted all day. I wanted experience of finance and I don't feel I'm getting much. Do I have to stick it out until I find another job? It's making me very depressed. It's a long commute and it seems such a piss take to get up early and traipse in.

Get another job. I have found this situation not uncommon in the third and public sector. It won’t improve. Just get another job.

@wavingtreetops Do you think it will look bad I've been there less than 4 months? What do I give as reason for leaving ot say to explain it at interview?

Explain that the pace and quality of work was much lower than you expected which meant you weren't able to develop your skills effectively...

I am in the same position. I have been improving my French grammar…

Have you been given any tasks? Even just coding invoices ready for approval, or basic accruals, etc?

Employers are human too. They understand that sometimes jobs don’t work out. I’ve left a job because there wasn’t enough ( or indeed any! ) work for me to do and that that in interviews for a new job. The interviewing panel said, ‘well you certainly won’t find that here!’ And offered me the job.

That should have said ‘and said that’

And personally I think it is best to stick it out until you get another job. It’s easier to get a job if you already have a job.

I’ve worked at a charity for 4 months, I now have my own workload that fills maybe 60% of my week, then the rest I sit in on meetings or do training with my manager. I struggle when she’s on leave because I run out of work, but we have a coursera account so I’ve done a few excel courses on that. Are you having induction reviews? We have one a month for 6 months. I would ask for/politely demand more work.

Waves to all the other public sector workers doing the jobs of three or four people at once and reading OP’s description as if it was from another planet 🤯

You may as well stick it out until you find a new job - job hunting/applications are time consuming so use your time doing that/updating your CV and LinkedIn.

I’m in a similar position, it’s weird, I’m being assigned to just shadow people but I’m bored and need to get stuck in! Have also told my manager and they say they’re planning projects for me to pick up so I’ll see but I’m keeping an eye out for new jobs too.

Plan A get another job as long as that doesn't cause any adverse consequences for your course etc.
Plan B, have you done things like scrutinized all of their financial related policies, any internal and external audits, minutes from their finance sub committee, strategies which cover finance. Ask to sit in as many minutes as possible to observe - this might give your managers as easy way to give you something to do. Then after each one if there is anything you think you could help with, offer.
Do any additional training you can- even things not finance related but will help you in your future workplaces - id recommend digital skills. See if they have a linked in learning subscription for courses

Sounds like they're afraid to train you in case you
Leave or because it's time consuming

Manager needs to learn to delegate and invest time in you

I think you need to he honest with them.

Have you looked at the prior year accounts in details to see where they allocated costs and how everything performed against budget, compared to this years budget and how they are currently performing? I mean in detail as I assume you have access to the whole accounts package?

Is there any way that you can negotiate with your manager to work from home 2 days a week?

On the day before your at home days send your manager a message saying “I don’t have any work left to do. Is there anything which I can help with?”

Then bonus days off if they don’t send you anything 😊

Do you have to replay study fees if they are funding it? If you leave? Maybe three don't know what to give you, people get into ruts and possessiveness about their tasks. Dog out the JD and go through it at your next 121 so you can ask for that kind of work.

@LividHot i hear you, I left school admin to do this job because I had just had enough of the constant whirlwind, never enough staff, never enough time. Honestly, the private sector is a revelation when you’ve worked public sector all your life. And I’m third sector technically.

Feel for you OP.. Some people think that is the dream but it's worse than being overworked.