Keeping busy when work is quiet

[mynewusername2023]

I've recently started a new job and it has definitely been low stress and learning everything is taking time and I'm not yet at a point where I can take initiative and do things by myself (heavily regulated business). However there isn't enough to fill my day. I know it's a quieter time of year which takes the pressure off learning so I'm grateful for that and it will get busier as the year goes on.

However I'm in the office pretty much every day and can't spend the time surfing the web (not sure if we're monitored and can't risk it).

How can I keep busy without it looking like I'm not working?

I do keep asking for more to do but obviously if it's new it involves someone showing me something and they don't always have time for that.

I've been doing some industry related research and reading some articles but there's only so much of that I can do.

Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Could you take some leave? Having single days helped me get some work building up for my return.

Sadly people don’t understand what it is like to not have a very stimulating role and thought I was joking having to resort to reading forums and doing my own training courses but don’t suppose you can do this in an ultra compliant industry.

I totally understood why my employer couldn’t keep me. It really couldn’t have gone on. The lady is coming back who I’ve been covering only doing 3 days a week, it’s going to be nice to have company and chatter the next couple of weeks.

Copy a book or magazine into an email and email it to yourself.

Any training courses you could do?

Ask other people if there's any 'admin' type tasks you can take from them (if you're not yet competent to do the full role) - building a spreadsheet for example, or sending out multiple communications that have to be personalised, tidying up Sharepoint files, putting together a Powerpint deck - that sort of thing.

Ask if you can shadow someone for an afternoon.

I do know things will only get busier the more I learn and there will be more and more work coming our way.

I don't want to use leave as I have it allocated for later in the year. Thankfully the Easter and May bank holidays are coming up which make the weeks shorter.

Are there any procedures you can swot up on?

Unfortunately it's not the sort of place where there are procedures to swot up on. I might just have to accept and enjoy a slightly slower pace of work as I've not had that for about 20 years! It's doing the world of good for my fatigue as a plus side.