I am not learning anything at work. Need advice

[Dear Summer]

Should I be happy that I'm employed? Yes
I should be grateful that I have a steady income right now.

My problem is that I'm not learning anything at work. I usually sit here and browse the net. It sounds all fun and games but I'm no better off than a college graduate. I am not learning anything. It's hard to get training approved for what I want in this company.

I talked to some people about this and they tell me that don't do crap at work either
Is this the case with almost everyone?

I'm worried about the next step when I decide to switch jobs. What hard skills did I pick up? Almost none

 

[knawlejj]

doesn't that seem like what a lot of people do in office work? Ive worked in food service, manufacturing, retail, construction, and office work and I have to say that office work had the most inefficient people I have ever seen compared to the others.

While that's not the case for everyone, it's what I've observed...

 

[rasczak]

how about learn on your own? It's what i do here when I'm not going to school. I just take boxes and build systems tear down break and rebuild. Thrown oracle in there for good laughs broke that, couldn't fix it and laughed it off.

 

[MotF Bane]

Use the Interwebs to gain skillz?

 

[skull]

What are you supposed to do? How can you keep your job? I always wondered how everyone here keeps there jobs playing on the computer all day. All my jobs have been factory or construction work. We get fired for working slow much less not working at all. Actually I did get fired from a job for playing on the computer. I was working in a warehouse shipping stuff for target.com. I handled the apo/ipo military packages. I had a computer because I needed to scan boxes and print labels. I had all my work done until some more boxes came down the line. I was on the internet for 5 minutes someone walked over and saw me. They didn't even warn me just fired me right then and there. I guess I should of went to college. Work hard for 4 years then get to sit on your ass in an air conditioned office the rest of your life.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: skull
I guess I should of went to college. Work hard for 4 years then get to sit on your ass in an air conditioned office the rest of your life.

Work hard? I was drunk for most of it and still got out. The rest is all true since everyone in an office sits on their ass all day, every day and gets nothing done.

 

[NaOH]

Take the initiative and ask for more responsibilities? I was in the same position, now I have a good workload. Also, your management and/or the people who should be finding work could suck and that's why you have no work.

 

[Tiamat]

what is for your field? You can always take on more projects...

 

[Exterous]

Some days are slow others are crazy busy. Today - since its a Friday with nice weather and the Wings play tonight (I work near Detroit) there has been next to no work for me to do for the past 4 hours.

It all depends on where you work. I had a job where I would work ~3 hours a day and do nothing for the other ~5. I would go to my boss to ask for work and she was playing solitaire because she had nothing to do. Then I would pass by her bosses' office he was playing minesweeper because he had nothing to do. Ahhh - the joys of being employed by a major university. Now I work at a different company and - by and large - people do work instead of screwing around online

Anyway - I would bring in books related to what you want to learn and read them. Set up senarios where you can learn on your own. You can also do what I did - I developed an obsession to research any purchase >$100 to death because it gave me something to do at my old job

 

[zinfamous]

1: stop neffing

2: do work

 

[OCGuy]

Topic Title: I am not learning anything at work. Need advice



Topic Answer: There is only so much you can learn holding the door at Walmart


(I kid)

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
1: stop neffing

2: do work

Didn't you read? If he isn't doing anything challenging, then obviously the work is cake and he finishes it fast enough that he gets to nef.

OP, I suggest you think more about what you want to do in life, and how you want to get there. If money is your goal, then figure out how to gets lots of it.

But don't quit a cushy job just because you're bored. You could have nothing, as you already know. Use your free time at work to research other positions, research career goals, etc.

If you just nef, then yes you are wasting your time. But the position itself is not wasting it for you. Remember that.

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: OCguy
Topic Title: I am not learning anything at work. Need advice



Topic Answer: There is only so much you can learn holding the door at Walmart


(I kid)

Lakers fans rock.

Our humor is fantastic when we're winning.

 

[Lonyo]

I've got a crappy job, but it's only temporary (going to do a masters in September), but because of that in the down time at work (there is a lot) I sometimes browse the net, play games etc, but I also use the time to study and do prep work for when I go back in September.

If you have that much downtime, you could always try doing some kind of course, maybe onlline or part time, and use your office downtime to do study for it.

 

[Aimster]

I don't do anything for 50% of the day.
Some days however I am swamped, those are the good days.
Having nothing to do at work sucks.

 

[Turkish]

Damn, same with me dude. It's really frustrating

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
1: nef
2: masturbate furiously
3: ???
4: profit!

Fixed.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: Exterous
Some days are slow others are crazy busy. Today - since its a Friday with nice weather and the Wings play tonight (I work near Detroit) there has been next to no work for me to do for the past 4 hours.

It all depends on where you work. I had a job where I would work ~3 hours a day and do nothing for the other ~5. I would go to my boss to ask for work and she was playing solitaire because she had nothing to do. Then I would pass by her bosses' office he was playing minesweeper because he had nothing to do. Ahhh - the joys of being employed by a major university. Now I work at a different company and - by and large - people do work instead of screwing around online

Anyway - I would bring in books related to what you want to learn and read them. Set up senarios where you can learn on your own. You can also do what I did - I developed an obsession to research any purchase >$100 to death because it gave me something to do at my old job

*looks over shoulder* Do you work here too?

My day goes something like this:
7:30- Clock in the phones
7:30-7:45- Open up Outlook and IE to pull up online radio
7:45-9:00- Go get breakfast, eat, and check normal sites (ATOT/craigslist/wired/etc)
9:00-12:00- Do some work. During this time I usually work for ~20 min, and surf the net for ~20 min. So there's about 2 hours max of work in this time.
12:00-1:30- Lunch
1:30-2:00- Surf the net some more
2:00-4:00- Same as 9-12, but make sure to finish up my work.
All said and done there is only a few hours worth of work. That's just how this department is.

I do that as well with $100+ purchases. I usually find forums specifically for that item (CPF for flashlights, Head-fi for headphones/headamps, AVS for home theater stuff, etc) and spend hours there. I research the hell out of any item over $100, and 90% of that research is done at work .

OP- I'd much prefer to have a job that made me learn new stuff, and actually used my skills. This job is great for my age, pays the bills, and all that but it gives me no satisfaction what so ever.

 

[polarmystery]

I get to nef because I do nothing at my job until it's almost time to go then the project lead finds something to do at the last possible moment to make me stay late. It's fucking stupid

 

[purbeast0]

i've come to the realization that at my current job (been here almost 5 years) that the longer I stay the less and less I will learn.

that is part of the reason I have an interview on Thursday

 

[Turkish]

Glad to see that I am not the only one suffering from this absolutely frustrating situation.

 

[SunSamurai]

I suggest you shut the fuck up and keep your job until the economy picks up.

 

[DaWhim]

Originally posted by: SunSamurai
I suggest you shut the fuck up and keep your job until the economy picks up.

This!

i realized my last job was freaking boring. i started learning other stuffs on my own.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: DaWhim

Originally posted by: SunSamurai
I suggest you shut the fuck up and keep your job until the economy picks up.

This!

i realized my last job was freaking boring. i started learning other stuffs on my own.

Get back to work b!tch!

Koing

 

[Turkish]

Another day is almost over... I haven't done anything all day. Just surfed the web... and responded to personal emails....

I fvckin hate this.