Bonus points if you manage to work on personal projects without leaving a trail IT can see on your work computer.
All these people saying “just find a job you like” sound very much like “just don’t be poor” takes. Sometimes you are where you are, and that’s what OP is asking about.
But if you are where you are, why not do a good job?
Because they’re not paying you enough to care; if you’re not worth a living wage to them, then there is no reason for you to do more than the bare minimum.
Just didn’t get caught not being the dutiful, terrified, cowed, pliable, wage slave that your local
gestapoclass traitorsmid-mgmt expects you to be…
Why not be a good little worker, making barely enough to survive while the big wigs at your company are living the new Gilded Age? I think I’ll hold out for something better.
take the george costanza advice: look annoyed and unapproachable.
i usually open that one task i actually want to work on, and just spread it over the day. when the bossman gets in vision range i just continue doing my task.
IT doesn’t know shit, i’m IT… i just use a different browser for slacking so i don’t have to worry about cleaning my history.
other things: if your job requires it you can also look busy while scrolling lemmy. don’t try to hide it, that’s suspicious.
pro tips: become a smoker (don’t)
but in essence: always look focused and grumpy. - good luck. 3 years of doing the bare minimum and wasting 40hrs of my life every week for effectively 5hrs of work sucked out all the joy and purpose i had in life. i just exists and hope i get caught lacking so something changes…
I always look annoyed. Yeah, when you look annoyed all the time, people think that you’re busy.
-George Costanza
I listen to podcasts while working. Earbuds in under my earmuffs (I work in the cooler of a slaughterhouse). I still do all my normal work, but at least I’m not bored to tears and having my anxiety attack my brain whenever it feels like it.
I’m big on podcasts too, I’d be bored to absolute tears without them
I’ve downloaded books (novels) in pdf format, emailed them to myself or uploaded them in a public folder, and then printed them (double sided, two pages on one sheet, just like an actual book) in chunks of 20 pages (so 80 pages of the actual book). Stapled the whole thing in one corner, sat down at my desk, pen in hand, scribbling on the pages here and there.
Brilliant
I have a spreadsheet that I’ve set up to design dungeons and dragons maps.
Talk about full circle. 🤓🤌🏼
I work in IT so I can always bludge while looking like I am working by reading documents
🤔
"Gator’s bitches better be using jimmies!” - slazer2au
I’m in tech but not a dev, but i enjoy coding as a hobby. I code at work on my personal projects, it’s perfect :)
Oh also for a a couple years I had Civilization V on a separate PC. Great for looking busy and focused :) Ofc you need a desk in such a way that nobody can sneak from behind. I was managing managers at the time so that wasn’t a problem. “Ooh boss looks busy” - hell fucking yeah I’m about to pound Gandhi in Deity boss is busy godahmit
As a warning for people who live in countries that have poor worker rights:
Depending of your local laws, contract and field, personal projects done during work hours and/or on work hardware might be seen as companys property.
Working on my personal projects in a terminal.
If your profession has a professional society or industry has a trade association, look into webinars, certification classes, or other events they might have to learn more about your field and build skills. They often have opportunities to get involved with the organization as well, which could look good on paper to management when promotion opportunities arise…or new job applications if there are no promotions
Work from home!
The ultimate best is to enjoy your work, obviously.
I enjoy the work I do, but there’s often a lot of downtime. And I’m definitely not going to advertise that fact and ask for more work. I just feel like my time-killing options are limited, because I can’t use my actual computer to research and write, so I’m stuck scrolling on my phone.
I personally have never understood that attitude. Dont get me wrong im not judging you. In my mind i just rather do something productive than idle on my phone, more so if there is even small change it will lead in to something better in the future and so far it has been paying off.
And from the employer side, if the shit hits the fan and there is layoffs, they will rather keep the dude that is effective and knows how to do things outside their job description, than the dude whose job has lots of downtime and they show bo enthuastism to doing other things.
Work on some professional development. Find a class or course to go through (preferably on the company dime) during the downtime. See if your company will pay for or reimburse some additional training.
That’s a good idea! I like making wikis Obsidian, so it might be fun to build a wiki out of professional development webinars. It could actually turn into a helpful resource
If you like the work that you do, wouldnt you then find things to do while on the clock that you enjoy while also being productive.
Yes, but there’s only so much that can be done before a project needs funding or other people’s involvement to move forward. And in my workplace, there is a culture of “stay in your lane and don’t rock the boat”. So I have to choose carefully when and where I try to expand the boundaries of my role.
This culture thing seems to be the issue. The same job description at a different company with better a culture may or may not exist, but it’s worth researching to find out.
I keep my eye out for positions that open up near me. Nothing interesting enough for me to endure the hassle of the hiring process to pursue, at least lately
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One thing at a time. Dont start multiple things at once
I just listen to podcasts and music, and daydream as I work. I can’t relax if I’m not working cos it’s not worth the hassle, but I don’t have to give the system my whole mind.
Use the tools you were provided for the purposes you provide.
Excel: Make your own calculations. You know, stuff like how long would it take to walk from Shire to Mordor? How rainy was last year compared to the ones before? Learn VBA and get creative with the macros. Generate art with conditional formatting. Make a macro that actively interferes with everything you write and slowly drives you mad. Ask Matt Parker for ideas on what kinds of fun things you can do with spreadsheets.
Word: Write your own fan fiction. Alternatively, you can paste an entire ebook in word and start reading. Abuse the formatting tools to produce modern art.
Power point: Abuse transitions and animations. See if you can recreate old school flash animations.
PowerShell: The sky is the limit. Get a web browser that runs in the terminal, and chill out on Lemmy.
