How long would you stay at a job where you had...

[daisyn]

Nothing to do? I’ve been waiting for budget approval for the project I was hired to do since December and I literally have nothing to do. It was fine for a while because I’m working toward my masters so I would do school work but I just finished school for the summer. I had started a new job and they told me I had the budget when I accepted the job. And whenever I ask the status they say “by the end of the week”. I have actually started taking naps in my car to occupy my time.

I can only read the news and surf the web for so long.

[madringal]

I wouldn't quit until I had something else lined up - but yeah, I'd be looking for something else.

[drloretta]

That happened to me. And I wasn't allowed to do any online courses while I sat around all day.

I got a new job 6 months later. I don't even put the do-nothing job on my resume any more

[goldengirlz]

I’d be worried about my job security. I think it’s reasonable for you to start looking.

ETA: The exception would be if you’re finishing your master’s soon (within the next six or so months). Then I might hang tight till I got my degree if I thought it might open up new opportunities.

[kellygreen]

May 6, 2019 15:35:10 GMT -5 daisyn said:

Nothing to do? I’ve been waiting for budget approval for the project I was hired to do since December and I literally have nothing to do. It was fine for a while because I’m working toward my masters so I would do school work but I just finished school for the summer. I had started a new job and they told me I had the budget when I accepted the job. And whenever I ask the status they say “by the end of the week”. I have actually started taking naps in my car to occupy my time.

I can only read the news and surf the web for so long.

What happens to your job security if the budget isn't approved?

[daisyn]

May 6, 2019 16:45:29 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

I’d be worried about my job security. I think it’s reasonable for you to start looking.

ETA: The exception would be if you’re finishing your master’s soon (within the next six or so months). Then I might hang tight till I got my degree if I thought it might open up new opportunities.

I won’t finish my master’s until Sept 2020

[daisyn]

May 6, 2019 17:18:11 GMT -5 kellygreen said:

May 6, 2019 15:35:10 GMT -5 daisyn said:

Nothing to do? I’ve been waiting for budget approval for the project I was hired to do since December and I literally have nothing to do. It was fine for a while because I’m working toward my masters so I would do school work but I just finished school for the summer. I had started a new job and they told me I had the budget when I accepted the job. And whenever I ask the status they say “by the end of the week”. I have actually started taking naps in my car to occupy my time.

I can only read the news and surf the web for so long.

What happens to your job security if the budget isn't approved?

I think they will tell me until I retire or die that the budget is coming next week. And I might die of boredom soon

[dr.girlfriend]

I had a hitch in credentialing when I first got my job. I got hired but wasn't allowed to see patients for like the first three months. I made a database for our data, but that only took a week or so. Otherwise I read a lot of Television Without Pity (RIP TwoP) for shows I didn't even watch, lol. I've been here 15 years, though, so it did get better! I would start looking. Hopefully you can get a better position, and at worst if you get a competing offer you can be like, "It's not in my nature to sit around, I need a definite date for this project to start or I'll be accepting another position."

[waverly]

I’ve had jobs that were slow, but none where there is literally nothing to do.

I would spend my time job searching for something better.

[mbcdefg]

Honestly? I’m really lazy so if the job paid decently and people weren’t screaming at me I’d stay as long as I could.

But I’m one of those people who’s basically there to get my check and get home at the end of the day so YMMV if you are more career-driven than me.

In this situation I’d accept a new job if I could find something way better (higher salary, benefit package, shorter commute); or I’d do a lateral move if I thought I was in danger of being laid off or the company was going under.

Either way I’d use the free time to job search to see what’s out there, but whether or not I’d actually leave the current job depends on the situation.

Again, YMMV.

[jinkies]

I lasted 2 years in a job where i didn't really have anything to do. It wasn't literally nothing, but very, very little. My boss told me to work on a side writing project, and occasionally called me into her office to play games for the afternoon. I also planned my wedding. I'm pretty sure I reached the end of the internet. I eventually went around my boss and basically inserted myself into a couple projects that our department normally wouldn't have been a part of, just to help fill the time.

To be really honest, I'm super impressed by people who can complete graduate degrees while working. I'd probably stick it out till next September if it made it easier to complete your coursework. But I suck at juggling things. Maybe you're better.

[hbomdiggity]

It’s how I found the place where we came from....

I was in school and my boss even booked private conference rooms for me so I could study. I took long lunches and worked out. I eventually quit when I graduated and now wonder why I was so stupid.

[ohgillian]

In your situation I would stay until my master's was done. I work in a field where the work is a bit cyclical, so I know how grueling it can be to be bored at work. My solutions have been online (free) professional development, taking online tutorials to learn new excel skills, and doing crowdsource historical transcription projects (i.e., typing/transcribing digitized historical records).

[wildrice]

I've never had literally nothing to do, but my last job was pretty slow. Most of what I did was very easy and didn't take long. I'm still doing that job very part time, to bridge the time until they hire someone, and I'm spending on average 3-5 hours a week to do the essential tasks. I was occasionally assigned something like data entry when I was working full time, but yeah, I spent a lot of time on the internet. When I worked from home with that job I also watched a lot of TV and took naps.

Personally I'd look for a new job ASAP. Unless you think you are going to love the work once it gets going, I don't see any reason to stick around. I'm fairly lazy myself but it was really hard for me to show up to work every day and feel like I was doing nothing valuable with my time. I think it's one of those things that sounds good until you actually do it, and then you realize it sucks. The day is soooo long when you have nothing (or little) to do.

I am not super career driven but I do want to be sure I'm prepared for the future, so having a job where you are doing nothing valuable or that adds to your skills doesn't appeal to me at all.

ETA: I was there a little over 6 months, but applied for my current job about 2 months after starting there.

[insominac]

I had a job like that for years and it was awesome. Lol
Things I did: Nest prodigiously, create disaster preparedness plans, create a curriculum for preparing for a game show and studied my weak areas (presidential history, geography, etc), watch television shows and movies, pay bills and work on my budget, volunteered for the No on Prop 8 campaign... it’s a shame I wasn’t planning my wedding then.

[daisyn]

May 7, 2019 11:06:40 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I've never had literally nothing to do, but my last job was pretty slow. Most of what I did was very easy and didn't take long. I'm still doing that job very part time, to bridge the time until they hire someone, and I'm spending on average 3-5 hours a week to do the essential tasks. I was occasionally assigned something like data entry when I was working full time, but yeah, I spent a lot of time on the internet. When I worked from home with that job I also watched a lot of TV and took naps.

Personally I'd look for a new job ASAP. Unless you think you are going to love the work once it gets going, I don't see any reason to stick around. I'm fairly lazy myself but it was really hard for me to show up to work every day and feel like I was doing nothing valuable with my time. I think it's one of those things that sounds good until you actually do it, and then you realize it sucks. The day is soooo long when you have nothing (or little) to do.

I am not super career driven but I do want to be sure I'm prepared for the future, so having a job where you are doing nothing valuable or that adds to your skills doesn't appeal to me at all.

ETA: I was there a little over 6 months, but applied for my current job about 2 months after starting there.

Definitely not going to love the work if it ever starts...and I’m afraid when I’m interviewing for another job I’ll be asked...so what did you do at your last job and I’ll say...nothing. I did nothing for 2 years

[wildrice]

May 8, 2019 11:09:42 GMT -5 daisyn said:

May 7, 2019 11:06:40 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I've never had literally nothing to do, but my last job was pretty slow. Most of what I did was very easy and didn't take long. I'm still doing that job very part time, to bridge the time until they hire someone, and I'm spending on average 3-5 hours a week to do the essential tasks. I was occasionally assigned something like data entry when I was working full time, but yeah, I spent a lot of time on the internet. When I worked from home with that job I also watched a lot of TV and took naps.

Personally I'd look for a new job ASAP. Unless you think you are going to love the work once it gets going, I don't see any reason to stick around. I'm fairly lazy myself but it was really hard for me to show up to work every day and feel like I was doing nothing valuable with my time. I think it's one of those things that sounds good until you actually do it, and then you realize it sucks. The day is soooo long when you have nothing (or little) to do.

I am not super career driven but I do want to be sure I'm prepared for the future, so having a job where you are doing nothing valuable or that adds to your skills doesn't appeal to me at all.

ETA: I was there a little over 6 months, but applied for my current job about 2 months after starting there.

Definitely not going to love the work if it ever starts...and I’m afraid when I’m interviewing for another job I’ll be asked...so what did you do at your last job and I’ll say...nothing. I did nothing for 2 years

Yeah, I would be worried about that too. That would not look very good - though I honestly doubt a company would keep you for 2 whole years without giving you anything to do, so you may not have to worry about that length of time!

But, I do think it looks a whole lot better to an employer who is interviewing you to be able to say what you did and how it helped you progress in your career. I left my last job off my resume completely because it didn't add a single thing to my list of accomplishments/skills and if anything made it look like I took a huge backslide (which was true, lol). 

Honestly if I were you I'd start looking. If while you're looking for a new role, they suddenly come through with funding and give you stuff to do, you could always stop looking or turn down offers. If you don't think this will ever be a great job anyway, you may as well see what else is out there!

[L]

I did for almost 2yrs...well most of the time I had nothing to do, rarely I did have a Project or some stupid menial tasks. I stayed that long because I got engaged and wanted paid time off for the wedding. I came back from honeymoon and hoped I’d get pregnant right away & quit for good. I did in a few months but then I miscarried so I ended up in job another 6mo. I got new job and found out I was pregnant again on first day. I still quit 8mo later even though that job was much better...still had an idiot for a boss.

[dragon's breath]

How obvious can you be about not doing work? I'm going on 4 years in a job that has a lot of downtime. I have duties, and there are some days I can be really busy, but those days are few and far between. Some nights/days, I don't have to do anything. So, I've learned to quilt, knit, crochet, and sew some basic things. I've been wanting to learn another language, so sometimes I'll play videos in the foreign language in the background. I also watch movies and tv online (not on a work computer though), read a book, or pay bills and balance my budget.

I'm looking forward to doing this until I retire in 17 years (unless I can somehow manage to leave earlier and still have immediate access to my pension and retirement account).

However, if I had nothing to do but had to "look busy", I'd be miserable and looking for a new job. I don't mind being busy, put me to work, but if I have to pretend, then screw that.

[sillygoosegirl]

Surely you can find something useful and productive to do? Get up to speed on stuff related to the project you were hired for perhaps? See if you can identify a need and work toward a solution, even if it's not something that would normally be part of your job? Don't wait for permission to start working... it's easier to get for praise for what you've accomplished than permission to get started, in my experience. The most valuable employees are the ones who find a way to make themselves useful even when nobody assigns them any work to do. Work on learning how to be that person.