Bored at work

[goodal]

I am asking this in a semi-serious manner, but I am going to post this in here anyways (there isnt a "what to do while bore at work" forum yet).

I am the second man in a two man consulting firm. We (like everyone) are quite slow now and the boss is off doing his own thing while I am here staring at the walls for the last three weeks. I have went through all the jobs we have active (multiple times), caught up on filing, have gotten all my letters written and even watch a fair amount of baseball. I can only surf the net for so long before i want to pull my hair out. What is something productive that i can do until we get busy again?

ANY IDEAS???????

 

[Fudgey]

Manually ********** caged animals for artificial insemination?

 

[snickerd3]

I am asking this in a semi-serious manner, but I am going to post this in here anyways (there isnt a "what to do while bore at work" forum yet).
I am the second man in a two man consulting firm. We (like everyone) are quite slow now and the boss is off doing his own thing while I am here staring at the walls for the last three weeks. I have went through all the jobs we have active (multiple times), caught up on filing, have gotten all my letters written and even watch a fair amount of baseball. I can only surf the net for so long before i want to pull my hair out. What is something productive that i can do until we get busy again?

ANY IDEAS???????

dust every surface in the office/cube, then disinfect frequently used items like phone, mouse, desk, etc...

alphabatize bookshelf contents

 

[csb]

only two people and the boss is away? and you have no work to do? forward your darn desk phone to your cell and get the frick out of the office!

 

[Chucktown PE]

Start preparing your resume. I know that's going to come across as an ******* comment but if you're that slow I would be proactive.

 

[Dleg]

Get started on a Master's program, or something equally useful to your professional development.

 

[cement]

there is some free LEED stuff that you could get started on.

that enviro crap is gold I tell ya!

 

[maryannette]

Maybe we need to start another 10K post thread.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Start writing the Great American Novel. dedicate it to your brothas and sisata on EB.

 

[bigray76]

As my first boss at a major pharmaceutical company told me once.... "Make your own work".

Study for LEED or some other useful/useless accreditation, update your contacts list, update/create a database of something (in my case unit costs for materials, but possibly actual versus project hours billed to projects, etc - something that may help the bottom line down the road), call old contacts - stay connected, get all of your emails filed, clean your paper files, stock your desk with supplies, etc.

Also, keeping your resume up to date, references in line, and a current project list are all things that should be done with some frequency.

 

[Supe]

Help find me a house to rent in North Carolina. Won't be productive to YOU, but sure will be for me!

 

[MGX]

Eh, too busy here to be bored.

However in the past I've occupied myself by studying industry standards, studying for school or designing things around the shop here to make tasks simpler, easier or faster to do. A few times I've gotten a code book and gone though making notes.

If you are three weeks worth of slow, I'd probably gear up my networking skills and shoot the breeze with industry friends if you know what I mean.

In your situation, I'd probably forward my phone calls and schedule a tee time or visit some job sites if you have any.

 

[Dexman1349]

Update your public client resources (DOT spec books, City/County/State Manuals, bulletins, etc).

Research some professional developmental type programs (Certifications, accredidations, refresher courses, etc).

Learn a new language. Learning Spanish (especially Latin American) is becoming more and more marketable. My wife gets $3 per hour more for knowing it...

Start attending industry seminars, luncheons, brunches, gatherings. These are great ways to generate work.

Join and become involved in professional organizations (ASCE, ITE, WTS - for those of us in the civil world).

Take clients out golfing.

 

[goodal]

Very good suggestions (mostly) especially the golfing. The problem is I am chained to this chair for 8 hrs, unless the boss is here, to take care of problems in the field and babysit architects. I dont think my job is in immediate danger so updating the resume wont be needed. Keep them coming!!!!

 

[MA_PE]

Very good suggestions (mostly) especially the golfing. The problem is I am chained to this chair for 8 hrs, unless the boss is here, to take care of problems in the field and babysit architects. I dont think my job is in immediate danger so updating the resume wont be needed. Keep them coming!!!!

Start doing some marketing. Cold call some potential new clients offering services.

Look on line for bid offerings for your firms type of work.

Develop a newletter or mailing that you can send to your exsiting and past clients to both remain in contact with them and also remind them of the services that you offer.

 

[Wolverine]

^^^Echo what MA said: take the initiative. Find a way to bring business in and you have made yourself a more valuable employee, or better yet, a more valuable YourOwnFutureBoss. Never sit around waiting for someone to tell you what to do.

.

.

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That, or else surf for bike parts on Ebay for me. Can you find me some decent 8-speed integrated road shift levers for cheap? I haven't had time to search. Like $40 is good. As a matter of fact, forget that whole "initiative" crap above; I was joking. I need a web-surfing surrogate... A Surfrogate!

 

[Wolverine]

I just randomly stumbled across this classic!:

[SIZE=12pt]Management 101[/SIZE]

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'

The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

 

[dastuff]

Update the company website... I can tell you with 100% conviction that it needs to be...

And do that and you won't even need to leave the office... You could either start by learning html, or photoshop (which have a bunch of free tutorials online) or jump into something like wordpress.

 

[GulfCoastCivil]

Join netflix and watch the live stream stuff. If you haven't seen Heroes, it's awesome and they have the first two seasons on live stream.

My coworker bought the excel Video Professor stuff and he does that in his downtime at work.

 

[Guest]

Maybe we need to start another 10K post thread.

Wow ... so this NEW 10k thread was YOUR idea ??!!!! :asthanos:

Join netflix and watch the live stream stuff. If you haven't seen Heroes, it's awesome and they have the first two seasons on live stream.

Netflix is tha bomb diggitay!!

My coworker bought the excel Video Professor stuff and he does that in his downtime at work.

How is that working out for him?

JR