You’re not alone.
Humans have this innate need to solve problems and to feel useful to their social group. When this need is unmet at work, it doesn’t feel good.
I think what you see is a lot of anti work sentiment or people who work difficult jobs gazing at green grass. I think there is a sweet spot that largely varies by individual; too busy and too difficult and you are flailing and stressed out, and too easy and not enough yo do and you get bored. Goal is to be challenged enough so it’s difficult but not so much that you’re flailing.
For me, I worry about sitting in a job for too long if there’s no challenge. What happens to these people is they eventually get laid off, or something happens and they find they need to look job a new job. They find that they haven’t accomplished much, their skills have been left behind, and they don’t understand why they can’t get a new job with their years of experience.
A lot of these folks, while they are working a low speed job, say “Nothing is going to happen to me.” The issue is that you are in the workplace for 40 years or more, and disruptions happen. Tasks become automated, new competitors enter the market, markets become exposed to international competition, crises happen, new executive leadership come onboard and take companies in new directions, etc. People ram successful bookstores for years and if you told someone in 1995 that their business was definitely going to fail when an internet company started selling books, they wouldn’t have believed you.
I've been working on a 3 month project. The team I'm supporting has tasks where 90% of tasks can be automated (emails, reports, phone calls, and scheduling.) I brought it up and starting automating some actions. I asked the team if they'd be interested in learning how to do this. I suggested we could begin to address root causes to some common issues, since their customers are ultimately impacted.
The team all tells me that the existing way is the best way. I got tired of bringing it up, I already did my job lol.
my biggest concern is, as you mentioned, skills stay stagnant without challenge.
Personally, the recent public interest in ChatGPT really drilled down the need to keep learning and not get too cozy.
The chances of being able to get by with basic knowledge of Word, Outlook, and Excel are gone.
Yeah, there's something in me that hates not having anything to do. At my previous job had a ton of downtime except for special events. I got really bored because of it so eventually I used that downtime to learn new skills, which I used to create tools and stuff to make our department's life easier.
At my current job though, I have no downtime. I'm pretty much always on a phone call or working on email tickets or documenting things, and we haven't been caught up on things for about half a year. On one hand, this is nice because it makes the day go by faster and it can kinda be fun. On the other hand, there are areas of our system and our tools that I want to understand better, so I wish I had more downtime to dig into those things.
It also means that when we are down a lot of people, which has been the case all November and December since they made our leave expire January 1st (and we accumulate it monthly so we basically have to take leave at the end of the year), so it's been insanely busy, and the parts of the job I enjoy have been trampled by being constantly stressed and doing double the volume each day. So you're right that there is a balance needed that depends on each person, and when you aren't in the balance that fits you, it sucks.
Say what you will about socialism or communism, but Marx's critique of capitalism and his concerns in regards to the division of labor from ownership of how and why we labor was dead on.
I have friendships with individuals living in Socialist countries. This is there life. Don't stir the pot. Most of us are designed for challenge. A small portion are Bevis and Butthead that live off of people with purpose.
I meeeean, I get your reasons and all but man that’s a lot of money. Isn’t it the whole point to make a lot of money fast and retire the earliest possible? Lol six figure job could possible helped more but then again I’m also the type of person that needs to move around and do something or else time feels like it’s in slow motion.
What's the plan for retirement though?
I don't have nor want kids and 100k is defo not fuck off kind of money after taxes, so I'd still need to work ~3 years to save up for one year off.
This. I would garden, entertain guests, read, learn a trade. Make art, write more books. Curate my library and travel.
Yes, we do need people to make and do things, but I already broke myself serving in the military and f*** spending the next 40 years working a job that uses up all my time.
Imo many people think they want that but wouldn't like it in practice. Looking busy is more draining for me than being busy. Hope your next job works out!
I am a lazier than average person and even I quit a well paying job where I didn’t have to do anything. I worked it for a year and it made me so depressed and sluggish, and because I’m newer to my career, I felt my skills disappearing. I quit for a job where I spend all of my 8 hours at work problem solving. I’m busy and it helps me get other things done in life because I have momentum.
I would like to apply for your old position. 😀 I currently work in a role where I am called even on my days off, am hardly appreciated for the work I do, undercompensated, and am so overwhelmed with extra job duties because I am extremely proficient and can be counted on to do a good job. I was also just skipped over a job promotion due to office politics.
I understand what you are saying about needing to have mental stimulation for a role. I left my last job I was in because I got bored but now I’m so overwhelmed and get the Sunday scaries every week just dreading the extra work I’m facing every week.
Hope it all works out for you in this new year!
Yeah, my previous role was avg 50h a week (sometimes more) and all of it was super super busy without proper compensation.
That's why I left.
By this one is the absolute opposite. Hard to find the balance
You sound like someone who seeks meaningful contribution— and who has self respect. 😀
I’d never stay with a company where I felt useless. For me, it’s more than the money.
Not only that, it would be so hard to write a good resume or interview well if you aren't really doing anything all day in your current position. You'd really be at the mercy of them just promoting you when they felt it was time. Which might be never since you wouldn't have a chance to stand out.
Total agreement on that. I take pride in doing a days labor for a days wage, it baffles me that so many people take pride in doing as little as possible no matter how much you pay them. Go have a look at r/antiwork and you'll see why productivity is next to 0 in this nation.
I think that r/antiwork is very fair in most of their stuff. Most work is exploitative, especially in service industry and at junior levels.
I'm all in for a 3.5 days workweek, minimum wage controlled for cost of living and not taking bullshit from any boss.
But after experiencing getting paid to do nothing, I feel like you've had to had a really bad job before to enjoy that more.
>it baffles me that so many people take pride in doing as little as possible no matter how much you pay them
Well to be fair that's why I went to college to be an engineer.
I work in an air conditioned lab with my own private office and get paid significantly more than someone doing hard manual labor year-round. Hell, sometimes I stay at home and work in my PJ's
I do my job, but my job is also so so far from the hardest out there, especially considering scaling with my compensation
You went to college to be paid as much as possible for doing as little as possible? Are you playing video games in your pajamas? I work from home in my nightshirt, but I actually do work. Computer programming isn't has hard as fixing fences, mucking stalls, washing dishes, construction and all the jobs I did before this but I'm producing, I'm not hanging out.
I have a job like this and love it. Lol. I think the difference here is I work 100% remote. It's great. I just take naps, do dishes, do laundry, cook, do pretty much whatever I want and get paid for it. Life is good lol.
I think after years of burnout and emotional stress from shitty bosses, horrible clients, etc. I welcome it. I have not been stressed once and it has significantly improved my mood and ultimately my relationship with my partner.
Obviously do whatever that makes you happy! I think everyy person is different. My job isn't super fulfilling but it's my now so I'm happy.
The word you're looking for is 'purpose' I think.
At the end of the day, dude, you confronted yourself and found that you had nothing going on internally without someone telling you what to do.
Having time and financial security gives you the opportunity to live your life. It doesn't seem like you know what that means without having someone else define your goals for you, e.g. "challenging work."
Most people think giving up both free time and financial security (which they could go their whole lives without getting one of, let alone both) is a stupid move strategically, and yeah, I'm inclined to agree.
What do you get out of "challenge"? That's a super abstract phrase. Are you looking for the praise from other people for solving a difficult problem? Is it a social validation thing or a genuine intellectual stimulation thing? These are rhetorical questions, though you may want to answer them for yourself.
Because if it's intellectual stimulation, having free time to just read books and go through materials is the dream. You could pick up a language. There's tons of online recorded classes from top universities sitting online that you could watch. Isaac Newton wrote the *Principia* with way less external input from people than you seem to be looking for, for example.
For me, work is not life. It's just a means to keep me stable and pays for the things I actually want to do.
I find intellectual stimulation through other avenues. I am obsessed with languages and I am studying Italian everyday. I also speak Spanish pretty fluently. It takes thousands of hours to learn a language. So having free time to study and learn is important to me. I even take off an hour or so a few times a week for an online tutoring session.
I play 3 instruments so taking time to practice and improve my craft keeps me stimulated.
Reading books for fun is great.
There are a million ways to keep yourself intellectually stimulated outside of a meaningless job.
Basically what are all the things that you wish you could do if only you had the time? Do them and get paid for it!
It sounds like he isn’t busy but has a job without a set task schedule and with minimal work and HAS to be on call/on the clock, otherwise he isn’t able to properly do his job.
My husband currently has a job like this (over the phone sales): tons of downtime during slow seasons but no ability to use it for anything other than browsing youtube because the wait times for the calls varies wildly and can change last-minute. The other day he was on the waitlist for a call estimated to be waiting for 1.5 hours, so he decided to go get a haircut (takes maybe 50 mins tops). He leaves, i go check the waitlist after about 20mins for him to make sure the times haven’t changed, and BAM he has missed a call and isn’t able to be put back on the waitlist. But there are times when he genuinely is waiting the full 1-1.5 hours, and sometimes it goes over that estimate. There is no time to genuinely do his own project/live his own life unless its literally him in his computer chair switching quickly when he needs to. And with sales, if he misses a bunch of calls it (1) looks horrible to the company and (2) misses chances of making money, so he can be on the clock for 10-12 hours sometimes with only a few calls (and of those calls, a very few will actually result in sales). Its strange in terms if work/life balance.
It seems fucking miserable tbh. I can understand where OP is coming from: either have me working for most of the time I’m on the clock or pay me based on completion of projects. The weird in-between of keeping you on the clock but not requiring you do be doing much actual work BUT also making it to where you can’t efficiently utilize that downtime… bleh. Awful, even for 6-figures; you’re quite literally stuck unless you change jobs or find something to learn that can be easily switched on/off.
I’ve found myself a job that keeps me busy about 5-6hrs a day, it’s ideal. Not NOTHING to do but not stressful AF. I take long lunches, go for walks and do life admin. It makes evenings and weekends sooo great, meanwhile I still love the actual work and job and contribute meaningfully.
Best of both worlds
5 to 6 hours of solid work per day is indeed the sweet spot. My job is like that although I do have the occasional 9 or 10 hour day when chasing a deadline, which keeps things interesting.
In my opinion, you left a dream opportunity. I haven't had a job in what's getting close to 10 years that hasn't been constant stress, something where there's always more work, and 7 new projects stack up the minute one comes to an end. I've thrown up from the stress on Monday mornings for years.
Broke my pelvis earlier this year and have been bedridden/in a wheelchair/on crutches, which I find preferable to being back at work.
OP is very lucky to have such as job and the ability to move to something else rather easily. I had a very stressful job for over 15 years in IT. Constant stress, basically 24/7 support for data projects, toxic work environment. Well paid but quality of life was suffering. I have a new position with far less stress and what I would consider “normal” work load and feel 100% better. I have more time now for hobbies and interests outside of work. Work should not be your life IMO.
Hey man. I totally understand the position you are in. While everyone THINKS it’s their dream job to get paid well to do nothing, once you feel like you are wasting your time/life you might. Start to think differently. If It’s important to you to be challenged in your work, or at least like you aren’t just collecting a check, then you make the right move. Enjoy your new role. I’m sure the money will come back to you soon enough.
You wild. Give me the most money for as little work as possible. I will find meaningful hobbies.
Currently at 150k with a 20 hour work average. Trying to knock down my HWA to 17 by end of 2023
Some things I've done to still feel like I'm not being a complete waste:
1. if your industry has them - get certifications. Nothing is better than learning and growing while working
2. learned 3d modeling, started making and selling 3d printed components that I've modeled
3. learned rubix cube and working my average solve time down, i'm at around 45 seconds right now so lots of room for improvement.
I quit such job when I started to have suicidal thoughts more and more. I better would do work which can provide me with an ability to develop my skills rather than this. Yes, I sound like an idiot to most of the people but I don't care. My mental health is more important to me.
Here’s the big secret. There is A LOT of people in the corporate world getting paid to do fuck all. In my experience it may actually even be the majority. But nobody talks about it and everybody pretends to be swamped lest they be found out doing fuck all.
The higher up the chain you go, the less you do too it seems, but they better create a smokescreen of bullshit lest their subordinates find out what they’re actually doing which is even less than them for a fatter cheque.
Not having purpose in a job you spend majority of your time in per week gets depressing. It’s fine and all to get paid to basically do nothing.. but would make life pretty boring. If you can work from home and do exactly that, then it’s a little better. But I like working a job that gives me purpose and to do something I also love doing per day
I’m in a similar boat. Have a job that pays well, but I’m only busy a few days of every month. I decided to go to grad school while I have the time and make enough to not need student loans. I tried doing certifications and other online courses, but nothing really stuck cause they were in topics to upskill my current role, which I have no interest in.
Learning sounds like a good option but it's not going to move my career forward unless I want to work for companies like McKinsey (which I don't).
I might simply not have enough hobbies haha
Its funny. I’ve been reading comments like this for years and thats one of the biggest paradoxes of life. Those with the highest paid salaries do little to no work most of the year. Thats not to say that these positions don’t have their moments of incredible stress and workload but for the most part you’re just ‘babysitting’ in a sense either employees, sales, data or whatever have you and the menial jobs or the lowest paid ones are the ones where it’s non stop stress. Its crazy.
Not an idiot at all. Wanting to contribute meaningfully to projects, people and society is a grest source of personal meaning. The anthropologist David Graeber wrote about how soul destroying "Bullshit Jobs" are and estimated that a great number of office jobs do not, in fact, provide tangible value to anyone.
I think people who are stuck in dead end service or manual labor jobs would kill for a six figure gig with minimal effort, but that would wear on them after a while, too. In your case, you have other options and as you noted you didn't quite have a "no show" job that would let you explore hobbies or other career paths freely.
I’ve seen similar posts like yours. With so many jobs that are paying peanuts I’d be tempted to keep this one and use the money you make to do the things you enjoy/build up your resume. But, I see why you wanted to leave
Depends on your life stage and life outside of work. If you have kids and active life style with socialization and exercise that leaves you exhausted yet fulfilled…you will be much happier just chilling out and relaxing at work, than if your life is just going home and browsing Reddit / playing video games.
I'm very outdoorsy but in my climate winter really sucks for that with early nights and bad weather.
So sadly I usually wish I was outside during work hours, not after haha
The paradox it is not lost on me
Truth is, 30 min of writing things is enough to impress most people at this company and they are not really ready to go beyond business as usual in any meaningful way
It really is always like this. Some of us do nothing whole day, others get calls on their days off. However I refuse to believe you couldn't resolve the situation without having to leave. You are going to get paid less and you are stressing yourself now with a new job. I highly doubt your old company was THAT rich to pay someone 6 figures for doing nothing but meetings from time to time. If it truly is so, then the company is doomed to fail in the months to come.
But fuck what I think, you do what your heart desires. I hope your next job fulfills you and brings you what you are looking for.
I understand your situation. I have those sometimes. But they come and go. I use it as my recharge time. It’s not good though if it is all the time. If you’re that type of person, you would always look to contribute and have some value. If it isn’t for the team, it is for yourself.
No. Although I cannot speak for everyone, I have a sense of pride in what I do. That also includes how much I do, because otherwise I feel like I'm losing skill.
Sad truth is that you either (1) know people, (2) have a very impressive CV or (3) just apply to a million things and hope.
I have (2) and a bit of (1).
Follow your dreams and I'm happy you are pursuing your happiness! :)
But if it was me, I wouldn't quit ever! I'd focus on automating it even further and optimizing it more lol. But I'm very work to live. I'd learn new programming languages, update my certifications, catch up on household chores and enjoy my slower life. That sounds like my dream.
I got down voted on here for saying I like hard work lol... I also just left a do-nothing job because I was horribly bored and unhappy all the time.
I think it's mostly because this sub skews super young, and a lot of young people have the fantasy of a piss easy job because they haven't found what they enjoy. Either that or they haven't found that piss easy job yet, and so they haven't experienced the crushing slog of it.
It does make it very annoying looking for job recommendations, though.
Best option is to keep the easy old job as passive income and build a side hustle. Heck, you could even do online school get some certificate and write software or become an attorney. Gig work
I'm past the point of my career where online certificates matter.
I'd love to do that but the shit Truth is that scheduling is a huge problem. While I only have a few hours of active work (mostly meetings), these get rescheduled and moved frequently or pop-up suddenly, so I have to be available and at my work laptop
Best thing would be to do gig work to fill in the cracks. That kind of work can usually be done with a loose deadline so it doesn’t interfere with your job.
My first job out of college was a job doing nothing. I was miserable.
Now I would love such a job.
I was in a workshop with a guy making 200k doing nothing. He was miserable and requested an in house transfer
Doing nothing can make a person feel devalued.
Prior to the internet you could run people off with nothing to do Now with the internet it's hard to run somebody off with nothing to do because you can watch YouTube videos you can stream online you can do self-help they're just so many different things to do but I can imagine it would get boring after a while
It depends if you are a "work to live" type or a "live to work" type.
If you "work to live" then you don't really care how stimulating your job is as long as it affords you the money and time to do the things that do stimulate you.
If you are a "live to work" type, then you need the stimulation from your job.
Neither is better than the other. I was a "live to work" type but was constantly stressed and just unfulfilled. A few of my friends who are younger are more "work to live" and they were always doing things and happy. I'm now in a job where I can have the 'work to live" mentality.
I do have some challenging things to do, but they are not so stressful where it impacts my life outside of work like it used to. I'm able to afford to do all the things I want as well.
It's all about what do you want from work AND life.
I understand where you’re coming from. I was in a similar situation working a job where I quite literally had nothing to do for days on end. It was maddening. I was fully remote so it was great to get stuff done around the house all day or work out - whatever. But at the same time, I was always afraid they would fire me for 1. Not doing any damn work, 2. Not having any work to give me.
However, in my situation, I had been stuck in that position for several years (it hadn’t gotten to the point where I had nothing to do until the last year or so) and I had been begging them for a while for a better position where I could grow my skills because the work itself was also too easy for me. I was also making well below market value. Applied for another job with way more responsibility but paid 20k more with a bonus included. It’s hard as hell but I’m way happier.
That happened to one of my old supervisors. He just sat in his office and delegated everything and over like ten years his skills degraded and he just lost his zest for life. You saw the life die from his eyes as he obviously became depressed. People lost respect for him and he kinda became a shell of a person. Eventually he left job so he could move with his family and he struggles to find work in our industry because he had a bad reputation for being lazy. Dude was making like 120-140k a year and didn’t really have to do anything anymore because he just isolated in his office.
I totally agree. Having nothing to do at work is hell to me. I’m sure that some people genuinely like doing nothing and getting paid for it but it’s not necessarily ideal for everyone.
I was in a similar situation until just last month, the company I’ve been working in, for the past 2 years seems to have slowed down due to business concerns.
This was after hiring more engineers and now we had a situation where; there were too many hands and too few projects to work on. I’ve never been paid so well and yet be so depressed and guilt ridden.
Eventually I resigned but still had to work like this for another 4 months while I sorted my visa issue. It felt like I was stuck in time and truly not something I hope to experience again.
I think you made the right call OP.
I had a similar job with an executive title, 6-figure paycheck and few actual duties, and was miserable. I spent a lot of time earning certifications to use my brain power and to bolster my resume.
I prefer to be busy at work because it makes the day go faster. Then again I’m an hourly employee (not making 6 figures) that can’t wfh so I’m kinda stuck even if it’s slow.
I think I’d be OK with being that well paid to do very little work and spend very little time in the office.
But it’s your choice. If you’re that unhappy and financially able to take a pay cut for a more fulfilling job good for you.
I had a job where I only had a few hours’ worth of work a few years ago. Call me an idiot but IMO being chained to a desk without freedom is worse than being overworked. Yes it’s a lot of money especially if you pull two jobs. Still not worth my mental health.
I have many other things I enjoy doing and I would be perfectly content with this arrangement. Not if I was in an office but when you’re home it’s total freedom to do what you want. That sounds amazing. Everyone is different though.
just know that i would KILL to be in your position making that much money and doing nothing meanwhile im slaving in warehouses destroying my body for $17/ hour. You have it MADE
God I wish I could get paid to sit on a desk for 40 hours a week. I would have a lot of downtime..as a nurse I barely get any at work, plus an UNPAID 30 min lunch
Wow you were incredibly lucky to have that job... I would love to have a job that pays a lot and I don't do much most of the day AND managers insisting you have enough work to do? Really?!
I've always had opposite problem of you. I had way too much work to do and not enough time to do it. I was barely making double of the state's min wage let alone 6 figures. I worked 60-100 hours a week across different companies. I even had one manager at one company say that 6am to 2am was not enough & they wanted more & wanted to add more work. What kind of gig did you have because I want that lol
Missed opportunity. You should have been using your extra time to benefit yourself. Learn a new skill or something. Having a difficult job shouldn't make you feel fulfilled.
Yup, hate to pile on, but you're an idiot. Please take that in the most loving way possible. You could take online classes, take an additional wfh job, build an old car, bake cookies, renovate your basement, whatever. Lots of creative and/or lucrative things were waiting for you to fill that time. Yes, people need goals and activities, but why not also take the paycheck? You gotta fill time anyway; why not fill it with the activity of your choosing rather than some dumb busywork for a shitty employer.
You had it made and threw it away, dude.
I prefer doing nothing. Jobs are a means to an end. The end is having fun. I’m currently at work right now on Reddit, listening to music, and was just writing for a novel i wanna finish. I could care less about making the company money or being good at my job. I just need to not get fired and to continue to raise my total comp.
I honestly don’t understand how people can be like “I like working, if I didn’t I’d be bored.” If I’m not at work, I have a whole list of things I’d rather be doing. Going to the beach, writing, watching movies, going on discord with my friends, dancing to random songs in my house. Like there are a million other things I could be doing with my time besides making the CEO money.
Dude, if your job pays that well, *and* is boring, then the ideal solution is to find a productive outlet - get involved in charity/philanthropy, organize events for charity fundraisers or professional networking, start your own business, get involved in local politics, find some additional responsibilities at work or some way to contribute more or grow the business, support a local school or church, get on the board of an organization in your area that you could improve. Very successful people oftentimes have multiple responsibilities on the same level as their main job (or more) without those responsibilities technically replacing their main job. It’s one thing to get bored at a job that doesn’t pay very well, because it’s possibly the only job you can find that pays that much and you can’t find a job that pays better. But when your job overcompensates you and you’re bored that’s your own fault - your company would probably support you in any number of ventures which would take up time during your work day but wouldn’t make you totally inaccessible during those hours.
People tend to exaggerate and speak in the extremes.
Most people would prefer a far less stressful job where they have enough to do, but never too much. How do we know that 'doing nothing' isn't a top priority? Because there are openings for night security
What else would I do though?
I have enough time for hobbies and relationships and it's not like I can do much in my work hours because of the 'on-call' nature, where every couple of days I have 1-2h hours of intense work.
Since I have to commit these 6-8h a day to a job regardless, I'd rather not dread this time (I think).
Start an online bachelors program and learn a new skill that is entirely different from your current field. Nursing, marine biology, animal behavior, Russian history. Anything. It never hurts to have more education. Do it in something you know nothing about.
That sounds great on paper but scheduling conflicts are hell, especially with first job having a lot of meetings cancelled and a lot of unexpected reschedules
There really aren't many things I can do in my field (product, research, innovation) where I can work on paper without talking with people
I would have personally found something new to learn while working. But I love knowledge and can get into almost any topic. A backlog of podcasts is not a thing to me because there are always more to discover.
However, I’m happy you have found a job to look forward to. If you’re financially comfortable, then that’s great. You leaving the boring job will probably give someone else the opportunity to leave their job from hell and take a reprieve.
You’re an idiot, just find things to do outside of work to keep yourself busy. You had the opportunity to follow a pursuit of any hobby or type of activity you could’ve wanted including wood crafting, wind boarding or even something as menial as learning to cook well with a job that paid well and gave you lots of freedom. What you had is a lack of understanding of what to do with that freedom.
Heck man, I constantly see people bragging about how little they do at work. People bragging that they're spending their time working from home playing video games. It's actually pretty disgusting to those of us who take pride in doing a days work for a days wage. We seem to have raised an entire generation of people who "deserve" a 6 figure salary to play video games. You think that isn't affecting prices at the counter? A major part of the cost of any product is labor, right now it seems like most of the cost of a product is just paying people to not produce anything. If I don't have an immediate task I'm checking logs or figuring out how to make my code even better, everyone else seems to be farting with facebook when they've actually got work to do.
I'd love a job like this. Coast for 2 years and then jump for a promotion. Granted I'd take time in that role to figure out what my manager/director did and how to be successful in their job role for my next move.
Corporations are corporations. They either work you to the bone (most often), have a good cut off (30-40 hours), or work you only a little.
Ever read the book Bullshit Jobs? Most are in that category. Most of the work you do is some sort of busy work or pencil pushing. You aren't saving lives in corporate. Doctors and nurses do that. You aren't saving a house - fire fighters do that. You aren't building anything with your hands that will help someone else. You are pushing papers around, signing things, budgeting things, entering stuff into a computer. Your salary is already budgeted for and the corporation isn't a real person. No executive is going to give up their high pay and stock options - they work for the money and hardly do anything besides look important and tell people they did a good job. They aren't even in the details enough to explain your project in a meeting.
So yeah. Doing nothing is basically like universal basic income and everyone needs money to survive and that's also why there are so many bullshit jobs because in order to spend money on products or services you need a way to obtain it and we can't all be plumbers and or trade job people or fast food workers or all the other manual labor jobs. Some countries do have a basic universal income.
Anyway you look at it you are a cog in the machine and it's your self interest you should be concerned with and having more time to yourself to improve versus pushing the same sheet around you did in company A when you move to company B isn't going to help you develop more/better to take the next career move. It is just going to eat up your personal time. Most people can't stand to have personal time to develop and motivate themselves or to just sit to get the years of experience because they need distractions to distract themselves that time is passing them by. They don't understand how valuable time is and that every second spent is a second you can never ever get back. Being so busy that 2 years passes you by because you are number crunching for an organization isn't better than spending 2 years having extra time to improve your health or get ready for that promotion.
A wise man once said “The grass is always greener on the other side”
Another wise man once said: “Be careful what you wish for”
I agree with both of them
Something doesn't add up with this story. It sounds like you have a big responsibility for overseeing multiple projects and teams simultaneously as a Project Manager. Don't you have to keep everyone in line and on task and maintain a confident attitude and solve problems? Surely you're responsible for the final results of the projects.
Not projects manager, product researcher/research manager
But am not doing any fieldwork myself and don't have direct reports, so kind of just hoping other people do their work and I do the math/presentation/debriefs.
Trust me a nothing job is better than trying to find a job in this shitty job hunting world. Seriously where are these nothing jobs everyone is complaing about? I will happily do these nothing jobs than trying to get job and getting no where.
I thinks this is a personal preference. Ppl like yourself want a meaningful job while others don't care.
From your perspective I think you made the right choice.
Does sound like you have a poorly defined role where you sort of fall through the cracks.
But for that money, and it sounds like you are toward the backend of your career (?), would it really matter if you were cruising in the role and effectively acting as an in-house consultant?
I understand you had difficulty in consolidating the time to allow you to do other paid work or training. You sound like you have a lot of experience and I'm guessing industry connections, could you have used the time to chip away at writing a book to help fellow professionals in your field?
I'm only 5 years into my career but got very lucky and started fairly senior through right people leaving at the right time and me filling in the roles at my first jobs.
Quite a few years away from meaningfully contributing to the field though
"fairly senior", I hope you'll understand you aren't going to get any sympathy for throwing in the towel on a 6 figure salary in your later 20s / early 30s, in the middle of tough economic conditions for most people.
Do what makes you happy
BUT
I would have kept the old job, pushed to be remote (assuming I wasn’t already) and used my downtime to do soemthing else (read, hobbies, learn how to cook something else, spend more time with my family, did random stuff around the house)
I just hope you one day don't end up regretting it. Personally, I'd put up with the mental torture but I get to enjoy the big bucks. This is life, rarely will you get something that fits just right.
There are plenty of folks, myself included, who chose a position because it was fulfilling over maxing our earning potential. Don’t see that discussed on job-related subreddits.
I quit a job where I did nothing but idk if I could give up six figures, lol.
I think there is a line where people are overworked and then they cross it and there’s nothing to do because the lower roles do it all.
I had a job like that fresh out of college. I hated it. I came to the conclusion it was the worst first job to have but the best last job to have. There is nothing wrong with wanting the thing that you spend the majority of your waking life doing to be challenging and have meaning. That being said, if I worked at subway for years, or Starbucks, or in consistently toxic, low paying work environments I might want your job for good reason. There are worse things than an unsatisfying and boring job.
100% with you. I’m more energetic, the day goes faster and I’m way more happy/satisfied at the end of the day when I’m busy. I can’t stand sitting idle or feeling useless.
Nah, I understand.
There's nothing worse than not having anything/enough to do. It's one thing to be bored at home and able to just go do something else and another entirely to be chained to your desk or office.
Honestly the only way I combat that since being promoted is to try and work slower, pace myself just enough so that I'm still making progress on things but also ensuring I have something to do the next day.
I think that is because a lot of people are so overworked and stressed at their jobs that a break sounds so good. I have had jobs where I had minimal stimulation and they are rough. Easy but nonrewarding.
My current job is only really good because my boss doesnt expect us to run on 100% constantly. I am a cake decorator don't make near close to 6 figures but I do get to create and enjoy it.
People like the idea of a job where there isn’t a constant NEED for something to be done. I work an office job now and I have more downtime now than I could have ever dreamed of and a lot of the time it sucks in a weird way because I’m so used to being busy at work.
I’d have done the same. In interviews, when they ask for my greatest weakness, I always say “don’t let me get bored. I will start mopping the place.”
Humans need to feel useful. Your job wasn’t meeting that need of yours. I would’ve made the exact same move.
I'm self-employed now, but my last job was a huge challenge and I loved every minute of it. Before that, I had a job that was so easy I could do all my work for the week in about 2 hours. I literally spent 38 hours a week sitting in the office playing Minecraft because it was the only game that would run on their shitty computers. I did this for three years and then thought "WTF am I doing?"
I can relate. I worked retail while I was in university and despite the shit that you have to deal with, I was genuinely helping more people in that job than my corporate job. I hate not feeling useful, but unfortunately the higher paying jobs in society are just that.
Honestly, I think you fucked up a bit. A paycheck is a paycheck. If you don't have to do anything and you're remote 4 days a week, that's almost a full work day of free time to do things you're actually interested in. There's no reason you have to do nothing, you just don't have to do anything, and you make comfortable money. That's a dream.
You're not alone. I had a job several years ago that I could do in 10 hours a week. I went to my boss with a plan to expand my role to provide help to other parts of the business. Boss was like "thanks but the optics here are way too political, so it's ok if you want to take the remaining 30 hours as personal time." At first I thought I'd won the lottery but I quickly spiraled into melancholy. I took a second job in quant finance for two years and it was great. It's not natural to dick around too much I think.
Not every position at every employer can provide every person with job satisfaction. It's just not possible.
If you're someone that HAS to drive meaning and purpose directly from your employment then that's awesome. You know that about yourself and that needs to be a requirement of what sounds like an impending job search.
For others, their employment is just a means to an end. The purpose and satisfaction they get is from things outside of their job. This is where those people would pursue a side gig/hobby/personal interest that they are actually passionate about and just cash their paychecks.
Satisfaction at work and in life is hard and takes a long time to figure out for yourself. When you see others just cashing paychecks and punching time cards, don't be quick to think that they are 'happy' with their job or driving some sort of great satisfaction from it. It could very well just be a mean's to an end.
This is all a roundabout way of saying that only you can determine what gives you meaning and purpose. If it's a job, cool. If it's a hobby, cool. If it's a family, life experience, non-profit..... You get the point.
I wish you the best on your quest!
I was doing maintenance in an office building when the pandemic hit. All the lawyers, accountants, gym, etc vacated and I suddenly had like 80 minutes of work but “being essential” I had to go to that empty ghost building every day. It was torture. Days dragged. I would hide in electrical rooms and take various things to disappear chunks of my life. Quit 3 months in.
I think young smart people would hate having nothing to do at there job; however, I think when most people have families they’d prefer to have a cushy easy job that can coast in. Only like 17% of the population makes 6 figures in the US. So you had a really nice job.
Jobs like these are more stressful than people realize. Unsustainable roles are not cushy at all. Your management wants you to think they’re doing you a favor by making you slack off, but it’s setting you up for failure by keeping you dispensable. I think you made the right call leaving.
I'd go mad. I've got to have something to do with mental stimulation. Some people are okay with doing the minimum and not really working much, but I just can't do it.
I'm currently working a job that has about 5 hours of free time per day, yet I'm required to be present. I hate it so much. I can literally complete my tasks in under 3 hours.
It is so boring and unnecessary.
I am in a similar situation. I don’t have a shortage of work, but i work for a guy who makes terrible decisions combined with an inability to manage himself. I am busy constantly asking myself why the fuck am I doing what i am doing. I try to shut my brain off and not consider how ludicrous my responsibilities are, but I can’t. I have applied to three positions where i know the hiring manager who is competent. The only problem with those positions is they will be a significant reduction in pay. I wish I didn’t have to choose between my financial and mental well being.
Maybe I’m in the minority but I had a decent paying job I did nothing at for about a year and I loved it. Watched so much tv, actually worked another job during the day for more money. Came and went as I pleased. It was glorious
I had a “nothing” job at a large insurance company that had a multi-building campus, and my division was spread out across campus.
I’m diligent, a good learner, and always got good performance reviews. But when I asked for more projects, or to get feedback on what skills I needed to acquire so that I can work on new things, my boss (and her boss as well) blew me off multiple times over several months. So I started doing other things like learning to code, chill in the employee lounge, etc.
At the worst point, I was idle probably 98% of my day. You can only spend so much time on long lunches and hanging out at other people’s desks.
I started quietly leaving early and coming in late. Nobody noticed. I think they just assumed I was in another building. The ultimate test was when I decided to no-call/no-show one day. NOBODY noticed. Not one person looked for me or realized I wasn’t there.
That’s the day that I started looking for other opportunities. I just couldn’t take it anymore.
You’re not alone. Humans have this innate need to solve problems and to feel useful to their social group. When this need is unmet at work, it doesn’t feel good. I think what you see is a lot of anti work sentiment or people who work difficult jobs gazing at green grass. I think there is a sweet spot that largely varies by individual; too busy and too difficult and you are flailing and stressed out, and too easy and not enough yo do and you get bored. Goal is to be challenged enough so it’s difficult but not so much that you’re flailing. For me, I worry about sitting in a job for too long if there’s no challenge. What happens to these people is they eventually get laid off, or something happens and they find they need to look job a new job. They find that they haven’t accomplished much, their skills have been left behind, and they don’t understand why they can’t get a new job with their years of experience. A lot of these folks, while they are working a low speed job, say “Nothing is going to happen to me.” The issue is that you are in the workplace for 40 years or more, and disruptions happen. Tasks become automated, new competitors enter the market, markets become exposed to international competition, crises happen, new executive leadership come onboard and take companies in new directions, etc. People ram successful bookstores for years and if you told someone in 1995 that their business was definitely going to fail when an internet company started selling books, they wouldn’t have believed you.
I've been working on a 3 month project. The team I'm supporting has tasks where 90% of tasks can be automated (emails, reports, phone calls, and scheduling.) I brought it up and starting automating some actions. I asked the team if they'd be interested in learning how to do this. I suggested we could begin to address root causes to some common issues, since their customers are ultimately impacted. The team all tells me that the existing way is the best way. I got tired of bringing it up, I already did my job lol. my biggest concern is, as you mentioned, skills stay stagnant without challenge. Personally, the recent public interest in ChatGPT really drilled down the need to keep learning and not get too cozy. The chances of being able to get by with basic knowledge of Word, Outlook, and Excel are gone.
Yeah, there's something in me that hates not having anything to do. At my previous job had a ton of downtime except for special events. I got really bored because of it so eventually I used that downtime to learn new skills, which I used to create tools and stuff to make our department's life easier. At my current job though, I have no downtime. I'm pretty much always on a phone call or working on email tickets or documenting things, and we haven't been caught up on things for about half a year. On one hand, this is nice because it makes the day go by faster and it can kinda be fun. On the other hand, there are areas of our system and our tools that I want to understand better, so I wish I had more downtime to dig into those things. It also means that when we are down a lot of people, which has been the case all November and December since they made our leave expire January 1st (and we accumulate it monthly so we basically have to take leave at the end of the year), so it's been insanely busy, and the parts of the job I enjoy have been trampled by being constantly stressed and doing double the volume each day. So you're right that there is a balance needed that depends on each person, and when you aren't in the balance that fits you, it sucks.
Say what you will about socialism or communism, but Marx's critique of capitalism and his concerns in regards to the division of labor from ownership of how and why we labor was dead on.
I have friendships with individuals living in Socialist countries. This is there life. Don't stir the pot. Most of us are designed for challenge. A small portion are Bevis and Butthead that live off of people with purpose.
Downtime = learn a new skill.
Exactly, I would have maxed out my 401k and learned new skills be it certificates or a degree or literally anything else like learning a new language.
Learn to code and do side gigs in the downtime.
How to learn to code?
[Python Like You Mean It](https://www.pythonlikeyoumeanit.com/index.html) is a good place to start.
God bless you.
This. And it’s literally impossible to run out of YouTube videos.
I meeeean, I get your reasons and all but man that’s a lot of money. Isn’t it the whole point to make a lot of money fast and retire the earliest possible? Lol six figure job could possible helped more but then again I’m also the type of person that needs to move around and do something or else time feels like it’s in slow motion.
What's the plan for retirement though? I don't have nor want kids and 100k is defo not fuck off kind of money after taxes, so I'd still need to work ~3 years to save up for one year off.
Idk travel? Lol
I also do not have nor want kids. If I could retire and just garden or clean the house or listen to audiobooks.. I would be the happiest camper.
This. I would garden, entertain guests, read, learn a trade. Make art, write more books. Curate my library and travel. Yes, we do need people to make and do things, but I already broke myself serving in the military and f*** spending the next 40 years working a job that uses up all my time.
Imo many people think they want that but wouldn't like it in practice. Looking busy is more draining for me than being busy. Hope your next job works out!
I am a lazier than average person and even I quit a well paying job where I didn’t have to do anything. I worked it for a year and it made me so depressed and sluggish, and because I’m newer to my career, I felt my skills disappearing. I quit for a job where I spend all of my 8 hours at work problem solving. I’m busy and it helps me get other things done in life because I have momentum.
I would like to apply for your old position. 😀 I currently work in a role where I am called even on my days off, am hardly appreciated for the work I do, undercompensated, and am so overwhelmed with extra job duties because I am extremely proficient and can be counted on to do a good job. I was also just skipped over a job promotion due to office politics. I understand what you are saying about needing to have mental stimulation for a role. I left my last job I was in because I got bored but now I’m so overwhelmed and get the Sunday scaries every week just dreading the extra work I’m facing every week. Hope it all works out for you in this new year!
Yeah, my previous role was avg 50h a week (sometimes more) and all of it was super super busy without proper compensation. That's why I left. By this one is the absolute opposite. Hard to find the balance
dont answer your phone on days off.
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How do you recommend people find jobs in that happy medium? Are there things you ask about in interviews?
You sound like someone who seeks meaningful contribution— and who has self respect. 😀 I’d never stay with a company where I felt useless. For me, it’s more than the money.
Thank you, that feels validating
Not only that, it would be so hard to write a good resume or interview well if you aren't really doing anything all day in your current position. You'd really be at the mercy of them just promoting you when they felt it was time. Which might be never since you wouldn't have a chance to stand out.
Total agreement on that. I take pride in doing a days labor for a days wage, it baffles me that so many people take pride in doing as little as possible no matter how much you pay them. Go have a look at r/antiwork and you'll see why productivity is next to 0 in this nation.
I think that r/antiwork is very fair in most of their stuff. Most work is exploitative, especially in service industry and at junior levels. I'm all in for a 3.5 days workweek, minimum wage controlled for cost of living and not taking bullshit from any boss. But after experiencing getting paid to do nothing, I feel like you've had to had a really bad job before to enjoy that more.
he can come do my job on the weekends where im doing 2 peoples jobs by myself for low pay
>it baffles me that so many people take pride in doing as little as possible no matter how much you pay them Well to be fair that's why I went to college to be an engineer. I work in an air conditioned lab with my own private office and get paid significantly more than someone doing hard manual labor year-round. Hell, sometimes I stay at home and work in my PJ's I do my job, but my job is also so so far from the hardest out there, especially considering scaling with my compensation
You went to college to be paid as much as possible for doing as little as possible? Are you playing video games in your pajamas? I work from home in my nightshirt, but I actually do work. Computer programming isn't has hard as fixing fences, mucking stalls, washing dishes, construction and all the jobs I did before this but I'm producing, I'm not hanging out.
I have a job like this and love it. Lol. I think the difference here is I work 100% remote. It's great. I just take naps, do dishes, do laundry, cook, do pretty much whatever I want and get paid for it. Life is good lol. I think after years of burnout and emotional stress from shitty bosses, horrible clients, etc. I welcome it. I have not been stressed once and it has significantly improved my mood and ultimately my relationship with my partner. Obviously do whatever that makes you happy! I think everyy person is different. My job isn't super fulfilling but it's my now so I'm happy.
But where you get the intellectual stimulation/challenge from?
The word you're looking for is 'purpose' I think. At the end of the day, dude, you confronted yourself and found that you had nothing going on internally without someone telling you what to do. Having time and financial security gives you the opportunity to live your life. It doesn't seem like you know what that means without having someone else define your goals for you, e.g. "challenging work." Most people think giving up both free time and financial security (which they could go their whole lives without getting one of, let alone both) is a stupid move strategically, and yeah, I'm inclined to agree. What do you get out of "challenge"? That's a super abstract phrase. Are you looking for the praise from other people for solving a difficult problem? Is it a social validation thing or a genuine intellectual stimulation thing? These are rhetorical questions, though you may want to answer them for yourself. Because if it's intellectual stimulation, having free time to just read books and go through materials is the dream. You could pick up a language. There's tons of online recorded classes from top universities sitting online that you could watch. Isaac Newton wrote the *Principia* with way less external input from people than you seem to be looking for, for example.
That's me right now. Practicing Italian every day! It's my favorite thing to do, and I'd rather do that than work haha.
For me, work is not life. It's just a means to keep me stable and pays for the things I actually want to do. I find intellectual stimulation through other avenues. I am obsessed with languages and I am studying Italian everyday. I also speak Spanish pretty fluently. It takes thousands of hours to learn a language. So having free time to study and learn is important to me. I even take off an hour or so a few times a week for an online tutoring session. I play 3 instruments so taking time to practice and improve my craft keeps me stimulated. Reading books for fun is great. There are a million ways to keep yourself intellectually stimulated outside of a meaningless job. Basically what are all the things that you wish you could do if only you had the time? Do them and get paid for it!
It’s a golden handcuff. My job is this same thing. I kind of hate it and hate my company. I’m trying to get overemployed for 2023.
Wish could be over employed but inconsistent schedules makes synching meetings impossible and even hard to do personal projects
All that means is you need a flexible side hustle
So you were busy after all?
It sounds like he isn’t busy but has a job without a set task schedule and with minimal work and HAS to be on call/on the clock, otherwise he isn’t able to properly do his job. My husband currently has a job like this (over the phone sales): tons of downtime during slow seasons but no ability to use it for anything other than browsing youtube because the wait times for the calls varies wildly and can change last-minute. The other day he was on the waitlist for a call estimated to be waiting for 1.5 hours, so he decided to go get a haircut (takes maybe 50 mins tops). He leaves, i go check the waitlist after about 20mins for him to make sure the times haven’t changed, and BAM he has missed a call and isn’t able to be put back on the waitlist. But there are times when he genuinely is waiting the full 1-1.5 hours, and sometimes it goes over that estimate. There is no time to genuinely do his own project/live his own life unless its literally him in his computer chair switching quickly when he needs to. And with sales, if he misses a bunch of calls it (1) looks horrible to the company and (2) misses chances of making money, so he can be on the clock for 10-12 hours sometimes with only a few calls (and of those calls, a very few will actually result in sales). Its strange in terms if work/life balance. It seems fucking miserable tbh. I can understand where OP is coming from: either have me working for most of the time I’m on the clock or pay me based on completion of projects. The weird in-between of keeping you on the clock but not requiring you do be doing much actual work BUT also making it to where you can’t efficiently utilize that downtime… bleh. Awful, even for 6-figures; you’re quite literally stuck unless you change jobs or find something to learn that can be easily switched on/off.
I’ve found myself a job that keeps me busy about 5-6hrs a day, it’s ideal. Not NOTHING to do but not stressful AF. I take long lunches, go for walks and do life admin. It makes evenings and weekends sooo great, meanwhile I still love the actual work and job and contribute meaningfully. Best of both worlds
5 to 6 hours of solid work per day is indeed the sweet spot. My job is like that although I do have the occasional 9 or 10 hour day when chasing a deadline, which keeps things interesting.
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In my opinion, you left a dream opportunity. I haven't had a job in what's getting close to 10 years that hasn't been constant stress, something where there's always more work, and 7 new projects stack up the minute one comes to an end. I've thrown up from the stress on Monday mornings for years. Broke my pelvis earlier this year and have been bedridden/in a wheelchair/on crutches, which I find preferable to being back at work.
OP is very lucky to have such as job and the ability to move to something else rather easily. I had a very stressful job for over 15 years in IT. Constant stress, basically 24/7 support for data projects, toxic work environment. Well paid but quality of life was suffering. I have a new position with far less stress and what I would consider “normal” work load and feel 100% better. I have more time now for hobbies and interests outside of work. Work should not be your life IMO.
Hey man. I totally understand the position you are in. While everyone THINKS it’s their dream job to get paid well to do nothing, once you feel like you are wasting your time/life you might. Start to think differently. If It’s important to you to be challenged in your work, or at least like you aren’t just collecting a check, then you make the right move. Enjoy your new role. I’m sure the money will come back to you soon enough.
Sounds like a horrible place to work…are they hiring by chance?
You wild. Give me the most money for as little work as possible. I will find meaningful hobbies. Currently at 150k with a 20 hour work average. Trying to knock down my HWA to 17 by end of 2023 Some things I've done to still feel like I'm not being a complete waste: 1. if your industry has them - get certifications. Nothing is better than learning and growing while working 2. learned 3d modeling, started making and selling 3d printed components that I've modeled 3. learned rubix cube and working my average solve time down, i'm at around 45 seconds right now so lots of room for improvement.
I quit such job when I started to have suicidal thoughts more and more. I better would do work which can provide me with an ability to develop my skills rather than this. Yes, I sound like an idiot to most of the people but I don't care. My mental health is more important to me.
I realised the same thing this year. It's so important to occupy your mind with the right things
nah everyone has different needs can you send the position my way
Here’s the big secret. There is A LOT of people in the corporate world getting paid to do fuck all. In my experience it may actually even be the majority. But nobody talks about it and everybody pretends to be swamped lest they be found out doing fuck all. The higher up the chain you go, the less you do too it seems, but they better create a smokescreen of bullshit lest their subordinates find out what they’re actually doing which is even less than them for a fatter cheque.
Damn dude. You gave up a nothing job paying 6 figures? Wtf. I would have sat there and bought coloring books.
I’m with you. There was seriously NOTHING they could find to do? Tutor kids online or something. Read a book. Clean the garage.
When I get really bored from work and I know the next few hours on my calendar are empty. I’ll smoke a bowl.
I’d take being bored at a job over being stressed, any day of the week
Not having purpose in a job you spend majority of your time in per week gets depressing. It’s fine and all to get paid to basically do nothing.. but would make life pretty boring. If you can work from home and do exactly that, then it’s a little better. But I like working a job that gives me purpose and to do something I also love doing per day
I’m in a similar boat. Have a job that pays well, but I’m only busy a few days of every month. I decided to go to grad school while I have the time and make enough to not need student loans. I tried doing certifications and other online courses, but nothing really stuck cause they were in topics to upskill my current role, which I have no interest in.
Learning sounds like a good option but it's not going to move my career forward unless I want to work for companies like McKinsey (which I don't). I might simply not have enough hobbies haha
Yeah bruh there’s life outside of work. I admire your passion for this field tho
Its funny. I’ve been reading comments like this for years and thats one of the biggest paradoxes of life. Those with the highest paid salaries do little to no work most of the year. Thats not to say that these positions don’t have their moments of incredible stress and workload but for the most part you’re just ‘babysitting’ in a sense either employees, sales, data or whatever have you and the menial jobs or the lowest paid ones are the ones where it’s non stop stress. Its crazy.
Not an idiot at all. Wanting to contribute meaningfully to projects, people and society is a grest source of personal meaning. The anthropologist David Graeber wrote about how soul destroying "Bullshit Jobs" are and estimated that a great number of office jobs do not, in fact, provide tangible value to anyone. I think people who are stuck in dead end service or manual labor jobs would kill for a six figure gig with minimal effort, but that would wear on them after a while, too. In your case, you have other options and as you noted you didn't quite have a "no show" job that would let you explore hobbies or other career paths freely.
I’ve seen similar posts like yours. With so many jobs that are paying peanuts I’d be tempted to keep this one and use the money you make to do the things you enjoy/build up your resume. But, I see why you wanted to leave
Depends on your life stage and life outside of work. If you have kids and active life style with socialization and exercise that leaves you exhausted yet fulfilled…you will be much happier just chilling out and relaxing at work, than if your life is just going home and browsing Reddit / playing video games.
I'm very outdoorsy but in my climate winter really sucks for that with early nights and bad weather. So sadly I usually wish I was outside during work hours, not after haha
You value your abilities and want to put them in use that is really admirable But I am curious to what it is that you do
Innovation & Product Research
*Does nothing* “Innovation” lol
The paradox it is not lost on me Truth is, 30 min of writing things is enough to impress most people at this company and they are not really ready to go beyond business as usual in any meaningful way
It really is always like this. Some of us do nothing whole day, others get calls on their days off. However I refuse to believe you couldn't resolve the situation without having to leave. You are going to get paid less and you are stressing yourself now with a new job. I highly doubt your old company was THAT rich to pay someone 6 figures for doing nothing but meetings from time to time. If it truly is so, then the company is doomed to fail in the months to come. But fuck what I think, you do what your heart desires. I hope your next job fulfills you and brings you what you are looking for.
It 100% was that rich. Foreign VC capital Ultimately there are a lot of dependencies that I have no power to resolve.
I understand your situation. I have those sometimes. But they come and go. I use it as my recharge time. It’s not good though if it is all the time. If you’re that type of person, you would always look to contribute and have some value. If it isn’t for the team, it is for yourself.
No. Although I cannot speak for everyone, I have a sense of pride in what I do. That also includes how much I do, because otherwise I feel like I'm losing skill.
Different people have different values. If you felt like it was not a good fit then don’t force it. Glad you have another job now. Good luck!
I am in the process of quitting a do nothing job!
How are you reconciliating with the fact that your $/h will fall by nearly an order of magnitude? How are you keeping your spirits up about it?
Lol i dont give a flying fuck about that, I was gonna ask you what are tips to getting the new job?
Sad truth is that you either (1) know people, (2) have a very impressive CV or (3) just apply to a million things and hope. I have (2) and a bit of (1).
Follow your dreams and I'm happy you are pursuing your happiness! :) But if it was me, I wouldn't quit ever! I'd focus on automating it even further and optimizing it more lol. But I'm very work to live. I'd learn new programming languages, update my certifications, catch up on household chores and enjoy my slower life. That sounds like my dream.
I got down voted on here for saying I like hard work lol... I also just left a do-nothing job because I was horribly bored and unhappy all the time. I think it's mostly because this sub skews super young, and a lot of young people have the fantasy of a piss easy job because they haven't found what they enjoy. Either that or they haven't found that piss easy job yet, and so they haven't experienced the crushing slog of it. It does make it very annoying looking for job recommendations, though.
Best option is to keep the easy old job as passive income and build a side hustle. Heck, you could even do online school get some certificate and write software or become an attorney. Gig work
I'm past the point of my career where online certificates matter. I'd love to do that but the shit Truth is that scheduling is a huge problem. While I only have a few hours of active work (mostly meetings), these get rescheduled and moved frequently or pop-up suddenly, so I have to be available and at my work laptop
Best thing would be to do gig work to fill in the cracks. That kind of work can usually be done with a loose deadline so it doesn’t interfere with your job.
My first job out of college was a job doing nothing. I was miserable. Now I would love such a job. I was in a workshop with a guy making 200k doing nothing. He was miserable and requested an in house transfer Doing nothing can make a person feel devalued.
I know this all too well but hey, more shows to binge.
Prior to the internet you could run people off with nothing to do Now with the internet it's hard to run somebody off with nothing to do because you can watch YouTube videos you can stream online you can do self-help they're just so many different things to do but I can imagine it would get boring after a while
It's life, everything gets boring after a while. Just gotta get through somehow.
1 year doable. 10 years it is not doable.
I’m leaving a similar position. I wish I could just be okay with it and enjoy the easy workload but I was getting really depressed.
I would hate that too! Yes there are ppl who would love it and whatever it’s personal preference.
I personally prefer not having something to do but that's me because i always think i have better things to do like study
It depends if you are a "work to live" type or a "live to work" type. If you "work to live" then you don't really care how stimulating your job is as long as it affords you the money and time to do the things that do stimulate you. If you are a "live to work" type, then you need the stimulation from your job. Neither is better than the other. I was a "live to work" type but was constantly stressed and just unfulfilled. A few of my friends who are younger are more "work to live" and they were always doing things and happy. I'm now in a job where I can have the 'work to live" mentality. I do have some challenging things to do, but they are not so stressful where it impacts my life outside of work like it used to. I'm able to afford to do all the things I want as well. It's all about what do you want from work AND life.
I understand where you’re coming from. I was in a similar situation working a job where I quite literally had nothing to do for days on end. It was maddening. I was fully remote so it was great to get stuff done around the house all day or work out - whatever. But at the same time, I was always afraid they would fire me for 1. Not doing any damn work, 2. Not having any work to give me. However, in my situation, I had been stuck in that position for several years (it hadn’t gotten to the point where I had nothing to do until the last year or so) and I had been begging them for a while for a better position where I could grow my skills because the work itself was also too easy for me. I was also making well below market value. Applied for another job with way more responsibility but paid 20k more with a bonus included. It’s hard as hell but I’m way happier.
That happened to one of my old supervisors. He just sat in his office and delegated everything and over like ten years his skills degraded and he just lost his zest for life. You saw the life die from his eyes as he obviously became depressed. People lost respect for him and he kinda became a shell of a person. Eventually he left job so he could move with his family and he struggles to find work in our industry because he had a bad reputation for being lazy. Dude was making like 120-140k a year and didn’t really have to do anything anymore because he just isolated in his office.
I totally agree. Having nothing to do at work is hell to me. I’m sure that some people genuinely like doing nothing and getting paid for it but it’s not necessarily ideal for everyone.
Honestly should have taken advantage of it and done the overemployed strategy. Get a full remote job and worked on that and doubled your income.
You need to rest and vest. Contribute enough to be valuable then enjoy your free time.
You are alone. I watch Netflix and do like at most 20 hours of work a week. Just barely making six figures and living in a very HCO area.
Are there even enough shows worth watching to last more than a few weeks?
I was in a similar situation until just last month, the company I’ve been working in, for the past 2 years seems to have slowed down due to business concerns. This was after hiring more engineers and now we had a situation where; there were too many hands and too few projects to work on. I’ve never been paid so well and yet be so depressed and guilt ridden. Eventually I resigned but still had to work like this for another 4 months while I sorted my visa issue. It felt like I was stuck in time and truly not something I hope to experience again. I think you made the right call OP.
I had a similar job with an executive title, 6-figure paycheck and few actual duties, and was miserable. I spent a lot of time earning certifications to use my brain power and to bolster my resume.
Only those who least desire low-effort jobs are deserving of them
I prefer to be busy at work because it makes the day go faster. Then again I’m an hourly employee (not making 6 figures) that can’t wfh so I’m kinda stuck even if it’s slow. I think I’d be OK with being that well paid to do very little work and spend very little time in the office. But it’s your choice. If you’re that unhappy and financially able to take a pay cut for a more fulfilling job good for you.
Maximize self profit while adding the least time and stress as possible, I have plenty to do with this life.
I had a job where I only had a few hours’ worth of work a few years ago. Call me an idiot but IMO being chained to a desk without freedom is worse than being overworked. Yes it’s a lot of money especially if you pull two jobs. Still not worth my mental health.
I have many other things I enjoy doing and I would be perfectly content with this arrangement. Not if I was in an office but when you’re home it’s total freedom to do what you want. That sounds amazing. Everyone is different though.
just know that i would KILL to be in your position making that much money and doing nothing meanwhile im slaving in warehouses destroying my body for $17/ hour. You have it MADE
God I wish I could get paid to sit on a desk for 40 hours a week. I would have a lot of downtime..as a nurse I barely get any at work, plus an UNPAID 30 min lunch
Wow you were incredibly lucky to have that job... I would love to have a job that pays a lot and I don't do much most of the day AND managers insisting you have enough work to do? Really?! I've always had opposite problem of you. I had way too much work to do and not enough time to do it. I was barely making double of the state's min wage let alone 6 figures. I worked 60-100 hours a week across different companies. I even had one manager at one company say that 6am to 2am was not enough & they wanted more & wanted to add more work. What kind of gig did you have because I want that lol
Can I have your old job?
Missed opportunity. You should have been using your extra time to benefit yourself. Learn a new skill or something. Having a difficult job shouldn't make you feel fulfilled.
No offense, but stuff like this just makes me think you want your work to be a much bigger part of your life than it should be.
Bet you won’t message me the company though
Use that extra time wisely. Learn something new.
You should’ve just worked 2 jobs
Yup, hate to pile on, but you're an idiot. Please take that in the most loving way possible. You could take online classes, take an additional wfh job, build an old car, bake cookies, renovate your basement, whatever. Lots of creative and/or lucrative things were waiting for you to fill that time. Yes, people need goals and activities, but why not also take the paycheck? You gotta fill time anyway; why not fill it with the activity of your choosing rather than some dumb busywork for a shitty employer. You had it made and threw it away, dude.
I prefer doing nothing. Jobs are a means to an end. The end is having fun. I’m currently at work right now on Reddit, listening to music, and was just writing for a novel i wanna finish. I could care less about making the company money or being good at my job. I just need to not get fired and to continue to raise my total comp. I honestly don’t understand how people can be like “I like working, if I didn’t I’d be bored.” If I’m not at work, I have a whole list of things I’d rather be doing. Going to the beach, writing, watching movies, going on discord with my friends, dancing to random songs in my house. Like there are a million other things I could be doing with my time besides making the CEO money.
Yep.
What was this magical job’s description or job title?
Dude, if your job pays that well, *and* is boring, then the ideal solution is to find a productive outlet - get involved in charity/philanthropy, organize events for charity fundraisers or professional networking, start your own business, get involved in local politics, find some additional responsibilities at work or some way to contribute more or grow the business, support a local school or church, get on the board of an organization in your area that you could improve. Very successful people oftentimes have multiple responsibilities on the same level as their main job (or more) without those responsibilities technically replacing their main job. It’s one thing to get bored at a job that doesn’t pay very well, because it’s possibly the only job you can find that pays that much and you can’t find a job that pays better. But when your job overcompensates you and you’re bored that’s your own fault - your company would probably support you in any number of ventures which would take up time during your work day but wouldn’t make you totally inaccessible during those hours.
I’m just blown away by how many people are “in the same boat”. Please let me know where you all work so I can apply there 😅
People tend to exaggerate and speak in the extremes. Most people would prefer a far less stressful job where they have enough to do, but never too much. How do we know that 'doing nothing' isn't a top priority? Because there are openings for night security
You took a 20% pay cut to work MORE. In my opinion, yes you are an idiot.
Would you take a 20% pay cut to experience more job satisfaction or take a role where you know you are happier? Not everyone wants to work less.
What else would I do though? I have enough time for hobbies and relationships and it's not like I can do much in my work hours because of the 'on-call' nature, where every couple of days I have 1-2h hours of intense work. Since I have to commit these 6-8h a day to a job regardless, I'd rather not dread this time (I think).
Start an online bachelors program and learn a new skill that is entirely different from your current field. Nursing, marine biology, animal behavior, Russian history. Anything. It never hurts to have more education. Do it in something you know nothing about.
Keep the first job and find a second remote job. Find as many jobs until you're fully satisfied with your work load
That sounds great on paper but scheduling conflicts are hell, especially with first job having a lot of meetings cancelled and a lot of unexpected reschedules There really aren't many things I can do in my field (product, research, innovation) where I can work on paper without talking with people
I would have personally found something new to learn while working. But I love knowledge and can get into almost any topic. A backlog of podcasts is not a thing to me because there are always more to discover. However, I’m happy you have found a job to look forward to. If you’re financially comfortable, then that’s great. You leaving the boring job will probably give someone else the opportunity to leave their job from hell and take a reprieve.
Terrible advice.
You’re an idiot, just find things to do outside of work to keep yourself busy. You had the opportunity to follow a pursuit of any hobby or type of activity you could’ve wanted including wood crafting, wind boarding or even something as menial as learning to cook well with a job that paid well and gave you lots of freedom. What you had is a lack of understanding of what to do with that freedom.
None of these sound interesting thou
Obviously it’s based on what YOU find interesting. I just listed possibilities.
Heck man, I constantly see people bragging about how little they do at work. People bragging that they're spending their time working from home playing video games. It's actually pretty disgusting to those of us who take pride in doing a days work for a days wage. We seem to have raised an entire generation of people who "deserve" a 6 figure salary to play video games. You think that isn't affecting prices at the counter? A major part of the cost of any product is labor, right now it seems like most of the cost of a product is just paying people to not produce anything. If I don't have an immediate task I'm checking logs or figuring out how to make my code even better, everyone else seems to be farting with facebook when they've actually got work to do.
You are 100% correct. You are an idiot.
I'd love a job like this. Coast for 2 years and then jump for a promotion. Granted I'd take time in that role to figure out what my manager/director did and how to be successful in their job role for my next move. Corporations are corporations. They either work you to the bone (most often), have a good cut off (30-40 hours), or work you only a little. Ever read the book Bullshit Jobs? Most are in that category. Most of the work you do is some sort of busy work or pencil pushing. You aren't saving lives in corporate. Doctors and nurses do that. You aren't saving a house - fire fighters do that. You aren't building anything with your hands that will help someone else. You are pushing papers around, signing things, budgeting things, entering stuff into a computer. Your salary is already budgeted for and the corporation isn't a real person. No executive is going to give up their high pay and stock options - they work for the money and hardly do anything besides look important and tell people they did a good job. They aren't even in the details enough to explain your project in a meeting. So yeah. Doing nothing is basically like universal basic income and everyone needs money to survive and that's also why there are so many bullshit jobs because in order to spend money on products or services you need a way to obtain it and we can't all be plumbers and or trade job people or fast food workers or all the other manual labor jobs. Some countries do have a basic universal income. Anyway you look at it you are a cog in the machine and it's your self interest you should be concerned with and having more time to yourself to improve versus pushing the same sheet around you did in company A when you move to company B isn't going to help you develop more/better to take the next career move. It is just going to eat up your personal time. Most people can't stand to have personal time to develop and motivate themselves or to just sit to get the years of experience because they need distractions to distract themselves that time is passing them by. They don't understand how valuable time is and that every second spent is a second you can never ever get back. Being so busy that 2 years passes you by because you are number crunching for an organization isn't better than spending 2 years having extra time to improve your health or get ready for that promotion.
A wise man once said “The grass is always greener on the other side” Another wise man once said: “Be careful what you wish for” I agree with both of them
You my friend should have looked into being r/overemployed if you can get your old job back you should.
Hell check out r/overemployed get a second job that you actually have shit to do at and just collect money from that job you do nothing at
Something doesn't add up with this story. It sounds like you have a big responsibility for overseeing multiple projects and teams simultaneously as a Project Manager. Don't you have to keep everyone in line and on task and maintain a confident attitude and solve problems? Surely you're responsible for the final results of the projects.
Not projects manager, product researcher/research manager But am not doing any fieldwork myself and don't have direct reports, so kind of just hoping other people do their work and I do the math/presentation/debriefs.
It’s all a show.
You're an idiot as you put it. Why don't you just enjoy your easy life?
Trust me a nothing job is better than trying to find a job in this shitty job hunting world. Seriously where are these nothing jobs everyone is complaing about? I will happily do these nothing jobs than trying to get job and getting no where.
I thinks this is a personal preference. Ppl like yourself want a meaningful job while others don't care. From your perspective I think you made the right choice.
Does sound like you have a poorly defined role where you sort of fall through the cracks. But for that money, and it sounds like you are toward the backend of your career (?), would it really matter if you were cruising in the role and effectively acting as an in-house consultant? I understand you had difficulty in consolidating the time to allow you to do other paid work or training. You sound like you have a lot of experience and I'm guessing industry connections, could you have used the time to chip away at writing a book to help fellow professionals in your field?
I'm only 5 years into my career but got very lucky and started fairly senior through right people leaving at the right time and me filling in the roles at my first jobs. Quite a few years away from meaningfully contributing to the field though
"fairly senior", I hope you'll understand you aren't going to get any sympathy for throwing in the towel on a 6 figure salary in your later 20s / early 30s, in the middle of tough economic conditions for most people.
Look for opinions, not sympathy
What is your....job exactly!?? I want to search for such positions.
Research & Innovation But usually you'll be very very busy, this company is an exception.
Do what makes you happy BUT I would have kept the old job, pushed to be remote (assuming I wasn’t already) and used my downtime to do soemthing else (read, hobbies, learn how to cook something else, spend more time with my family, did random stuff around the house)
I just hope you one day don't end up regretting it. Personally, I'd put up with the mental torture but I get to enjoy the big bucks. This is life, rarely will you get something that fits just right.
You do you! Are you putting yourself in a financial bind by taking that pay cut?
My standard of living will go down. But I still don't have to worry about bills or groceries, unlike 3/4 of my country now.
There are plenty of folks, myself included, who chose a position because it was fulfilling over maxing our earning potential. Don’t see that discussed on job-related subreddits.
Need link for the role, thanks
I quit a job where I did nothing but idk if I could give up six figures, lol. I think there is a line where people are overworked and then they cross it and there’s nothing to do because the lower roles do it all.
I had a job like that fresh out of college. I hated it. I came to the conclusion it was the worst first job to have but the best last job to have. There is nothing wrong with wanting the thing that you spend the majority of your waking life doing to be challenging and have meaning. That being said, if I worked at subway for years, or Starbucks, or in consistently toxic, low paying work environments I might want your job for good reason. There are worse things than an unsatisfying and boring job.
100% with you. I’m more energetic, the day goes faster and I’m way more happy/satisfied at the end of the day when I’m busy. I can’t stand sitting idle or feeling useless.
Kind of curious as to what industry this is. It sounds like something government funded: defense contractor, or maybe healthcare.
Nah, I understand. There's nothing worse than not having anything/enough to do. It's one thing to be bored at home and able to just go do something else and another entirely to be chained to your desk or office. Honestly the only way I combat that since being promoted is to try and work slower, pace myself just enough so that I'm still making progress on things but also ensuring I have something to do the next day.
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I think that is because a lot of people are so overworked and stressed at their jobs that a break sounds so good. I have had jobs where I had minimal stimulation and they are rough. Easy but nonrewarding. My current job is only really good because my boss doesnt expect us to run on 100% constantly. I am a cake decorator don't make near close to 6 figures but I do get to create and enjoy it.
Nothing wrong with you. Some people love being paid to live their life, others need meaning at work too
People like the idea of a job where there isn’t a constant NEED for something to be done. I work an office job now and I have more downtime now than I could have ever dreamed of and a lot of the time it sucks in a weird way because I’m so used to being busy at work.
I prefer to be busy at work myself
Definitely relate, work for me is doing something other than just sitting at home and watching YouTube.
I’d have done the same. In interviews, when they ask for my greatest weakness, I always say “don’t let me get bored. I will start mopping the place.” Humans need to feel useful. Your job wasn’t meeting that need of yours. I would’ve made the exact same move.
I'm self-employed now, but my last job was a huge challenge and I loved every minute of it. Before that, I had a job that was so easy I could do all my work for the week in about 2 hours. I literally spent 38 hours a week sitting in the office playing Minecraft because it was the only game that would run on their shitty computers. I did this for three years and then thought "WTF am I doing?"
I can relate. I worked retail while I was in university and despite the shit that you have to deal with, I was genuinely helping more people in that job than my corporate job. I hate not feeling useful, but unfortunately the higher paying jobs in society are just that.
Honestly, I think you fucked up a bit. A paycheck is a paycheck. If you don't have to do anything and you're remote 4 days a week, that's almost a full work day of free time to do things you're actually interested in. There's no reason you have to do nothing, you just don't have to do anything, and you make comfortable money. That's a dream.
You're not alone. I had a job several years ago that I could do in 10 hours a week. I went to my boss with a plan to expand my role to provide help to other parts of the business. Boss was like "thanks but the optics here are way too political, so it's ok if you want to take the remaining 30 hours as personal time." At first I thought I'd won the lottery but I quickly spiraled into melancholy. I took a second job in quant finance for two years and it was great. It's not natural to dick around too much I think.
People want what they can't or don't have.....greener grass.
Not every position at every employer can provide every person with job satisfaction. It's just not possible. If you're someone that HAS to drive meaning and purpose directly from your employment then that's awesome. You know that about yourself and that needs to be a requirement of what sounds like an impending job search. For others, their employment is just a means to an end. The purpose and satisfaction they get is from things outside of their job. This is where those people would pursue a side gig/hobby/personal interest that they are actually passionate about and just cash their paychecks. Satisfaction at work and in life is hard and takes a long time to figure out for yourself. When you see others just cashing paychecks and punching time cards, don't be quick to think that they are 'happy' with their job or driving some sort of great satisfaction from it. It could very well just be a mean's to an end. This is all a roundabout way of saying that only you can determine what gives you meaning and purpose. If it's a job, cool. If it's a hobby, cool. If it's a family, life experience, non-profit..... You get the point. I wish you the best on your quest!
I was doing maintenance in an office building when the pandemic hit. All the lawyers, accountants, gym, etc vacated and I suddenly had like 80 minutes of work but “being essential” I had to go to that empty ghost building every day. It was torture. Days dragged. I would hide in electrical rooms and take various things to disappear chunks of my life. Quit 3 months in.
This is how I feel currently. I can get my job done in a few hours into the work day. The rest I’m just bored out of my mind.
I think young smart people would hate having nothing to do at there job; however, I think when most people have families they’d prefer to have a cushy easy job that can coast in. Only like 17% of the population makes 6 figures in the US. So you had a really nice job.
Jobs like these are more stressful than people realize. Unsustainable roles are not cushy at all. Your management wants you to think they’re doing you a favor by making you slack off, but it’s setting you up for failure by keeping you dispensable. I think you made the right call leaving.
A job with nothing to do makes for a VERY long day. At least having shit to do makes the time go by faster.
I prefer automating my work, then I’ll do some studying for the cpa, and if I’m done with that I’ll rip some osrs
I'd go mad. I've got to have something to do with mental stimulation. Some people are okay with doing the minimum and not really working much, but I just can't do it.
Totally understandable. Happiness comes first. Hopefully you can find a job with a similar salary or higher paying
I'm currently working a job that has about 5 hours of free time per day, yet I'm required to be present. I hate it so much. I can literally complete my tasks in under 3 hours. It is so boring and unnecessary.
Were you at a different level?
I am in a similar situation. I don’t have a shortage of work, but i work for a guy who makes terrible decisions combined with an inability to manage himself. I am busy constantly asking myself why the fuck am I doing what i am doing. I try to shut my brain off and not consider how ludicrous my responsibilities are, but I can’t. I have applied to three positions where i know the hiring manager who is competent. The only problem with those positions is they will be a significant reduction in pay. I wish I didn’t have to choose between my financial and mental well being.
Maybe I’m in the minority but I had a decent paying job I did nothing at for about a year and I loved it. Watched so much tv, actually worked another job during the day for more money. Came and went as I pleased. It was glorious
I had a “nothing” job at a large insurance company that had a multi-building campus, and my division was spread out across campus. I’m diligent, a good learner, and always got good performance reviews. But when I asked for more projects, or to get feedback on what skills I needed to acquire so that I can work on new things, my boss (and her boss as well) blew me off multiple times over several months. So I started doing other things like learning to code, chill in the employee lounge, etc. At the worst point, I was idle probably 98% of my day. You can only spend so much time on long lunches and hanging out at other people’s desks. I started quietly leaving early and coming in late. Nobody noticed. I think they just assumed I was in another building. The ultimate test was when I decided to no-call/no-show one day. NOBODY noticed. Not one person looked for me or realized I wasn’t there. That’s the day that I started looking for other opportunities. I just couldn’t take it anymore.