REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

tiger_handheld · 02-24-2011, 08:09 AM

I'm working towards a professional designation, and work for a small business within the same capacity. Recently I started to feel bored of what I do. I liked small business because I saw my recommendations being implemented and the effect on the bottom line.

Now, I feel I just do grunt work. I feel that I don't have enough responsibility for what I get paid. The job feels more customer service - something a $10/hr high school kid can do.

Have any of you felt like this? This would be the lazy mans dream, get paid more to do less work.

I was thinking about talking to management, and asking for more responsibility and sharing how I feel - but I don't know how to do it - never felt this way before... For all that matters I've been with the company for 2.5 years and had the same type of job role for 3.5 years.

edit: I actually took on a side gig and the work I do with that is more intriguing.. It's not many hours but it keeps my brain from rotting.

Glove · 02-24-2011, 08:13 AM

well I am posting on RS right now so...

tiger_handheld · 02-24-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jufes

well I am posting on RS right now so...

What's your point. My question was "do you feel bored WITH your job" not "do you feel bored AT your job"

Fafine · 02-24-2011, 08:22 AM

if they give you more responsibility do you get paid more? if not, just stick out the 8 hours and work a second job.

since youre bored and not doing much at your first job, you'll have the energy to work a second job.

tiger_handheld · 02-24-2011, 08:29 AM

It's impossible to find a second job as it conflicts with the hours. It's a M-F 9-5 kind of job, and all other jobs in the industry work the same hours.

The side job is more consulting, so i do it when I get home.

!Yaminashi · 02-24-2011, 09:11 AM

I'm in a somewhat similar situation, however I dont feel I get paid enough being at a smaller company, no longer feel challenged

Euro7r · 02-24-2011, 10:17 AM

Get as much experience as you can and find work at a different company where there is growth. No point staying at a place, where you aren't motivated/passionate with the work you do.

busdriverman · 02-24-2011, 10:23 AM

if you are quite close with your manager, try hinting that you are capable of more challenging work

do this during lunch or breaks if you and your boss go on them at the same time

TheNewGirl · 02-24-2011, 10:31 AM

I"m in the same boat too. I work for a small business in a fairly high responsibility position and I alternate between times of extreme stress and sheer boredom. There never seems to be a happy medium

tiger_handheld · 02-24-2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !Yaminashi

I'm in a somewhat similar situation, however I dont feel I get paid enough being at a smaller company, no longer feel challenged

I'm not complaining about my pay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Euro7r

Get as much experience as you can and find work at a different company where there is growth. No point staying at a place, where you aren't motivated/passionate with the work you do.

i'm passionate about the work - just the lack of responsibility.. i guess. but i see what you are saying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheNewGirl

I"m in the same boat too. I work for a small business in a fairly high responsibility position and I alternate between times of extreme stress and sheer boredom. There never seems to be a happy medium

I know exactly how you feel. i have the same cycle. peaks and valleys are at their extreme. how do you handle it during the valleys?

Neoxphuse · 02-24-2011, 01:00 PM

this is how life goes, i work in an engineering firm. when it gets slow, man is it boring. and when it gets busy, man it's really busy.

how do i cope? we have smartphones now, so i'm on it and well... that's about it. gotta find other stuff to do i guess.

TheNewGirl · 02-24-2011, 01:10 PM

For me it's rarely that there's 'nothing to do' after all I do book keeping and human resources, there's always SOMETHING to do. But there's stretches where it's pure drudgery (like now, I just completed 1 week of doing absolutely nothing but grinding data into the computer and reconciling some very large accounts). I give myself lots of breaks from the brain numbing, and leave the work I love the most for the end of the day/week so I'm working towards it and the week gets progressively better rather then putting off the boring work to the end and having the day get progressively more tedious.

In the valleys I try and find projects for myself. I have the liberty of being able to take short term classes on the company dime and even sometimes the company time so when I'm in a long stretch of OMG I'm so bored I'll die, I usually sign up for a seminar or something to get up and out of the office for a few days and kick starts my brain a bit. And usually launches into a project or three too which help keep every week from being the same.

waddy41 · 02-27-2011, 12:15 PM

I'm guessing you're going for your CGA? Is the work boring or is there a lot of downtime?
What's your goal? To find a job you enjoy or earn lots of money?
If I were you I'd sit comfortably and just do your job.

I'm kinda on the same boat...but it's really disappointing to see that at least 25% your hard earned money goes to taxes, EI and CPP..
Right now I want to work at a stress-free, easy job to build up my capital and at the same time learn to trade stocks and options..
I might not even complete my CGA designation

bcrdukes · 02-27-2011, 12:34 PM

This reply is simply to the OP:

It's a double-edged sword, unfortunately. I've seen people get burned by doing so. One extreme case where somebody got let go but how this person approached it was stupid. I won't get into details.

You have to be very careful in how you present your case to your manager and/or the business. The wrong words and the wrong impression could potentially cost you your job. With that being said, I would highly recommend a Plan B and C in which you are:

1. Prepared to deal with the consequences of being let go
2. Prepared to move on if management and/or the company is unable to cater to your needs.

The best way to position this is to let them know you are looking for a personal and career development plan and would like your manager and/or the company to be involved to creating these goals. I didn't read the entire thread so please correct me if I am wrong but if you enjoy the place you work at, best to wrap your proposal around the fact you like the company and would like to stay within the organization. Ultimately, you have to prove to your manager and the company that you are taking the initiative and the drive/motivation to do something about your career. By doing so, they cannot fault you in any way. I recommend you setting some time aside with your manager to discuss your matters.

Obviously, there are many variable internal and external factors which may affect the overall outcome of this and only you know what those factors are. Good luck!

tiger_handheld · 02-27-2011, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waddy41

I'm guessing you're going for your CGA? Is the work boring or is there a lot of downtime?
What's your goal? To find a job you enjoy or earn lots of money?
If I were you I'd sit comfortably and just do your job.

I'm kinda on the same boat...but it's really disappointing to see that at least 25% your hard earned money goes to taxes, EI and CPP..
Right now I want to work at a stress-free, easy job to build up my capital and at the same time learn to trade stocks and options..
I might not even complete my CGA designation

Going for CA.
Work is boring. It used to be full of interesting tasks, and projects.
I've never complained about my wage - not at the job, not on this post. I'm motivated by intrinsic things right now because I'm happy with the wage

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

This reply is simply to the OP:

It's a double-edged sword, unfortunately. I've seen people get burned by doing so. One extreme case where somebody got let go but how this person approached it was stupid. I won't get into details.

You have to be very careful in how you present your case to your manager and/or the business. The wrong words and the wrong impression could potentially cost you your job. With that being said, I would highly recommend a Plan B and C in which you are:

1. Prepared to deal with the consequences of being let go
2. Prepared to move on if management and/or the company is unable to cater to your needs.

The best way to position this is to let them know you are looking for a personal and career development plan and would like your manager and/or the company to be involved to creating these goals. I didn't read the entire thread so please correct me if I am wrong but if you enjoy the place you work at, best to wrap your proposal around the fact you like the company and would like to stay within the organization. Ultimately, you have to prove to your manager and the company that you are taking the initiative and the drive/motivation to do something about your career. By doing so, they cannot fault you in any way. I recommend you setting some time aside with your manager to discuss your matters.

Obviously, there are many variable internal and external factors which may affect the overall outcome of this and only you know what those factors are. Good luck!

One extreme case where somebody got let go but how this person approached it was stupid.
> Can you describe that briefly - so I know NOT to do it

.

bcrdukes · 02-27-2011, 01:47 PM

^
I will PM you.

dinamix · 02-27-2011, 02:30 PM

Your complaining because you get paid too much?
Edited
Posted via RS Mobile

bcrdukes · 02-27-2011, 02:33 PM

Let's keep the thread clean. Thank you dinamix.

waddy41 · 02-27-2011, 02:36 PM

tiger, are you at a CA firm? Have you seen your peers move up in the company?
I know you didn't complain about the wage...but more responsibilities should earn you more money. Is that what you want? More responsibilities, more liability, more money, more stress?
My mentality is different from yours..I don't mind menial tasks, lower pay and in return I would like comfort, job security, flexibility

tiger_handheld · 02-27-2011, 03:17 PM

I'm not at a CA firm. I'm in industry.

I dont mind more responsibility. I want a new challenge. I find that once you start overcoming challenges, the pay also increases.

lol I feel like I'm repeating myself..

Tapioca · 02-27-2011, 09:44 PM

If you worked for a larger company, I would recommend getting involved in stuff outside of your normal job, like getting involved in the social committee or perhaps some charitable work on behalf of the company in order to develop new skills and get noticed by management. However, since you work for a small company, to me, you only have 2 choices:
a) You can coast for the next 5-10 years and wait for your superiors to leave/retire so you can eventually fill their roles in the company.
b) You can be bold and leave and try something new.

waddy41 · 02-27-2011, 10:30 PM

agreed...it all depends on the corporate structure and culture..
is it a young and innovative company? or is it the old school wait for superiors to leave in order to advance...?

I would love to be able to coast

goo3 · 02-27-2011, 10:49 PM

The problem may be that someone needs to do the grunt work, and that somebody is you. If you're unhappy, definitely talk to your manager to see how accommodating they can be.

In addition to what's been suggested, you can within the same job:
- take on more responsibility (upwards)
- take on more tasks (sideways)
- use the spare time/energy to do extra-curricular activities (personal or company)

Or apply for a different role inside or outside the company.

butter_sashimi · 02-28-2011, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiger_handheld

I'm not at a CA firm. I'm in industry.

I dont mind more responsibility. I want a new challenge. I find that once you start overcoming challenges, the pay also increases.

lol I feel like I'm repeating myself..

You're not progressing much if you're in industry and you're trying to complete your CA, but that's besides the point. Well not really, of course you not dealing with much. Industry isn't too demanding unless you play a key role. In industry, it's more natural that things get repetitive. You book the same journal entries and stuff, etc.

Remember this feeling of freedom because once you do public practice, you will be up to your eyes with work and deadlines. Depending which firm you go to, you'll get alot of these challenges you're looking for. All in due time, comrade!

tiger_handheld · 02-28-2011, 07:17 AM

So I figured that leaving the co. is not the wisest idea for now. Planning to get a better car in the summer, and need a steady income.

It is a young an innovative company, so I was in all these mini projects that made the company a little more efficient - not any more.

Have you guys ever been in a situation where you had key information - kind of like a network administrator or account rep (i'm not sure how to describe it) and it was taken away from you because it was "process"? It's like that commercial where kid collects 3 eggs, and banker takes away 2 because of "egg management fee" ....