What to Do if Youre Bored at Work

What to Do if Youre Bored at WorkWhat to Do if Youre Bored at WorkCorporate America is often portrayed as a place where everyone is drowning in work, with employees frantically doing the job of more than one person. A recent OfficeTeam survey paints a very different picture, though Often, administrative professionals are actually bored at work - a whopping 10.5 hours per week, on average. Thats more than a full day a week, or the equivalent of 68 days a yearThe survey also shows that many managers dont really know admins are as bored as they actually are. And even fewer know why theyre bored.Nearly four in 10 senior managers (39 percent) think staff have too much work on their plates. However, more than a quarter of employees (27 percent) report that the main reason boredom strikes is because there isnt enough to do. Others dont feel challenged by their assignments (19 percent), say the work is uninteresting (18 percent), or point to too many or poorly executed meetings (17 percent) .Employees were also asked what they do when theyre bored in the office. Here are some of their more creative activities20 Things People Do When Theyre Bored at Work from Robert HalfSo what do you do if youre bored at work? Here are some suggestionsShare your feelingsStart by letting your manager know youre not feeling engaged and share your reasons why. If you have a performance review coming up, that might be a good time to share your concerns. Bring suggestions about what would engage you in your job to any meeting with your manager. In addition to adjusting your workload, consider asking your manager to support you in learning a new skill, taking on a new challenge or finding a way to make your environment more collaborative.If boredom is making you think about searching for a new job, first take time for an objective look at your company and position and consider whether youll regret leaving. You also might consider whether your boredom is cyclical or a result of an outside fo rce, and, if so, what you could do to change or cope with it. For instance, while 45 percent of professionals said they felt bored throughout the year, another 28 percent said they feel the most blah during the winter.It might also benefit you to take a step back and landsee how others in your generation measure value at work - and how it might be impacting your career satisfaction. Robert Half recently joined with Happiness Works to conduct a research study that evaluated the happiness levels of more than 12,000 working professionals. The study revealed that a sense of accomplishment is the strongest driver of happiness for employees under 35. In the same vein, a recent study released by Udemy found that young Millennials (ages 21-24) are nearly twice as likely to be bored at work (38%) than Baby Boomers (22%). See if you can make similar connections for your age group.Check out our full report on happiness at work.Get creative to combat boredomIf youre committed to sticking with your current job situation, try to make the most of your slower days at work. Consider some of these ideasUpgrade your skill set by taking a self-paced online course.Learn something new thats related to your job.Find a co-worker who shares in your boredom and cross train each other so you can pick up the slack when one of you takes time off or has an especially heavy workload.Work on a personal project that engages you creatively.Ask to sit on a company committee or take on workplace research.Join a professional organization that could utilize your expertise and help expand your network, which could benefit you and your company.Focus on running better meetings yourself so that your team is more engaged and energized.The bottom line is that if youre bored at work, its up to you to make a job change or find a way to be more engaged. If you accept your fair share of determining your work happiness, youre likely to be more satisfied in the long run.Find your next administrative jobIf yo ure bored at work and want to look for a new job, we can help. Here are some open administrative assistant jobs in hot citiesAdministrative assistant jobs in AtlantaAdministrative assistant jobs in Memphis, Tenn.Administrative assistant jobs in PhoenixAdministrative assistant jobs in San Antonio, TexasAdministrative assistant jobs in Tampa, Fla.