Workplace boredom

[ace]

I simply get bored at work. It's not because of a lack of motivation, hatred for my job, or even laziness. I really like my job and I actually prefer having too much work vs. having too little.

I think part of the issue is that I am extremely proficient at my job, to a point that I am finishing my work faster than my successor did, and once I'm done there really isn't much to do.

Some days it's really bad, and I end up literally wasting hours trying to occupy my time.

I have asked, on several occasions, if my supervisor/manager has anything further I can work on and I have been given additional work and projects on several occasions. Again, I tend to finish these things very quickly, and then I have nothing to do.

I do do some work from home, and I know that if I worked exclusively from the office I would have more to do in a day, but for some tasks, it's just easier for me to use my home computer.

Basically, I'm looking for tips, suggestions and stories about how you guys pass the dull moments at work.

Ideally I'd work in a The Office-like environment, where I could organize office olympics, encase my co-worker's staplers in jello and chat with the receptionist all day, but that just isn't in the cards.

And yes, I know that work is work and it really isn't supposed to be fun, etc, etc. I don't need any lectures about how I am a bad employee. I complete my work on time. I can't help my boredom

So, advice?

[|darc|]

IRC!

[Juan]

Pendrive with emulators. And roms, duh. Wait, I pull that off because I have some alone time.

[mrandyk]

I had the same problem at school in my web design class because I finished the entire semester's work in the first 3 weeks. I ended up doing what Juan suggested, and played through Super Mario RPG.

You should either play games or maybe watch some videos.

[not just souLLy now]

Install StumbleUpon for firefox. Read EBooks?

[emptythought]

Play Quake 4!

[Code-Red]

Play Quake 4!

Worst suggestion to any advice ever asked for in the history of mankind. Epic fail.

Anywho, Ace, I know exactly what you mean. I'm a very hard worker, such to the point I'm most often dependent on the speed of others (waiting for parts, etc). Thankfully though, in my workplace, there is never a shortage of extra work to be done. I can't really give you any advice considering I'm in a completely different field than you, but I suggest reading. Keeping your mind active makes time go by faster.

[Specially Cork]

I don't need any lectures about how I am a bad

Who said this? I'd argue that they're wrong, but I guess a majority of people never get job satisfaction...

Anyway, what are the rules like in your workplace? Outside of the classroom I am in an open-plan office space (so it's easy to chat to people) and allowed to relax with my DS, surf the net or do whatever as long as I get my weekly work done on-time. This isn't always the case for everybody though.

[ace]

I suppose I should explain my job... I work for the police as a civilian case manager. Basically every single record of arrest, occurrence (reported or observed crimes) and actual cases comes through my office for quality control before being sent wherever they need to go (court, document services, records management, etc)

I'm also required to ensure our cases are complete and prepared for disclosure. This means sending out court notifications, ordering and logging evidence and getting 911 records among other things.

Sometimes I sit in on most victim interviews and some accused interrogations.

I also have to attend court several times a month because of my involvement.

Anyways, I work in a police station, so we do obviously joke around, but you can't really sit down and play your DS here.

edit: I should add that all our computers are monitored and phones recorded (or so they say.) most people surf the web and watch youtube, but IMO it's not worth the risk. my phone has full HTML, irc, msn, etc, so I just use that.

[JuddWack]

Listen to podcasts?

[ace]

Listen to podcasts?

I actually hadn't thought of that. I'd much prefer to load my phone up with 8 hours of Never Not Funny (the Jimmy Pardo Podcast than listen to the same 30 songs on repeat radio all day. Hell, maybe I'll even bring in my bluetooth speakers and finally ditch the crusty tape player in my office.

Thanks

[Lunchbox]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/8a0f/

[Sir Savant]

Too bad you don't work in web development. I sit in an office where I can go up and chat with my immediate manager about her buying us pizza, a manager higher up about life problems, an boss even HIGHER up about what restaurant we are going to, a bunch of hot chicks walking in and out doing work (and hassling them about the evils of facebook and aim lol). I also attack my fellow workers and have smoke breaks every 5 minutes.

Hell one day we made guns out of thousand dollar railing meant for some research project.

Since you work for the government, you can't really do that I suppose, but how about starting a pirate radio station? They'll never know it's you! lol.

[S. Thompson]

Solitare

- Fuzmeister

[pavelbure]

Listen to podcasts?

I actually hadn't thought of that. I'd much prefer to load my phone up with 8 hours of Never Not Funny (the Jimmy Pardo Podcast than listen to the same 30 songs on repeat radio all day. Hell, maybe I'll even bring in my bluetooth speakers and finally ditch the crusty tape player in my office.

Thanks

i do the same thing. i'm up to about 25-30 hrs. a week worth of podcasts. mostly mac or technology podcasts.