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Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu
I just find something to clean.. no one complains about someone taking the initiative
All these people saying "just find a job you like" sound very much like "just don't be poor" takes. Sometimes you are where you are, and that's what OP is asking about.
I've downloaded books (novels) in pdf format, emailed them to myself or uploaded them in a public folder, and then printed them (double sided, two pages on one sheet, just like an actual book) in chunks of 20 pages (so 80 pages of the actual book). Stapled the whole thing in one corner, sat down at my desk, pen in hand, scribbling on the pages here and there.
Brilliant
I always look annoyed. Yeah, when you look annoyed all the time, people think that you're busy.
-George Costanza
I listen to podcasts while working. Earbuds in under my earmuffs (I work in the cooler of a slaughterhouse). I still do all my normal work, but at least I'm not bored to tears and having my anxiety attack my brain whenever it feels like it.
I’m big on podcasts too, I’d be bored to absolute tears without them
take the george costanza advice: look annoyed and unapproachable.
i usually open that one task i actually want to work on, and just spread it over the day. when the bossman gets in vision range i just continue doing my task.
IT doesn't know shit, i'm IT... i just use a different browser for slacking so i don't have to worry about cleaning my history.
other things: if your job requires it you can also look busy while scrolling lemmy. don't try to hide it, that's suspicious.
pro tips: become a smoker (don't)
but in essence: always look focused and grumpy. - good luck. 3 years of doing the bare minimum and wasting 40hrs of my life every week for effectively 5hrs of work sucked out all the joy and purpose i had in life. i just exists and hope i get caught lacking so something changes...
I have a spreadsheet that I've set up to design dungeons and dragons maps.
Talk about full circle. 🤓🤌🏼
I'm in tech but not a dev, but i enjoy coding as a hobby. I code at work on my personal projects, it's perfect :)
Oh also for a a couple years I had Civilization V on a separate PC. Great for looking busy and focused :) Ofc you need a desk in such a way that nobody can sneak from behind. I was managing managers at the time so that wasn't a problem. "Ooh boss looks busy" - hell fucking yeah I'm about to pound Gandhi in Deity boss is busy godahmit
As a warning for people who live in countries that have poor worker rights:
Depending of your local laws, contract and field, personal projects done during work hours and/or on work hardware might be seen as companys property.
I agree this is poor worker rights, but isn't most places like that?
I work in IT so I can always bludge while looking like I am working by reading documents
Working on my personal projects in a terminal.
If your profession has a professional society or industry has a trade association, look into webinars, certification classes, or other events they might have to learn more about your field and build skills. They often have opportunities to get involved with the organization as well, which could look good on paper to management when promotion opportunities arise...or new job applications if there are no promotions
Work from home!
The ultimate best is to enjoy your work, obviously.
I enjoy the work I do, but there’s often a lot of downtime. And I’m definitely not going to advertise that fact and ask for more work. I just feel like my time-killing options are limited, because I can’t use my actual computer to research and write, so I’m stuck scrolling on my phone.
I personally have never understood that attitude. Dont get me wrong im not judging you. In my mind i just rather do something productive than idle on my phone, more so if there is even small change it will lead in to something better in the future and so far it has been paying off.
And from the employer side, if the shit hits the fan and there is layoffs, they will rather keep the dude that is effective and knows how to do things outside their job description, than the dude whose job has lots of downtime and they show bo enthuastism to doing other things.
Work on some professional development. Find a class or course to go through (preferably on the company dime) during the downtime. See if your company will pay for or reimburse some additional training.
That’s a good idea! I like making wikis Obsidian, so it might be fun to build a wiki out of professional development webinars. It could actually turn into a helpful resource
Use the tools you were provided for the purposes you provide.
Excel: Make your own calculations. You know, stuff like how long would it take to walk from Shire to Mordor? How rainy was last year compared to the ones before? Learn VBA and get creative with the macros. Generate art with conditional formatting. Make a macro that actively interferes with everything you write and slowly drives you mad. Ask Matt Parker for ideas on what kinds of fun things you can do with spreadsheets.
Word: Write your own fan fiction. Alternatively, you can paste an entire ebook in word and start reading. Abuse the formatting tools to produce modern art.
Power point: Abuse transitions and animations. See if you can recreate old school flash animations.
PowerShell: The sky is the limit. Get a web browser that runs in the terminal, and chill out on Lemmy.
I cant because one can see right on my screens. So i am just on my phone and if they ever question it, i have some open pages ready
I just listen to podcasts and music, and daydream as I work. I can't relax if I'm not working cos it's not worth the hassle, but I don't have to give the system my whole mind.
The best way is to find a job you actually enjoy doing, and also that pays you more the busier you are.
Not the answer OP expected but the correct one. Doing strictly nonwork things at work can get you noticed in a bad way. I've had good and bad IT jobs and it's really amazing how a bad job can drive bad behaviors and a good job do the opposite.
If you want to use a personal computer at work without raising suspicion, use a KVM switch to connect it to your work monitor and keyboard. Not only can you switch back to work quickly if needed, but it also looks more natural than having a separate laptop or whatever sitting out on your desk.
Smart, maybe a foot pedal to hot swap between them. Make your second computer something small and powerful like a nuc, but off brand so it doesn't look cooler or more fancy than a piece of networking gear
You can always just put it in a Vogoncore case 🤷🏼♂️🤪
