Combatting Entry-Level Boredom

Combatting Entry-Level Boredom by By Abby Wilner & Cathy Stocker, Authors of Quarterlifer's Companion

The Boredom Epidemic
One of the most common complaints we hear from young professionals in entry-level positions is that they are bored out of their minds. They are generally assigned menial tasks which, thanks to the wonder of word processing, do not take up much time, and their supervisors are reluctant to assign any substantial work.

Compounding the problem of boredom is the ever popular "face time" requirement. Everyone feels pressured to hang around the office for eight hours or more, out-waiting the boss or each other, regardless of their workload. This essentially trains us to be less efficient, because we feel penalized for finishing our work too quickly.

In our 2004 survey of 391 twentysomethings on quarterlifecrisis.com, 61 percent said they were bored with their work (or lack thereof) -- almost 50 percent higher than the number of respondents who said they were stressed-out from a heavy workload.

Consequences of Boredom
After leaving school filled with enthusiasm and ambition, the letdown of insignificant workloads can cause feelings of depression and worthlessness. And our twenties are a dangerous time to be bored at work because we are now forming on-the-job habits which, like smoking or biting our nails, will be hard to break.

Below are some typical twentysomething complaints and questions about boredom at work:

"I can never figure out whether to ask for more work because I've heard that companies will see that as a chance to downsize or reorganize. Since I have been out of college, I have frequently found myself bored with little or nothing to do. I wonder whether some people just get bored because they are more efficient than others."

"I work nine-hour days and have nothing to do! I wish I could just go sleep somewhere. But I can't, so I sit at my computer and pretend I'm doing work while I am really just playing on the Internet. I think I would drive myself to an early death if the Internet did not exist!"

"I expect work to be fairly boring; it's work. But it really chafes my bum to think about all the things I could be doing instead of sitting here, praying that something will need to be typed."

Tips on Battling Boredom
While most bored employees automatically turn to the Internet for entertainment gossip and solitaire, there are more constructive ways to both fill up time and further your career:

Start out the day by writing down your "five before five" -- a list of things you want to accomplish before the day is over -- and tape it to your monitor as a constant reminder.

Be honest with your supervisor and ask for more work. Hopefully, he or she will appreciate your efficiency and ability to get the job done fast and reward you with a more challenging set of tasks. If your employer does not value efficiency, then perhaps it is time to look for a better fit.


A mentor can help you think of ways to increase and diversify your tasks by explaining the various roles and skills required in your industry or organization. A mentor can be any person with a career track to which you aspire, whether that is a co-worker, friend of the family or fellow alum. Visit your alumni Web site to get in touch with some alumni in your field who could act as mentors.


Try online courses to further your job skills and association Web sites for research and literature relevant to your field. Keep up with the news in your industry, and you'll be prepared with some impressive small talk next time you run into your boss' boss in the elevator.


Set up a meeting with a co-worker or supervisor to discuss the status of a project. Let them know that you are interested in becoming more involved.


If you've made the above attempts to enhance your job and still run out of things to do, chase your wild dreams. Got a book or movie idea? Well start writing already! Want to build a personal Web site? Learn HTML and get coding! At least those skills are applicable to your present or future jobs.

When you pass the time at work with work-related activities rather than personal errands, you feel better about yourself at the end of the day. You feel that you have really earned your paycheck, and you learn more that you can apply to other jobs in the future. And most importantly, the time really flies by.

Abby Wilner and Cathy Stocker, co-authors of "Quarterlifer's Companion: How to Get on the Right Career Path, Control Your Finances, and Find the Support Network You Need to Thrive," run the Web site Quarterlifecrisis.com, a supportive community for twentysomethings. Wilner is also the co-author of Quarterlife Crisis: the Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties.

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