Quite a few people have asked me how I live out a boring job without quitting. My first response tends to be, “Well I don’t wanna make myself look like I hop jobs on my resume because I tend to do that.” But overall, I find it hard to know if a job is boring until I get over the glam of the position, which is kind of like the honeymoon phase you experience going into a new relationship. Once I get over this phase, I consider quitting, but the Professional Communication Major in me kicks in; I begin to feel bad just leaving a company after having just started because I realize all the money they invested into hiring me. Thus, the real questions reigns: How do I keep myself motivated to work at a boring job? I’m sure many of you have had this same question too, so here are my suggestions:
1. Make your job a game.
The first thing I did at my job was count and see how many papers I can scan per hour. This turned into how many I could do per day, then overall, how many papers I can scan per minute. I would also consider a game to be ‘how good can I be at my job’ through setting up documents and binders of information of how to do my job for future candidates, to how stocked I can keep the mini fridge, or how many people I can con into joining my company’s enrollment program. Making your job a game can help make time fly and keep your brain active.
2. Figure out the one thing that actually makes your job interesting.
For me, this was paying attention to where all the service vehicle owners came from, who they were, and what type of cars came through. I also found interest in analyzing all the communication pros and cons of my managers, then figure out what could be done better, despite me not being allowed to make any change with this information. For you, this could be striking up a conversation with a guest asking where they traveled from or why they chose to come to your company. Finding interest in your job can help create a whole new meaning so you up your likelihood of sticking around longer.
Long story short, your job can’t be all that bad if you reached out to your company and got yourself hired. If you’re ever caught in a situation like mine where you just want to be viewed as a committed employee, try to stick it out for a little bit longer… I believe in you!