How do you contend with a boring job?

@dragon54u (31636)
United States
August 5, 2008 4:51am CST
Yesterday I started a temporary job. I'm grateful for the work, it will last till December if all goes well, but it's crushingly boring. Data entry is never exciting. I'll be trained for a month and spend the remaining 4 months entering information for a bunch of telephone books. I need the job and I'm glad I got it (if I'm fast enough, that is) but months of crushing boredom await me. I've had such jobs before and always take interesting books to break up the boredom during lunch hour. How do you deal with a job so boring you keep nodding off? Do you have a strategy for fending off sleepiness and frustration or do you just grit your teeth and muddle through, thinking of all the bills you'll be able to pay? Have you ever had such a job? How did you deal with it?
3 people like this
6 responses
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
5 Aug 08
That is where you and me are a little different. I used to do data entry and I was never really bored with it because I always liked typing. I do understand that there are jobs that can be mundane or boring and it is hard to stay motivated. And yes, sometimes just thinking about the bills and making money can help you to get through the day. I have had jobs where making outbound calls was the name of the game such as telephone sales and the like. That was a job that I personally struggled to get through the hours with.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Aug 08
I've had a few jobs like the telephone job you had and they are awful, aren't they? I'm glad that's over with!
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
5 Aug 08
Hello friend, boring job is better than no job at all, right? I have a boring job before. Encoding office data in the computer. It is very boring indeed. I bring pocketbooks to read during break time. Good luck on you boring job.It's better than nothing.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Aug 08
It is SO much better than nothing! I'd rather be bored that constantly juggling my finances. I'm very grateful for this job. I guess boredom is a small price to pay a few hours a day so I can pay the bills!
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Aug 08
I used to do telemarketing and what I did was to do it for an hour, take a break, and then get back to it, and go through the day like it. I finally quit when it did not pay and I felt I was working for nothing. I cannot go through a boring job without feeling that someone with a plunger is removing the gray matter from my brain.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Aug 08
LOL! That's about how I feel. It was a little better today because they let us actually start working instead of just telling us about it. But no matter how boring it is, I like being able to get a paycheck. Jobs are so scarce here that I'm not really complaining, I just thought I'd get some laughs and I was right--you're a humorous bunch here!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
21 Aug 08
Thanks for the best response and I would not wish a telemarketing job on anybody. You know I still have nightmares about looking through those telephone books.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
21 Aug 08
LOL! I worked briefly in college selling coupon books for the Rumpelstiltskin restaurant. A week was all I managed, and I never did work like that again!
@SangsTurks (1444)
• India
22 Aug 08
I guess people deal with a boring job depending on their personal and financial situation. When i was single, i didnt think even once before quitting a job all because it was boring to me. Cause i was so sure that i would get a better paying job if i left this one. But now i want a stable job with good pay, so even if it is boring i would stick to it. yes even i take a good novel to work so that whenever i get time i get to read good stuff which would refresh my mind.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
22 Aug 08
I was the same way when I was young and single. It turns out that they didn't need me at that job, they'd hired too many, so I don't have it anymore but sometimes we have to put up with things in order to pay the bills. Good to see you, you've been absent for a few days or I just didn't see your posts.
@nupats (3564)
• India
5 Aug 08
hi dear well i myself do a very monotonous job and it is indeed very very boring but i need the income coming in so i have to do it and moreover it is home based so good for me..however in between i take breaks and play a game or spend time mylotting though nowadays i am badly stuck because my son has badly hurt his leg so i need to nurse him ..will take atleast 10 days to recover...have a nice day
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Aug 08
I hope your son recovers soon! When my boys would injure themselves I think it hurt me more than it did them. Good health to him! I need the job just as you do, we do what we have to do. I do work with a nice bunch of people, though, and that helps a lot.