Is it normal to have no work to do at a new job?
Having an empty schedule and getting work only by asking can make you wonder if you are in trouble. This lack of assigned tasks during a slow period creates anxiety about your standing at the company.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Waiting for work to slowly filter in as the office adjusts to a new hireDid this help you?
- 2Expecting more tasks to arrive in the following months as engagements ramp upDid this help you?
- 3Talking to the manager to check if the situation is normalDid this help you?
- 4Asking seniors for work or clarificationDid this help you?
- 5Engaging in self-study during work hoursDid this help you?
- 6Proactively asking for more responsibilities and experiencesDid this help you?
- 7Considering switching from an industry internship to a local CPA firm internshipDid this help you?
- 8taking an IT cybersecurity courseDid this help you?
- 9waiting to see what happensDid this help you?
- 10Pretending to be busy with somethingDid this help you?
- 11Hoping to get moved to another project with a new managerDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I wonder if it is normal this time of year now to not be assigned much of any work, and not have a busy office at all.”source ↗
“I constantly hit a wall where I feel I could be doing more or learning more, and I ask and proactively seek out these experiences, but they simply aren't available to me in the capacity I can handle.”source ↗
“I am spending up to half of my time at work with self study or simply wasting time since I am constantly bored.”source ↗
“I still have relatively empty schedule. I only get some work when I ask for them. Is that normal, or I am in trouble?”source ↗
“Now you are scaring me. 😫”source ↗
“This has created a situation where I'm really not doing much all day; I spend more time acting like I'm busy with something than actually being busy with something, and I kind of hate it.”source ↗
“The problem is that I'm getting burned out already, but it's literally out of boredom; not out of actually working hard. I feel guilty some days because I know I essentially accomplished nothing productive”source ↗
“I am struggling to figure out what work is actually my responsibility”source ↗
“I’m in this weird limbo of not bring an intern but also not being a completely self sufficient employee.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 44Why do I feel so overwhelmed after starting a new job?
- 6Why is corporate industry accounting so boring after public practice?
- 5Why am I stuck doing basic help desk tasks instead of growing?
- 3Can I wear sneakers for a construction tryout if I have no work boots?
- 9New hire interviewed well but can't do the job
- 2What happens when you go months without a manager?