I can only hit F5 on MeFi so many times in one day

May 12, 2008 10:11 AM

Two weeks left. Replacement is trained. Moving to another department in the same organization so I don't want to burn my built up vacation...

What should I do to keep busy while not looking like I'm just trying to look busy?

posted by Hugh2d2 to work & money (9 comments total)

Ask around to see if anyone else needs your help. Lots of people have backburner projects (like filing) or small projects, etc that you could tackle.

Read news/blogs related to position in new department.
posted by ml98tu at 10:20 AM on May 12, 2008

I would ask if you can assist in the new department, even if it's only doing stuff that an intern would normally do. I think it shows great initiative if nothing else.

a little more info might get you some better suggestions....
posted by Mr_Chips at 10:26 AM on May 12, 2008

Call everyone in your rolodex, let them know that you are moving to a new department.
posted by gyusan at 10:26 AM on May 12, 2008

You oculd try making up some kind of blue-skies project thats completely self directed and doesn't have to result in much, and then work on it/goof around as you see fit. That’s what I did when I worked at a company with a lot of downtime between projects. Weirdly I’d always be happier when I was actually working on my made up project than when I was goofing around.
posted by Artw at 10:42 AM on May 12, 2008

Clean up your workspace so the next person taking your desk isn't greeted with a huge mess. Dust, clean tape off the walls and ink off the tabletop.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:45 AM on May 12, 2008

Write something longhand.

I do poetry.
posted by sondrialiac at 11:10 AM on May 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Are there any skills that you could learn which would help you in your new position? This is a great opportunity for some self-education, especially if it's work related.

When you show up in your new department and your boss asks what you did for the last 2 weeks you can tell them something productive instead of vague answers about looking busy....
posted by jpeacock at 11:10 AM on May 12, 2008

Write documentation for processes everyone already knows how to do. Then spend a day re-writing them. Then spend a day tracking down three-ring binders with tabs in which to store the documentation. Then clear out a space in which to store the documentation. Then write a series of implementation directives for using the documentation. Then track down more binders in which to store the implementation directives relating to the documentation.

I spent six months doing this before they realized I wasn't really working.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:14 AM on May 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Seconding learning. Programming tutorials for a new framework/language take a long time to complete and are moderately interesting if you are at all inclined to do some software development.
posted by crazycanuck at 11:58 AM on May 12, 2008