How should I deal with this situation? I want to do better! 2

[masieh2004]

Hello
I am a fresh graduate Engineer and started working in this Engineering firm 4 months ago. I am working on a couple of projects but sometimes when I order materials/parts, they take time to arrive and I don't have much to do. I think my boss/manager knows about it. I am not sure how we are doing in the business side but I want to work on more projects. maybe I can do some technical support and help customers. I want to get more opportunities to learn and therefore get more responsibilities. Should I just read the catalog and familiarize myself with the products we sell? or talk to my boss/manager. What if he says we don't have projects to work on. I don't want to bother them but at the same time I want to let them know I want to more work and learn more. All kinds of suggestions/comments and feedbacks will be highly appreciated.

 

[CANPRO]

talk to the boss/direct supervisor. "boss, all of my projects are at a standstill right now, what else can I do?". I've asked that question many times. It has led to some pretty crap jobs, it has also led to some interesting ones as well. But it keeps you busy.

Nothing wrong with a little self-study/research either. Look through your company's recent projects and research some relevant topics.

My first step is always with direct supervisor...you don't want to be sitting around looking for something to do when there is a stack of projects you could be working on.

 

[KENAT]

A. Do let your manager know if you have slack in your schedule and ask if he/she has suggestions on either other tasks you could do, or any learning activities to suggest.
B. Have some idea of what you could be doing - such as the items you list - and let him know that while you wait for his response that's what you'll be doing with any spare time.
C. Talk to colleagues to see if they could do with any help - be careful committing to any large tasks without your managers knowledge though.
D. As well as product familiarity, are there any business process you could be familiarizing your self with, industry standard to get up to speed on, software you could be learning...

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[rotw]

what is you career goal : Jumping from the seat to the table or jumping from the seat to reach the everest ?

If you want to reach the everest, your need to envision the big picture where you want to be 20 years from now.

If you have this vision clearly printed in your mind, then you shift your paradigm...
Only then you will know that the challenge you face today is ridiculously negligible compared to what you are and the big thing you want to achieve in your career / life.

When you shift your paradigm, you will go through all this effortlessly (and your boss will be happy about you...)


"If you want to acquire a knowledge or skill, read a book and practice the skill".

 

[GregLocock]

Another thing to try if your boss has no better suggestions is to learn to program something ubiquitous, like Excel, or a database, and try and automate some of the more tedious tasks you have come across. Or you could try 'shifting paradigms', but you'll still have to put your trousers on one leg at a time.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[macmet]

And try not to get too discouraged. The longer you are there, the shorter the periods with nothing to do will be, until one day they are gone completely and you are on here posting how you are overworked.

 

[Signious]

This is the usually internal flow I go through when looking for something to do at the office:

1. Check up on outstanding projects, is there anything else that can be added / perfected
2. Ask boss if there are any projects he wants me to take a look at
3. Tidy Desk / Organise loose work (This one seems menial, but I feel it is very important to keep my chaos organized)
4. Any fuzzy topics that I can brush up on? Check for relevant courses on PDH, MIT or NPTEl courses
5. Last resort. Think of some menial job I have to do somewhat regularly and create an Excel sheet, word form document, ext... to automate
6a. Log onto Eng-tips
6b. Log onto reddit
6c. Log onto Ogame

 

[ctopher]

Learn design software, CAD, CAM, simulation, etc.

Chris, CSWA
SolidWorks 14
SolidWorks Legion

 

[KENAT]

Funny Macmet, from about lunchtime on my first day, on my first Engineering job I haven't truly had nothing to do.

I generally have an on going Must, Should & Could list of items at least in my head if not more formalized and struggle to imagine 'having nothing to do'. These days I can't keep up with the Must list let alone the other two - which probably means I shouldn't be on here right now so catch you later.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[HVAC68]

Great position to be in ! I see lots of opportunities if you get free time. Learn ! Ask your supervisor or your colleagues and pick up some old orders / drawings / challenges. Be an optimist and utilise this time to the fullest advantage to equip yourselves for tough times ahead !

HVAC68