Boss (Almost) Never Around

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So, its Friday afternoon, and I am sitting here all alone in my office. Again.

Bored out of my skull.

My boss is almost never here. She has to attend professional meetings and seminars and who knows what else to maintain her credibility in academia, probably way more than she needs to in order to keep her day job. In fact, she hardly ever does her day job. I am the one keeping the lights on, answering questions, keeping all the technical stuff running, etc. Perfect case of having all the practical know-how but not the degrees to get the hefty pay!

Here is my question: What do you all do (besides WP) to keep yourselves from going nutso on the job when there is slack time? I don't want to get into trouble and I have good rapport with everyone. (They think I am a genius at what I do...so they leave me alone.)

Funny...an aspie who does not like being alone! Well, let me qualify that...being alone and utterly un-challenged.

play games or read a book i guess ?
Not true about the alone part. Wanting to be with others but not being very good at is very much the catch-22 of being AS.

I'm in the same boat as you. I started working from home because my boss was never around, which was great at first because it meant I could be home with my girlfriend. Now that she's moved out I have to decided weather I want to work at home, alone, or at the office, alone... Or find a new job

Try not to look of it as boring, but think of it as freedom to do what you like. If you enjoy your job, think of other ways you can contribute. Take on new tasks or challenges. Your supervisor might appreciate the initiative.

If you don't like your job, then work on other personal projects. Reading, writing, anything else that's interesting that you can do at work. Be careul, though. It may look bad if people constantly see you "not working." Making your job look too easy might give some people the idea you're expendable. It sounds silly, but I will usually save my work for when other people can see me doing it.

There's also another side to having a supervisor who's never around. I (briefly) had a boss who never actually supervised me, and she consequently developed some very strange (and wrong) ideas about the way I work.

I've been in this situation before and its dangerous!

Try and identify some projects where you can take the initiative. It could be a blue sky project that you feel that the company should address.

Start putting a discussion paper together and submit. If nothing else you will be seen to be being proactive.

I absolutely love it when I get situations like this. I read books (Project Gutenberg is the best thing ever) learn new skills, write programs, solve problems (Project Euler). The only downside is I'm in an open plan office and even if I have legitimate reasons why I can't be working (really I need two computers but since there are no advancement opportunities I sure as hell aren't going to push the matter) I have to seem to be working.

The other side to this is when you have an issue that you need to bring to your manager, he/she is not there. My manager either works from home or a satellite campus. He's rarely on site. I usually have to fend for myself or call the duty manager when one of my customers asks to speak to a manager.