Taking on more responsibility at work

[geek84]

Good Morning folks

I have been working in the finance department at my present company for 8 months now on a permanent basis. I am over qualified for the job and the reason why I took this job was because I was out of work for quite a while.

I am now getting bored since I can perform my daily tasks without any trouble – it’s the same routine every day. However, there seems to be a lot of backlog of work in our department and I am more than happy to take some more work on.

Could someone kindly advice how to approach the manager with this?

Shall I have a one-to-one with the manager and tell her exactly what I have stated above? I don’t want to sound like I’m showing off! Also, although there does seem to be a back log of work, I would need training up on the specific tasks in order to perform the additional work.

Finally, I don’t want to be taken advantage of where loads of additional way is given to me and I struggle to do it and I don’t want to fall into the category of ‘overworked and underpaid’.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Roger928]

If you have to re train then I would have thought a pay rise would be in the pipe line.

I do cad designs for my employer but I don't get paid. I just do it because I enjoy it.
Plus I like brown nosing the boss.

 

[Brigadier]

I don't know what the systems, hierarchies, and protocols for your workplace are, so this may be neither relevant, nor doable.

Why is there a backlog in the first place?
Is your manager inept, under-resourced, or something else?
I'd be mindful of the possibility of your manager taking the credit for your idea, and your effort.
Finally, make good notes of anything you do do, with measurable outcomes and improvements recorded, and put them on your CV.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I am now getting bored since I can perform my daily tasks without any trouble

Isn't that the nature of "work" for competent "workers"?

 

[securespark]

Performing tasks without any trouble, sure. But if you enjoy your work, you should not be bored.

 

[Brigadier]

Isn't that the nature of "work" for competent "workers"?

And then, you get promoted and promoted, until you reach a level at which you are incompetent

The Peter Principle

 

[Doug99]

Its all down to where you set your work/life balance goals. Are you young/old/near pension age? Do you have family/kids/bills/commitments? Do you seek status within a work place ie a management role?

But to answer your question, at your next 1-2-1 routine progress meeting with your boss, let it be known that you wish to develop yourself within the company and ask her for advice. Any manager worth their salt should be seeking to develop their workforce, and if you leave it to her to make positive suggestions, she will feel better for it and more supportive.

You should only press your case if she ignores your development ambitions.

 

[Doggit]

If you don't discuss the situation, you'll never know what might be achieved, and if you get shot down in flames because the boss has issues, then it's time to move on. You know the boss better than we do, so you should know how to approach them, but if you're straightforward, and say that you've noticed the backlog, and with a bit of additional training, you feel you could help deal with it, then hopefully they'll look at it with an open mind. As to getting a pay rise, I'd leave that till you've shown you can do the job, as you're approaching them, not the other way round.

Best of luck.

 

[geek84]

Thanks folks for all your advice.