Boring Jobs: How to Get Them and How to Make Them More Fun

Pros

• More mental energy when your workday is over
• You are less likely to “bring work home with you”
• Could have more job security
• Less responsibility/stress
• Pay to Effort ratio is in your favor

Cons

• Being bored for 8 hours a day could be draining
• Potential for regret later in life… “I could have done more!”
• Usually not much room for advancement
• Could be detrimental to your long term physical health or mental health

Night Security Guard

If you want your days free, consider a night job like a Night Security Guard. Anyone who has ever worked in this kind of position will tell you…it’s a lot of nothing. A security guard’s duties mostly include watching over a building and/or its occupants overnight either on foot, by car, or through monitoring television screens. Unless your building happens to be the location of the next Ocean’s 11 heist, you’ll probably just be sitting around doing nothing until the sun comes up. Check out these security guard listings on Indeed. 

Dishwasher

A dishwasher’s job is predictable and repetitive. You wash dishes. That’s pretty much it. If you don’t mind pruny fingers, you may find some security and flexibility in this job. Check out restaurants hiring a dishwasher near you!

Accountant

While a non-math-oriented person may hear “accountant” and think “ew, numbers!” the repetitiveness of an accountant’s day to day work is actually incredibly boring. Daily job duties include managing and preparing budgets, reviewing account discrepancies, and analyzing financial records. And a lot of looking at Excel. If that crunches your numbers, check out these jobs!   

Data Entry Clerk

Speaking of Excel…how about data entry? Data entry clerks spend their time entering information into a spreadsheet or other database. Point, click, enter…point, click, enter…etc. And the extra fun part of this job is there is the potential for remote work; as long as you have a computer, you can do it from anywhere. See if any of these data entry jobs seem like your style.

Help Desk Representative

“Help Desks” is kind of a broad category. This could refer to IT Help Desks, College Campus Help Desks, or really anywhere that people might need assistance by calling in. This job can also be remote! If you pick a place or shift with low traffic, you could have lots of time on your hands to do with what whatever you like. Find out more here.

Call Center Assistant

A call center is a communication channel that customers can use to report requests or complaints to a business. If you work in a call center, you may have to deal with some angry people from time to time, but mostly it’s a boring job. You answer the phone, you chat a bit, and that’s all. This is also a job with very low barrier to entry. Check out call center jobs that you may like on Indeed. 

Of course there are many, many more boring jobs out there in the universe. All you have to do is look. Or you may already have a boring job, you’re bored at your desk, and you’re looking for ways to survive it. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Read on! 

Listen to Music or Make a Playlist

Pretty much anyone who works a desk job will tell you that they listen to music to keep from going crazy. It’s a simple and non-distracting way to engage your brain! Is that not enough for you? Try making your own playlists on Spotify or iTunes. Take a look at playlists like “Music for Working at the Office” or “Music for a Workday” for inspiration!

Make it a Game

One of the best ways to pass the time is to make a game out of mundane tasks. Introduce some friendly competition to your workmates (Office Olympics, anyone?)  or try “gamifying” boring tasks by timing yourself. And in this strange new world of COVID19 and working from home, with conference calls becoming the new normal, Conference Call Bingo is one of our personal favorites. Try making your own Bingo board or use this one below. Conference calls will never be boring again! 

Challenge Yourself

You might be bored because you’re not stimulated enough. Become an expert in whatever it is that you’re doing to challenge yourself. Push yourself to be better. Maybe that report you wrote is just ok — see what you can do to make it awesome. Striving to better yourself is a great way to fight boredom.

Fuse it Up

Combine things you need to get done with things you actually enjoy doing, a concept known as “fusing”. Work on your task with a good friend whose company you enjoy, or take your work to a café and sip a nice mocha while you work. 

Happy Little Distractions

Sometimes playing music just doesn’t cut it. Whether you just zone out or it’s not stimulating enough, maybe you need something else. Try playing something non-distracting in the background – like a Bob Ross video! You could also try listening to a podcast or a Ted Talk. But personally…who doesn’t love Bob Ross? You can find a good playlist on YouTube here.

Get Your Vitamin D

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the sun, get outside! Take a walk and get your steps in. Soaking up vitamin D from the sun is a good way to stay healthy all around, but also staves off boredom. Bonus points for inviting a friend to join you in a walk around the building!

Decorate Your Space

A non-stimulating workspace is a surefire way to kill your vibe. How can you be happy if your surroundings scream “MEH”? We’ve got some tips on how to make your office space look fun yet professional. Try to start with a theme. If all of your decorations make a nice aesthetic, it’s definitely going to make you happier. Imagine theming your workspace to the beach or the Gryffindor common room! Next, try introducing some plant life! Interior plants are super soothing, plus taking care of your little green friends adds a fun task to your day. Add some personal touches, like pictures from home or souvenirs from your last vacation. All in all, a beautiful space is a much less boring space!