What To Do When You’ve Finished All Your Boss’s Tasks

-Written by Lauren Lind

You are a great employee. You do what you are told and finish all the tasks that your boss has given you, now what? You don’t want your boss to catch you constantly checking and updating

your social media or looking up videos of Miley twerking at the VMAs, so here are some things that you can do to be productive and helpful without annoying your boss:

• When you feel that uncontrollable urge to check your social media, check your company’s social media platforms instead. Stay informed and up to date with your company’s news. Brainstorm new ideas and improvements for these networks. You have a unique perspective as a younger employee. You probably know more about social media than some of your co-workers (we practically live and breathe it!), so take advantage of something we spend too much of our time doing anyway. 

• If your place of employment has a newsletter, read it to help you stay involved with what goes on internally as well. (And again, never be afraid to make suggestions! Bosses love that initiative.)

• Think of any possible future tasks that can be done now that will help make your life easier even if they are minor, or ask others at the company if they need help with anything. Your boss (and your boss’s boss!) and other big players at the office will notice your capacity for more responsibility. 

• Organize your workspace and get rid of any clutter.

• Look over previous tasks you’ve completed and see if you can make them better. Let’s face it; you can probably make them better.

• Now that you have done all you can to stay productive ask your boss what else they have for you to complete. 

Your boss does not want to be constantly bothered, especially if they haven’t thought of any other tasks for you to do yet, so do your best to be proactive. Don’t worry about them thinking you’re not eager for more. There will come a time when they pile it on, and you’ll be grateful you took the time to do those other things when you had the chance.

Although it is tempting, avoid texting, tweeting, Facebooking, snapping, or pinning because you are not getting paid to enhance your social life. You’re getting paid to enhance your professionalism by proving yourself as a valuable addition to the workplace. Continue to be the star employee that you are by keeping yourself busy and finding ways to be helpful.