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They Finally Bred the Dream Labor Force

I recently landed my first real job out of undergrad. While it’s a job that I find myself succeeding at when assigned to tasks, more often than not I am given no tasks. My team consists of myself and two males, one being my boss, and they are always busy. I have asked if there is anything I can do or learn, time and time again, only to be told: “No, you’re good.” Worst of all, I am often alone in the office, so when the phone rings or someone comes in or emails us, I can’t do anything, because I haven’t been trained to do anything.

I work over 55 hours a week and I don’t know how many more times I can refresh Twitter at work before I lose my mind. I feel that I’m wasting my talent and their time by being here. How do I diplomatically approach this with my boss?

— Emily

I’m going to ignore the part where many of us just saw the phrases “I am given no tasks” and “I can’t do anything” and we all got that dreamy summer afternoon feeling — a soul-deep ASMR shiver. Shouldn’t you be spending those free and lovely empty hours working on your graphic novel, “Olivia Newton-John, Astronaut”? The world is giving you a gift! You’re sitting in an office alone with nothing to do, and you’re abusing yourself with the rotting meat-fountain of Twitter? Look at this job as a teaching moment and teach yourself something.