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.

[akirk]

Dear manager,
now that I have been here for 8 months could we have an informal chat about how I am doing?

hopefully, you will agree that my work is good, timely and to the quality you want?

I was wondering whether we could talk about how I grow my role? I feel that I have some spare capacity and I have noticed that the department is over-worked, I realise that there is no budget for additional staff, but would it help to spend a little bit of money on some training / bit of extra salary and I would be happy to take on xyz...

perhaps we could try it for 3 months and see how it goes?

etc.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Just ask your manager for more responsibility, saying that you like the challenge, surely he's going to be keen to get more out of you :-) Also it will let you grow your role which can enhance your CV and help you get promoted etc.

[geek84]

Thanks folks

[geek84]

Good Morning folks

I hope you're all well,. I just wanted to report back on my situation.. I have had a chat with my manager a few weeks ago and she did give me a 'very small' pay rise along with some extra responsibility. However, that extra responsibility is just more customers to chase for credit control. Also, another person in our dept. who also did credit control and only qualified to level 3 of AAT, has been given an 'internal promotion' as an assistant accountant. I am not very happy about that !

Can someone kindly please advice the next steps that I should take.

Shall i keep plodding on with my extra work load and keep quiet or talk to my line manager about the other person who has been given this new job, or wait for another (say) 3 months and ask for more responsibilities etc?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[anonymous-user]

Please don't take offence at what I am about to write. It is quite hard to directly answer the questions you have raised without making some points which could seem overly critical.

Having said that, if no-one gives you honest feedback, you never get the opportunity to improve, so hopefully you will take my comments in the positive way they are intended.

My overarching impression from reading your thread is that you have a slightly immature outlook at work and are also lacking a little self awareness. This may help start to explain your lack of progression.

Looking at some of your questions and points.

i) Should you tell your manager you are bored in your job? Absolutely not. You accepted the job presumably knowing the responsibilities and the tasks involved. If you don't think it stretches your talents sufficiently, then I would suggest looking for a different job. Your employer can't fundamentally change the job function just because you don't find it interesting.

ii) You say you are over-qualified for the role. This to me implies a sense of entitlement. Once you have been appointed to a role, whether you have greater (or fewer) qualification to complete the role isn't particularly relevant. What matters is your competence in the role (which is often completely different from qualifications), the problems you can solve, and overall how effective you are at either making the company more money or saving the company money. Negative thoughts about being over-qualified are unhelpful to your future progression.

Your reference to saying you don't want to appear as if you are showing off is frankly a bit strange. Why would it be showing off to say you really would like to take on more responsibility? When you were living at home and the washing up needed doing, would you not volunteer in case your parents thought you might be showing off?

And your next point about asking for more responsibilities but being clear at the same time you didn't want to be taken advantage. I don't think you understand quite how it works.

If you take on more responsibilities, even if you don't get paid any more, you get the opportunity to show what you can do. You hopefully demonstrate you are able to add more value to the company. And the work should also be more fulfilling as you stretch and improve your own skills.

From that point you have a great springboard to either move to a different company having being able to demonstrate your improved skills and capabilities. And/or your existing employee will also be keen to retain you.

If they don't, maybe they are not a wise employer, so better to leave anyway. Or perhaps you were overestimating your own performance. Either way, to think about it as being taken advantage of is in my opinion unhealthy

And your point about being annoyed that someone has received an internal promotion and asking whether you should speak to your manager to tell them how annoyed you are? You should absolutely not speak to your manager, You will come across as someone who lacks a huge amount of self awareness, amongst quite a few other things.

Much better to look at the capabilities of the person who was promoted and try and undertake a critical self analysis. What do you they do better than you do? Do they have better communication skills than you? Whatever you conclude, try and incorporate what they do better than you into your own set of skills. This is the way to self improvement, and a more rewarding long term career imho

[spikeyhead]

People get promoted for their soft skills more often than for their qualifications.

[geek84]

Thanks very much indeed for your responses.

EddieSteadyGo - I am most grateful for your frank and honest opinion.

[anonymous-user]

geek84 said:

Thanks very much indeed for your responses.

EddieSteadyGo - I am most grateful for your frank and honest opinion.

Thanks geek84 - I appreciate that. I should add what I have written is only my impression, and could easily be wide of the mark. If it helps raise some questions which help you resolve in your own mind what actions you are going to take, it will be worthwhile. Good luck!

[KevinCamaroSS]

Excellent post there from Eddie.

[madmover]

Good post above

For me, don't say you're bored. However, raise that you've seen items which your skillset would be suited for and volunteer to take on specific tasks or areas which are of interest as you have capacity. Don't say you have time and you're happy to pick up bits if you have specific things which interest you. Otherwise, yes you will get given a pile more work which you may not enjoy.

[geek84]

Hi Folks

I hope you're all well. Let me start off by saying how much I appreciate the valuable advice which you kind folks are giving me.

My current situation is as follows:

Another month has past and I seem to be getting towards the end of my work load in credit control for this month. I have got all the big payment promises including dates and figures etc.

Obviously now, I am in a position to take on more work. But as you know, I don't want additional credit control work. Some of you have suggested getting business analysis and reporting experience. What do you think is the best way of doing that? If I speak directly to the financial controller, then my line manager may get upset, in that she may think I am undermining her authority.

Shall I have another meeting with the line manager and say I have the capacity to take on more work but not specifically credit control work? Don't you think that would be a bit cheeky? The line manager may get the impression that I am just working for the organization to get more accounting experience and then move on to another employer! Or, shall I ask her that I would like to shadow the accounting team on specific days of the week?

To be honest, I feel so awkward asking to take on more work but not credit control work!! How do you folks suggest I do this?

Once again , any advice given would be greatly appreciated.

[67Dino]

I can’t speak for your boss, but nearly anyone I know who has people working for them would be absolutely delighted to have a conversation with a team member who is saying ‘I’m a bit under-utilised, and would love to do more’. Shows positive attitude, and will get more works done. What’s not to like? Only thing I might question would be whether a new person has settled down/ proven themselves sufficiently yet to take on more.

So I’d just echo the advice given here that the things to avoid are sounding fussy about what you do, or asking for more pay. Do an amazing job first, make yourself indespensible, then ask for different work and/or a pay rise.

Ultimately, if you don’t feel you’re being valued then it is time to leave. But in the meantime, don’t feel you’re being an imposition, quite the opposite: you’re making a great offer to your boss and if they’re any good, they should be absolutely delighted.

PS. Ignore the internal promotion. Doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing. Focus on being awesome yourself.

[utgjon]

without wishing to state the obvious, hopefully you have a good enough relationship with your line manager to have a chat about the paths that interest you?

if you don't have that, perhaps you could use some of that spare time to try and forge a better relationship with your line manager?

ultimately, if you're just a 'do-er' who comes in, does work quietly and goes home, you'll be overlooked for that promotion time and time again

[geek84]

Hi folks

I hope you're all well. I emailed my line manager a few days ago, asking for more work and responsibility..

Below is the outline of the email:

As you know, I have now been working with the additional branch debts for the last few months. I feel that I can quite comfortably deal with all 4 branch ledgers, and have the capacity to take on more work.

Hopefully, you agree that the timing and quality of my work is to your satisfaction? If not, then please do let me know.

However, to take on more work, I am fully aware that I would or may need further training/explaining in order, but I am keen to develop my skills so that I can help out in other work areas of the organization. I am willing to volunteer for other tasks/projects and work outside my normal working hours i.e. I am able to come to work earlier or stay late, if necessary.

Perhaps we could have an informal chat (face to face or via email) about how I am doing and how I can grow my role?

Thanks



Do you think the above is ok? Could I have worded it differently? How long should I wait until sending a follow up email or the same email again?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[spikeyhead]

Surely it's easier to have a conversation.

[AlasdairMc]

spikeyhead said:

Surely it's easier to have a conversation.

This.

[Muzzer79]

OP, is this your first job?

Sit down and physically speak to your manager

Be honest, be constructive, be positive, but be to the point.

It’s not showing off to want to get on and take more.

An Internet forum will not be the source to guide you through every single step - be human, be responsible.

[Rich1973]

Ask them what training they could assist with in order for you to develop your career.
The response will tell you a lot.

[geek84]

Thanks folks

Much appreciated.