Bullshit Jobs... Is it a real thing? If it is, can we use it?

[Roulf]

Hi friends,


Today I would like to start a conversation about “Bullshit Jobs”.

I believe the term was cashed in first by David Graeber on this article:

STRIKE! Magazine – On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant

I don’t care too much about politics and whatever the reasons why the economy generated these “bullshit jobs”, if they exist at all. I had some friends read the article and they could only talk about right or left wing ideas and other crap that I don’t care.

What I want to know, in my path to the Fastlane, is if they can be useful. If there’s a way to be employed, generating some income, while studying, developing an idea, basically working for yourself while you “work” for someone else.

To be honest, I believe my current job is like that. While it is only temporary, there’s not much to be done and whatever comes my way, I deal with it right away. Which leaves me with a lot of free time to read books (read over 30 this year, which is more than my other life years combined, talk about “work” university), read the forum, do research etc.

My main issue here is that I don’t have my own cubicle. I know a lot of people hate their cubicles etc. But in this case, I wish I could have my own so people couldn’t see what I have on my screen. That way, I could keep developing my ideas, which are spread on many google sheets, docs and CAD drawings.

I am not sure if more people would be interested on this, and there’s a whole gray area about morality in here (I don’t feel bad at all since my higher-ups actually praise me for what I do). But I can't stop salivating at the idea of being employed while keeping active #process to myself instead of the company that employs me. It sounds like a very good way to reach the Fastlane.

Thank you for your time in posting here.

 

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[Charnell]

I needed a summer internship for graduation. Super low tempo digital marketing gig. There just wasn't enough stuff to do during a given day/week means they hired an agency for their paid ads and another agency for a lot of their graphic design work.

Sometimes it actually felt scummy "working" for an hour a day, but there's only so much you can interpret from looking at spreadsheets and GA. They would give me a task, I'd knock it out fast, then go back to listening to audiobooks and taking certification courses. Built a few websites up from research done OTJ as well.

 

[Roulf]

I needed a summer internship for graduation. Super low tempo digital marketing gig. There just wasn't enough stuff to do during a given day/week means they hired an agency for their paid ads and another agency for a lot of their graphic design work.

Sometimes it actually felt scummy "working" for an hour a day, but there's only so much you can interpret from looking at spreadsheets and GA. They would give me a task, I'd knock it out fast, then go back to listening to audiobooks and taking certification courses. Built a few websites up from research done OTJ as well.

I feels very similar to my current situation. Nothing much to do, good opportunity for self-development.

 

[Niptuck MD]

to me a "bullshit job" is a job that pays enough to meet my maslows hierarchial needs whilst allowing me to have enough energy to pursue my goals the other 8 hours of my day.

in other words, low stress, no micro-management type job lol (which btw after 3 tries i finally received and am eternally grateful. the timing could not have been better)

 

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[GuestUser4aMPs1]

What the author is describing is a job where an employee is paid to be available to perform a task, as opposed to being paid by results.
Thus, an excess of free time is created. A '40-Hour Workweek' on paper is actually only 15 Hours of RESULTS.

I'd say this is the primary reason Freelancing is on the rise.
Employers don't have to pay out nearly as many hours, and employees don't have to stick around on the clock twiddling their thumbs.

How is it useful to us?

I'd say if you have a job with excess time, then you're in an ideal position to use that time while on the clock to build a business.
I used to work in tech support part-time. We barely had support requests come in. Our workload could probably taken 8-12 hours a WEEK max.

With this excess time, I read the forum and built my first business in that desk.

Granted, we were given permission so it's not a moral issue...

Either way OP, this is definitely a thing and is a good way to get your Fastlane started.

 

[Charnell]

What the author is describing is a job where an employee is paid to be available to perform a task, as opposed to being paid by results.
Thus, an excess of free time is created. A '40-Hour Workweek' on paper is actually only 15 Hours of RESULTS.

I'd say this is the primary reason Freelancing is on the rise.
Employers don't have to pay out nearly as many hours, and employees don't have to stick around on the clock twiddling their thumbs.

How is it useful to us?

I'd say if you have a job with excess time, then you're in an ideal position to use that time while on the clock to build a business.
I used to work in tech support part-time. We barely had support requests come in. Our workload could probably taken 8-12 hours a WEEK max.

With this excess time, I read the forum and built my first business in that desk.

Granted, we were given permission so it's not a moral issue...

Either way OP, this is definitely a thing and is a good way to get your Fastlane started.

The absolute ultimate for my internship like that was I took the last three weeks before classes started again to work from home. Work consisting of wiggling the mouse every 10 minutes while I was clocked in to see any emails coming in while working on my own stuff on my own computer.