Training while at work? (Slow)

DatabaseHead

Some of you know that I recently taken a new position, all is well.  Everyone is nice, been learning some things but it's been slow.  All my benefits, direct deposit even corporate training has been knocked out....   Travel card everything I can think of.....    

My assumption why, well I was hired the week before Christmas, that probably has something to do with it 
The position is remote and my boss is out for 2 weeks 
Expectations were set I would travel mid Jan to meet some stakeholders

Nothing else in particular comes to mind

I have some limited reporting to review that I gained access too.  The BI development tool hasn't been installed quite yet so.....   I've decided to run through some CBT's of  the dashboard tool I'll be developing in.  Sounds legit too me.....   

Just being in secure I suppose.  

Thoughts?

EANx

The holidays can be a tough time to get hold of someone but I think it's a good time to bang out things many people find challenging to accomplish otherwise. Does the company have any required HR training you can do? Maybe project docs for the tool you'll be working with? If I were in your manager's place, I wouldn't have a problem with the CBTs but I'd prefer something company specific.

clarson

well, I used to work for a company that wouldn't make changes during the last month of a quarter.  You would have to explain why the change had to be done during that month and couldn't wait to the next month to the change control committee.  So, yes, you could make necessary changes.  but the objective was to not have any avoidable changes affect the manufacturing process.

sounds great, not doing anything for 1 month out of 3.  not quite.  during that month we did planning, training, testing, ordering supplies, prepositioning supplies, documentation, etc.  A lot of details have to be done so those few hours of downtime can be used effectively.

Like people say "plan your work and work you plan".  is this part of your plan?  if not your doing non work related activities.

you have a meeting with stakeholders that your going to travel to.  do you have an agenda for this meeting?  do you know what kind of questions will be brought up?  Do you have the answer to these questions?  Do  you think your just going to this meeting so you can just nod whenever one of them speaks?  Could you be better prepared for the meeting?

there is that old saying "it is always easier to manage someone else's time than your own".  how would you have someone prepare for this meeting?

ThePawofRizzo

It is generally a bit slower in December at my work with the holidays, end of year, etc.  Our company doesn't like a lot of change in December and January due to closing, budget adjustments, holidays, etc.  So, I suspect you are just seeing that in your new job.

DatabaseHead

Appreciate the solid feedback.  One thing I noticed the team has a lot of veterans with the company.  We are talking several folks with 15 or more years....   In conjunction with that they are required to use ALL leave before the new year starts......   I suspect they burn a boat load towards the end.... 

DZA_

DatabaseHead said:

Appreciate the solid feedback.  One thing I noticed the team has a lot of veterans with the company.  We are talking several folks with 15 or more years....   In conjunction with that they are required to use ALL leave before the new year starts......   I suspect they burn a boat load towards the end.... 

I was in a similar position last year - I've just got hired (November) into an enterprise and it was going into the holiday season. Much of the folks were out of the office and I was balancing my time doing a little bit of project work / documentation to keep me busy. There were some days that I was doing ISACA QAE DB questions and passed my CISM in March although it has been quite different this year around. For company policy, I was forced to use my vacation days burning about 11 days on top of the statuary holidays that we have. Overall I have been off since the 13th and won't return on Jan 2nd. It's pretty great feeling where you don't have to think about work and still have a job to come back into the new year.  I believe the defacto standard for the ITS Engineering team is about 4 weeks of vacation. 

Danielm7

DatabaseHead said:

Appreciate the solid feedback.  One thing I noticed the team has a lot of veterans with the company.  We are talking several folks with 15 or more years....   In conjunction with that they are required to use ALL leave before the new year starts......   I suspect they burn a boat load towards the end.... 

Same situation at my workplace, we can carry over a few days but the place is a ghost town for the last 2.5 weeks in December. Use it or lose it vacation policy causes these things. Even the people who didn't take PTO are remote and just checking in. We just hired someone who was ready to start right around mid December but we didn't want them to sit there by themselves for weeks just spacing out. 

chrisone

your issue is with funding for training? or downtime? sorry I couldn't really make out what the issue was. Also what are you trying to study?

DatabaseHead

chrisone said:

your issue is with funding for training? or downtime? sorry I couldn't really make out what the issue was. Also what are you trying to study?

Basically I am really new, week 3 and I am not getting any projects, requirements etc....   I did interview a few people to capture requirements and forwarded them on to the boss man....  

It's just been really slow and I like project work and cranking out work.  I'm in a pattern where I am reviewing CBT's at least 2/3 the day.  

All the HR training etc....   Has been completed.  

chrisone

Oh I understand, so its just a matter of everyone coming back from the holidays. I am sure the boss has a lot geared up for you this year hence why they needed to hire someone. I am sure their legal department is aware of potentially being sued by hiring someone, not giving them work, then firing them. You can't mess with people like that so it is safe to say, they have a lot of worked lined up in 2019 and need your help. By month 6 - 8 if its scary quiet, work is unfulfilling, I would talk to your boss or think about moving on. 

DatabaseHead

chrisone said:

Oh I understand, so its just a matter of everyone coming back from the holidays. I am sure the boss has a lot geared up for you this year hence why they needed to hire someone. I am sure their legal department is aware of potentially being sued by hiring someone, not giving them work, then firing them. You can't mess with people like that so it is safe to say, they have a lot of worked lined up in 2019 and need your help. By month 6 - 8 if its scary quiet, work is unfulfilling, I would talk to your boss or think about moving on. 

Chris great post makes a lot of sense, appreciate it.  

Ertaz

Has anyone told you about online poker?  You could double your $ while you're waiting...

DatabaseHead

Fair enough!

scaredoftests

Talk to your boss first in regard to training before things ramp up.  My boss let me while I had to wait to gain access to everything.