I understand your plight.  It's hard work to TRY to look busy.  And it's boring.  I've been there more than once and don't like it either.  I keep thinking there's so much stuff I could be doing at home (sewing, cleaning my house, taking my kids to practice, etc.) You have several choices: 1) leave and go to a temporary agency if you don't find a job on your own.  At least with the temp agency, if you don't like the job, you don't have to stay there but it will give you money coming in while you are looking. 2) flat out ask your boss if there are things you can be doing for him/her to free them up. Really stress how important it is for you to be busy and feel like you're accomplishing something, and working on something challenging to keep up your skills. or 3) stay where you are and be glad that you've got a job paying you for doing nothing (sssshhhhhh! don't tell anyone!).