Cheat Codes to a Better Life on Bench

To the non techie folks Bench is that dreaded 5 letter word which no techie wants to hear in general but more so in times of recession. If you are on put on bench what it essentially means is that there are no projects in the company on which you can work but you still got to show up in office and clock the required hours, hope to be allocated to a project and yes but you do get your full salary at the end of the month.

The main and only challenge of bench life is though of passing time without any work, trust me folks after the first few couple of weeks this does seem impossible. first couple of weeks you have loadsa ook to chat up with...loadsa of orkut profiles to catch up on...a bunch tiredness to get rid off and after that reality strikes and you are left counting every passing minute hoping for 5 pm to come faster.

So coming from a bench veteran here are a few tips to have a nice and peaceful extended bench life...

1. Read the same story in 2 or more papers and try to verify the facts figures in each

2. Take a pledge to try coffee from all the diff vending machines around...visit a new one everyday if not every time...

3. When u walk into a building pick an elevator and make sure u enter only that...if it comes first pick another one ;)...too bad if u r on the ground floor...

4. Learn a few new words in a technology u dont know and then go over to someone who is working on the technology and engage then in an 'intelligent discussion'

5. List out all the things that u know are wrong in ur previous proj list them out and report it so that atleast ur old mates would have work in the near future

6. Everyday morning list out 10 diff replies to the now familiar 'jibe' from friends 'so what u working on today'. Make sure u give them each a different answer like

       a. Getting ready to file a patent...

       b. working on how to propose to bill gates daughter

       c. Writing a editorial to newspaper n blah blah blah

       d. Standing for lok Shabha elections

7. Pick up sweets from people who you dont know wish them and ask them the ocassion

8. Note what each one is wearing everyday n find out how long it takes them to repeat the dress...improves u memory as well ;)

9. compose blogs like these...

10. And finally, actually do nothing at all for a while...and by nothing i mean nothing, no thinking, planning talking...nothing absolutely nothing...in other words do meditation and free urself of stress :D Atleast next time you will not utter statments like i am doing nothing at to people easily ;)

As ever guys lemme know your fav among the list and add to it

Cheers

SMC