6.07 AM
My alarm goes off, I’ve worked out the exact time to set my alarm so I am able to get everything done whilst still getting those extra few minutes of sleep. I like to start the day with a quick run or a walk with my dog Harry, today Harry and I manage a 3km stroll before breakfast.
6.45 AM
I’m back home, grab some breakfast, make my lunch and then have a speedy shower. Before heading to the train station, I do a last check of my bag to ensure I have everything for the day including my sneaky headset, which has a tendency to be left behind.
7.30 AM
I arrive at the train station, stealing the last spot in the carpark. I’m always a little nervous I am going to hear, “the train to Central will arrive on platform 4 in 2 minutes”. I know if I hear this when I’m locking the car, I only have a 50/50 chance of successfully negotiating the stairs to the platform in my work shoes.
8.00 AM
I arrive at the office, head straight to the kitchen to put my lunch in the fridge and quickly turn my computer on to check which desk I’ve booked for the day. I find my desk, sanitise the surfaces, check my calendar and open my emails ready for the day ahead. This is always a good time to have a quick chat to members of my team before everyone gets to work. The great thing about working within the Valuations team is everyday is different.
8.30 AM
Time to prepare for our team meeting, it’s my responsibility to present Street Talk news. This involves researching recent transactions that have occurred over the past week as well as any other relevant business news, market trends or potential business leads.
9.30 AM
I dial into our weekly team meeting. Being a flexible workplace some of the team are working from home today, it’s always entertaining to see which family pets will appear on camera and who has forgotten to brush their hair. Each week we discuss action items from the previous week, the workflow document and utilisation report. It’s my turn to present the Street Talk news. Before wrapping up the meeting, the team discusses relevant business or upcoming social events.
10.00 AM
Time to get back to the audit assist job I started working on last week. As part of the job I am responsible for reviewing and identifying any issues in relation to the client provided financial model and assessing the reasonableness of the adopted discount rates and various assumptions (e.g. inflation rates). In order to do so, I prepare a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) range from first principles and identify some comparable companies for further analysis. I then document these findings within a draft memo for review by my team Director.
12.30 PM
Where did the morning go, it’s time for lunch! After rounding up the troops, we sit in the kitchen and eat our lunch catching up on everyone’s weekend adventures.
1.30 PM
Back at my desk, I start researching and collating relevant data for the June/July issue of the Coal Bulletin. The Brisbane Valuations team releases a quarterly summary of the coal price forecast data and AUD:USD exchange rate forecasts. This is my second quarter helping out to prepare the report, I’ve learnt a few things along the way, including the fact that there is actually more than one type of coal.
3.00 PM
It’s time to grab a quick coffee from Level 19 and check in with some fellow graduates. Through some trial and error, we’ve been able to master the perfect mocha, which is a great boost for this time of the day.
3.15 PM
Whilst enjoying my mocha, I receive an email from a colleague in the Audit team regarding the job I was working on early today. I review the query and undertake some additional sensitivity analysis of the calculated net present value (NPV). I then give my Director a quick call to discuss the findings before responding to my colleague’s email.
4.00 PM
Our team has recently received a new engagement to undertake the valuation of a real estate portfolio. The engagement has a very tight schedule so as new client information becomes available; we must prioritise reviewing it over other activities. This afternoon some key residential data has been provided which I can now incorporate into the discounted cash flow model our team has been developing.
5.30 PM
As the day draws to a close, I make sure I have closed out all priority email requests, identified any outstanding tasks and planned my workflow for tomorrow.
5.45 PM
I quickly change out of my work clothes into my hockey gear and head to training. I am comforted by the fact that I am wearing joggers and if necessary, can safely sprint to the train.
8.00 PM
Back home, I grab some dinner and sneak in a 30 minute Netflix fix.
8.45 PM
I’m currently studying for my CFA exam and I’ve worked out that I need to read at least 100 pages a week to stay on schedule. Tonight I’m working through a section on Portfolio Management. I’m not sure why I thought study finished when I graduated university.
11.00 PM
Time for a shower, then a quick flick through the social networks before lights out.
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