Emily Scott

6.00 AM

The alarm goes off and a dog is scratching at my bedroom door. Time to get up, have breakfast (plus a coffee of course) and get ready for work!

7.00 AM

I’m riding my bike to work today so I’ve got my bag packed with my work clothes, lunch and other important items like my notebook or laptop (if they aren’t already at the office).

7.30 AM

I arrive at work and swipe my access card to get into the secure space underneath the building where I can lock up my bike. Next, it’s time to head to our end-of-trip facilities. There are always fresh towels, soap and enough showers to choose from. I can leave my travel clothes in one of the free lockable lockers for the day. There is also a hair dryer and straightener available if I need it. Once I’m ready for the workday I head up to my floor and pop my lunch in the fridge for later.

8.00 AM

Time to start work! I’m normally one of the first people from my team in the office. It’s great that we have flexible arrangements so my team and I can choose what time suits each of us best to arrive at work. We also have the option to work from home a day or two a week if it suits you. I’ve been in my second six-month rotation for a few months now so I’m feeling comfortable with my role in the team and what work I have to get done today. I always check my emails to start with and skim through any media articles that relate to my team’s work to be across any emerging issues.

8.15 AM

One of my tasks for today is to review a discussion paper my team received from another agency. I enjoy this type of work because you get to see what other teams are working on and how they might impact/relate to your area of work. Once I’m done I’ll send it off to my manager for approval before replying to the agency who is requesting feedback.

9.30 AM

Time for our weekly team meeting! These meetings are great to catch up with our team and get a bit of an update on what everyone’s priorities are for the next week. This helps in coordinating our work and making sure my manager knows who and when people in our team have extra capacity to take on additional work.

10.30 AM

It’s a Parliamentary Sitting week so I tune into the Ministerial Statements being read by the Government of the Day and Question Time. Listening to Parliament helps me know what the important issues are for the government. If there is anything that relates to my team’s work, I’ll let the rest of the team know so that we can get a head start on any requests that might come through as a result.

11.30 AM

Speaking of, my team has had an urgent request come through from the Minister’s office and my manager wants me to get started on it right away! Sometimes we get requests from the Director-General of our department, sometimes from other departments or simply a request from another team in our area that needs a policy perspective. These types of requests keep the day interesting.

12.30 PM

Time to eat something! I’ve brought my lunch today. However, there are some great restaurants at the base of the building that many people like to have lunch at during the work week. I heat my lunch in the microwave and head downstairs to eat with some of the other grads in my cohort who work in the same building. It’s great to chat with people who are in a similar position to you and to hear about how their work is going.

1.30 PM

I’ve taken the lead on an ongoing project the team have been working on. It involves some pretty large Excel spreadsheets and lots of data. Thankfully this is right up my alley and I’ve been enjoying working on this project.

3.30 PM

I’ve got a quick meeting with my manager to run through some questions I have for them and get a sense check on the work I’ve been doing. This is a fantastic opportunity to ask for feedback, raise any important issues or give my manager an update on the progress of my work.

4.00 PM

It’s time to go home. I ask my team if they need help with anything before I head off, and then I make my way down to the end-of-trip facilities to get changed into my travel clothes and grab my bike.

4.30 PM

I’m home and still puffing from the bike ride. My dog usually wants a walk or a play as soon as I get home. I hit the shower and start thinking about what I’ll make for dinner.

5.30 PM

I’ve decided on a pesto pasta for tonight. As I’m cooking, I catch up with my family on how their days were.

7.00 PM

I’m doing a puzzle at the moment, so I spend some time trying to find the right pieces while I’ve got the latest TV show series I’m watching. I am almost always slightly discouraged at how little I manage to do in a whole hour!

8.00 PM

I like to read for a bit before bed and then call my long-term long-distance partner to debrief about our days.

10.00 PM

Time to hit the hay and get a good night's sleep before waking up and doing the whole day over again!

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