Lauren

I have been given to opportunity to go to Melbourne for the Google Cloud Summit with some of my colleagues.

We fly down the afternoon before and check into our hotel.

7:30

I start the day early to make the most of my time here. We are staying at a hotel in the city, so I stroll down the streets of Melbourne on the hunt for some quality Melbournian coffee. After reconvening with my colleagues at the hotel, we leisurely walk over to the conference centre, excited about what’s in store for the day.

8:30

We arrive at the conference and plan out the day. There are lots of interesting sessions to choose from, all being run by industry-leading companies. I chose some of my sessions based off projects that I am responsible for at work involving API development, to hopefully learn something new about building APIs and inspire ideas, others I chose because it’s a space I’m not so familiar in, like cyber security, but spark my interest to learn about something new.

12:00

The morning sessions were great! Over lunch we have the opportunity to network with other people at the conference and companies that have come to demonstrate some of their new offerings. It’s a great time to make connections and hear about what other companies are working on. I exchange a few emails to reconnect with people and continue these conversations when I get back home.

5:00

After some more thought-provoking sessions in the afternoon, the summit concludes with some participant drinks where we have another opportunity to meet like-minded people and share our thoughts on the day. Then, we head off with a notepad full of ideas and a bag full of merch.

7:00

We end the day by soaking up some more of what Melbourne has to offer, whist exchanging ideas on how we bring our learnings back to the team. My colleagues and I slowly make our way to a great spot for dinner and hop on a tram ride back to the hotel.

Filippo

8am

For as much as I try to change into a morning person, I still like to sleep as much as possible and then rush to the shower and quickly get ready before taking a walk to the office and use the fresh air to properly wake up.

9am

I work in more than one project so based on what day of the week it is I decide on what floor I’ll sit and then quickly check my emails, teams, and notes in case there is any urgent task for me to complete. It does not take long before I am out of the door again for my first coffee run of the day with a workmate. I try to use my days in the office to connect with colleagues as much as possible.

10am

This is when I normally have my daily stand-ups with one or more teams. I find it very useful to understand what other team members are working on and what I can do to help. Similarly, I get to talk about what I worked on as well as what are my plans for the day. This is normally when I ask for help if I need someone else to work on something with me. Maintaining regular catch ups with the team ensures that we are all across what is happening within our Space.

I then start responding to any less urgent emails I left from earlier in the morning and work on tasks that are assigned to me. This is also when I start thinking about what I feel like having for lunch.

12:30pm

At this point I have normally made a decision regarding my lunch plan so I meet up with some workmates and we head out to grab some food. The length of my lunch break varies a lot depending on my afternoon schedule and the weather.

Ideally, my next meeting is not until 2pm and I get to have a nice lunch and a quick stroll around Circular Quay where I get my second coffee of the day.

2pm

Back to the office I normally try to schedule as many meetings as possible during my office days so that I get to meet people face to face so my afternoons are often filled with catch-ups and planning sessions. Every meeting normally goes for 30 minutes so that is a lot of people I get to see and talk to every day!

3:30pm

This is when I normally try to disconnect for 5 minutes and take a solitary break in the kitchen. What I do during this break varies a lot based on the day that I had but I generally scroll through my phone while having water or my last coffee of the day.

4pm

I try not to book any meeting after this time as people are normally getting ready to go home and might not be available. I often use this time to close off as many items as possible from my to-do list and make sure every support ticket raised against my team are actioned.

This is also when I draft up a v1 of my to-do list for the day after.

5pm

Home time! I like to talk back home and take a break from any work thought by listening to some music and calling my family. On my way home I get to pass by my favourite shops so it is not uncommon that I do some shopping after work (especially if I had a busy day). I then spend the rest of my night meeting up with friends and watching TV before getting ready for another day at work.

Adena

9am - Getting Started

At the start of the day, I settle into my home workspace and review my to-do list. I skim through emails and catch up on any urgent requests or meetings scheduled for the day. I also use this time to prepare an update to share with my team at our morning stand-up meeting. At 9:30am I join a virtual team call, where each team member will briefly discuss their progress from the previous day. This is a valuable opportunity to coordinate with the team.

10am - Analysis Work

Working in data analytics is an exciting journey where I combine technical expertise, analytical thinking and creative storytelling. I explore data landscapes, using data manipulation and visualisation tools to uncover meaningful trends. This work provides strategic guidance for enhancing customer experiences and optimising operational efficiency. Tasks may include data investigations, designing dashboards and crafting presentations to communicate our findings to stakeholders. During this time, I will often join brief virtual meetings with team members to collaborate on complex tasks and share insights.

12:00pm - Lunch Break

After a full morning of data exploration, it is time to take a break. I like to incorporate physical activity into my lunch break by going for a short stroll outdoors. I also log into a virtual Pilates or meditation session livestreamed weekly from the office. Sometimes I have a virtual catch-up with the other grads who are placed in different teams.

1pm – Back to work

When I get back I continue from where I left off in the morning. I often need to spend this time testing new analytics improvements I have implemented. My fellow data analysts will also provide helpful feedback on my work which I incorporate. I may also spend some time documenting my work for our stakeholder groups. As there have been many new tools and techniques to pick up in my role, I may also spend some time engaging in self-guided learning to improve my skills.

2pm – Collaborative Meetings

I attend meetings with cross-functional teams including business stakeholders, managers and fellow analysts. These sessions aim to align data analysis initiatives with business objectives, discuss project progress and address any challenges. I often assist in delivering a presentation on the team’s most recent findings. These meetings are also a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of the business and understand how all teams fit together. Throughout the week there are various virtual meetings hosted by other parts of the business that I can join to maintain my awareness of key updates and changes happening in the business.

4:30pm – Wrapping Up

As the day winds down, I wrap up on my tasks, and update the records of my progress for the day. I prioritise my tasks for the next day and ensure I am prepared for any early morning meetings. At 5:00pm it is time to log off and because I am already at home I can relax straight away. I use this time to un-plug from technology and re-energise for the next day.

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