Harriet Gibson

6.45 AM

My first alarm goes off. I’ll hit snooze and have a quick scroll on my phone until my alarm rings again. I’ll jump out of bed, jump into the shower and start getting ready for the day. I’ll usually have a quick breakfast and a hot coffee, and then pack my lunch for the day.

7.45 AM

I live a 10-minute walking distance from the bus stop so I’ll usually check the bus timetable on my way. Living in Canberra city means the buses are often quite busy, so I try to take an earlier bus because they’re less full. At DCCEEW we have flexible hours, so if I start early, I can leave early too.

8:20 AM

It’s a quick bus trip to work and the bus stop is right outside our office. I’ll make my way into the building and take the stairs to my floor. As I settle into my desk, I’ll have a quick chat with my team in the office and I’ll send a morning ‘Hello’ message to my team working online. My team in my current rotation tend to start work between 7 am and 10:30 am so I can be very flexible with my schedule, but I do prefer to be in the office when a majority of the team is.

8:30 AM

I start my day by checking my emails and calendar to check for any priority tasks or meetings. Generally, my morning emails range from daily departmental media updates, team updates, responses I’ve been waiting on, or work I’ve been assigned by my team. After checking my emails, I’ll fill in my timesheet (and make sure I’ve filled in the days before) and fill out my team’s Task Tacker with any updates on projects I’m working on and any of the new work I’ve been assigned.

9:10 AM

I’ll write myself a daily to-do-list of all my responsibilities for the day and prioritize them based on importance and due date. I’ve found this useful to keep track of my responsibilities, especially, when I receive a brief that needs to be completed by COB, making all other work a low priority usually for the next day.

9.30 AM

I’ll reach out to some of the other graduates to see who’s free to grab a coffee or I’ll set up my weekly Coffee Roulette. Our graduate cohort has an ongoing Coffee Roulette, which is a great chance to grab a coffee catch-up with a fellow grad and have a one-on-one chat about work and life. It’s a fun way to start the day or fun break to have later in the day.

10.00 AM

Around this time, I’ll usually touch base with my supervisor to see what work I need to do or ask for any support. After our catch up, I’ll continue working independently and ask questions if needed. Now, I’m researching the risks and opportunities associated with the transition to net-zero, which quite broad but very fascinating!

12.30 PM

Time for lunch! Most days I’ll heat up my lunch and head outside to sit on some benches in the park with the other graduates. Other days, it’s fun to buy lunch with my team, we have lots of choices in our building’s café and at the nearby shops!

1.00 PM

I’ll have my section meeting. My team and I will grab our laptops and head down to our booked meeting room. Our online team will dial in on the big screen. Our team meetings tend to start by a general catch with everyone, and then our team leaders will share any updates or important messages for everyone.

1.45 PM

After our team meeting, most of us head out for a walk, an afternoon coffee and on a good day a hot cinnamon doughnut.

2:00 PM

I’ll spend this afternoon working through some of my graduate training classes. We usually have a few videos to watch, some short readings and discussion forums to complete.

3.00PM

Around this time, I’ll head upstairs for a tea with some of the other graduates for a little tea break and catch up. We’ve made a kitchen the go-to meeting place for our graduate tea breaks, so you’re always bound to run into a friend or find some treats in the cupboard.

3.15PM

I’ll continue to work through projects for my team, ticking off my to-do-list as I complete my tasks. I’ll also use this time in the afternoon to ask my supervisor any questions before they leave and to organise any meetings I need with other team members or stakeholders relating to my projects.

4.10 PM - 4.20 PM

Around this time, I’ll start to wind down and finish any important work, ensuring I’ve set up my finalised everything I’ve needed to for the day. I’ll fill in my timesheet and have a final touch base with my supervisor before I leave for the day.

5.00 PM

I’ll get home and unpack my bag. I’ll take care of household chores then get changed and I’ll either head to the gym or go for a run. After that, it’s time to organsie dinner so I’ll head to the shops to grab the groceries!

10.30 PM

It’s time for bed. I’ll usually do a one last scroll through my phone and then check my alarm is on and volume up. I’ll read a book for a while and then it’s lights off for the day. 

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