5.30 AM

Wake up, get in activewear, drink a coffee and head to the gym. 

7.50 AM

Return home, make breakfast and get ready for the day ahead. 

8.00 AM

I don’t change out of gym gear. Instead I pack my clothes and cycle to work and shower there. I have a locker at work that has all the essentials in case I accidentally forget something. 

8.30 AM

Arrive at work, shower and change, login and check emails.

9.00 AM

Do a daily media round-up for the team by scouring the web for relevant articles before circulating them to the team. Check the correspondence across the division and chase up items that are running on tight deadlines. 

9.30 AM

Attend a policy meeting with colleagues and other relevant agencies. 

10.30 AM

Grab a quick coffee from downstairs. Iced-Long black is the order, and it pairs perfectly with a fresh cinnamon doughnut from the café. Once caffeine is in hand, it’s time to return to the desk and work on a brief for an international visit for the Prime Minister. The brief will outline the key items that the Prime Minister needs to be aware of that are relevant to our team. The brief will need to be concise so that he can quickly digest the essentials whilst on the plane. I will cross-reference this information with colleagues from the Cyber Security team and also International division to ensure accuracy and consistency. 

1.00 PM

It’s lunchtime and I’m itching for food after busting out that brief. Most days, I pack lunch and head to the Rose Garden’s across the road to catch up with other grads and soak up some Vitamin D. If I forget to pack lunch, a nearby café makes a mean Reuben sandwich, which is hard to pass upon.

2.00 PM

Head back into the office and check in with the team. We are often invited to attend talks by prominent speakers either within our Department, or at some of the neighbouring Departments. John Garnaut is speaking at DFAT and I am being sent to listen and take notes. I pack my notebook and stroll over to DFAT for the presentation. 

3.30 PM

Walk back to PM&C. I grab my laptop and head downstairs for a Social Club meeting. As part of Social Club, I coordinate the Snack Shack on the 3rd floor which services the whole Department, and goes towards the departmental Christmas party. I’ll update Social Club on sales and listen to any feedback and suggestions. It may sound like a small role, but when the Department is going through Senate or Budget Estimates, stock depletes fast and employees need their sugar fix to work long shifts.

4.30 PM

Run back upstairs to continue working on briefs. I’m often given ad hoc tasks by people in my team which can vary in their nature. At times, it might be researching a topical issue in the media, or chasing up work that stakeholders are handling. 

5.15 PM

I check to see if there are any urgent requests that are sitting with the team. If not, I pack up my desk and head downstairs to my bike. 

6.00 PM

In winter, I play rugby for a local club in Canberra. We usually kick off around 6pm and train for 90 minutes. Afterwards I cycle home and shower. 

8.00 PM

I usually enjoy dinner at home, however, one of the other grads has invited me for Laksa at a local restaurant, and that’s an offer I simply can’t refuse. 

9.30 PM

Head home, unwind and get ready for whatever tomorrow has in store.