7.30 AM Getting ready for the day

I get up, get ready, grab my lunch and snacks from the fridge and head out.

8.10 AM Morning commute

I read while I catch the bus to work. My book is one day overdue at the library, so I'm determined to finish it today.

9.00 AM Breakfast in the office

I walk into the office, put my lunch in the fridge and grab breakfast (brekky foods are provided every Wednesday) and find a desk for the day. We hot desk in this office, so I find a free desk near the people I am likely to work with today. I start my day by checking emails and Microsoft Teams messages, addressing urgent items and flagging important ones. Today, I prioritise setting the agenda for the emerging professionals committee meeting. Using OneNote, I update the previous meeting's minutes, remove closed items, add new ones, and highlight incomplete actions. I also allocate time for each agenda item to keep our 30-minute meeting on track.

9.15 AM Project work

Now I tackle the important but not urgent emails. Today, these are mostly requests to review and export verification sets on a requirements software. While it can be confusing without knowledge of requirements engineering, I've been learning on the job since I started as a graduate. The tasks aren't difficult, but the project's size sometimes makes it tricky to determine the correct package number, location and design stage. I am developing a Safety Argument Report, which needs to cite evidence for a long list of safety assurance goals. I went through the report with my supervisor a few days ago, and we made many comments in the document for me to follow to finish it. It's easier doing this task in bite-sized pieces by looking at one comment at a time.

12.15 PM  Getting help and advice

For the report I have been working on, I need to export comments from the previous issue. I haven't done this before, so I ask someone that I think would have done this before and they walk over to my desk to show me.
 

12.30 PM Emerging Professionals Committee Meeting

I chair the emerging professionals committee meeting I prepared for earlier, running through the agenda on time and achieving all the outcomes we needed. This time of year, is quite busy for the committee as we plan three events: an Arup networking night for students interested in our graduate and vacation programmes, a coffee catch up and an interview with two senior staff. We are also registering for university networking events and supporting people pursuing engineering chartership.

1.15 PM Lunch with a friend

I really like working in the middle of the city because I can meet up with friends working at different companies. Today I met my friend in a nearby square for a bit of greenery.

2.00 PM Powering through the afternoon

I check any new emails that have arrived since this morning. These include newsletters, RSVPs for calendar invites, conversations I'm cc'd in and responses to my requests. I aim to maintain a zero inbox, so I move emails to folders or turn them into tasks or reminders as needed. Afterward, I continue the project work I started in the morning. I am looking through the exports I did today and earlier this week to update a tracker, but I realise I exported a 'final design' verification set instead of an 'issued for approval' set, which means the export is out of date and incorrect. I contact the designer to confirm my mistake before correcting it by re-exporting and sharing with the designer.

6.00 PM Getting crafty

I catch a tram out of the city and meet with a group of fellow crafters at a café where we chat, help each other out and compare projects. I saw stuffed toys, a carry bag for coffee, blankets and more today. I am working on a crochet cardigan and need some advice and encouragement to complete the cuffs.

8.00 PM Gym time

I eat a quick dinner when I get home before going to the gym. Usually, I go with friends but when I've got a busy evening, I will go by myself to keep things quick. I drop my book off at the library on the way home.

10.00 PM Wind down

The day is almost over, and I wind down with some knitting, working on a beanie. I also use this time to check my alarms, lunch and anything else I need ready for tomorrow.

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