Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
Thomas Kirby
7.30 AM
Sometimes I’m up and about early but while I’ve been working from home, without a commute, I have a habit of hitting snooze a few too many times. Luckily, my desk isn’t too far away, so I can still move at a leisurely pace, head to my local café for a coffee and pseudo-commute and log on earlier than I’d normally arrive in the city.
8.30 AM
Once I’ve logged on, I’ll glance at my calendar and emails to mentally plan my day. It’s better to start in the calendar to see how free I am, than the emails where I’ll inevitably get distracted on the first action item.
9.00 AM
While I’m still feeling fresh, I like to get stuck into some of the more technical tasks I’ve got going. These tasks vary, sometimes they’re quality checks, making sure spatial data is accurate, but lately I’ve been trying to build some 3D datasets as part of a digital innovation project.
10.30 AM
Today I’ve got a virtual morning tea with my team, it’s a casual meeting to stay connected. They’ve been a good way to get to know my colleagues and informally network. I really appreciate the positive culture that we’ve been able to maintain, despite all working remotely (sometimes never having met face to face).
11.00 AM
After the catchup, it’s time to finish off my morning tasks. If things go to plan, I’ll get some of the 3D data working and scale up the process to make sure it works before I move on. Unfortunately, no such breakthrough today so I’ve just taken some notes and I’ll come back with a fresh approach later.
12.30 PM
After crunching away all morning it’s time for lunch. One of the perks of working from home is that I never forget my lunch. ‘A dollar saved is a dollar earned’ or some cliché probably fits here, but I’m prone to heading out for lunch and still manage to spend my house deposit at local restaurants.
1.00 PM
After a quick lunch, I’m back at my desk for a weekly project stand-up. I reel off what I’ve been working on and get to hear the same from the wider team. It’s really helpful to learn what people’s job titles means in practice and it is another opportunity to network – everyone’s more than happy to set up a virtual chat and talk about what they do and how they got there.
2.00 PM
Mid afternoon hits and it’s an excellent time to catchup on emails and make sure I’m tracking well for the day. I’ll make sure I haven’t missed anything important and send off some replies.
2:30 PM
It’s time to get stuck into something different for the afternoon and today it’s assessing the interface for some new interactive reports. It’s a little mundane, making sure it’s pulling the correct data and that all the links work, but it’s ultimately setting me up to maintain and create fit for purpose reports into the future and upskill in a new software.
4.00 PM
Today’s work wraps up with a contractor meeting where we discuss project progress, issues and any ways that we can improve. While I don’t often have much to say during these meetings, it is helpful to see how my work fits in the context of the wider project. Plus, its great to see how my colleagues work and communicate. Being a grad really affirms that everything is a learning opportunity, even when I’m just observing.
5.00 PM
The workday ends and I make sure to shut my laptop off and unwind from work with another pseudo commute. A walk along Moonee Ponds creek is a nicer way to end the day than a tram ride.
5.30 PM
Back from my walk, and while the evenings are still long, I’ve been refurbishing an old bike for the eventual return to the office. While I’m not sure exactly when that will be, the perks of storage and end of trip facilities at the office sound like a nicer prospect than peak hour public transport.
7.00 PM
The rest of my evening looks pretty similar to before I started the grad program. I’ll still make dinner and hang out with my housemates for a while before winding down and heading to bed later in the evening.