Allyana Trajano

7.30 AM

I get up with just enough time to make my favourite breakfast avocado on toast. Realising my train’s coming soon, I take my breakfast to go, and eat the rest on my walk to the station.

8.30 AM

After a 30-minute train ride, I arrive at the Sydney CBD office and greet my teammates to have a quick chat and catch up on the previous night’s antics, I log onto my work computer and message my team to let them know I am online.

I just recently started my second rotation in the Data Management team. Previously, I was in Public Groups and International (PGI) where I worked closely with international tax and transfer pricing risks. As a graduate in the taxation stream, it’s an exciting opportunity to experience different sides of the ATO and utilise both my Accounting and Information Systems degrees.

9.00 AM

First thing I do when I log into my computer is check my calendar for any meetings, so I can plan out my day. I check my emails and action any items on my to-do list. Usually, my emails come from my team leader assigning new tasks or clients that have responded to information requests I sent the previous day. As part of the Data Management team, I assist the team by sending information request emails or calling third party data providers to discuss acquisition of specific data required by various business lines within the ATO.

10.00 AM

Time for a tea break! I meet a few of the other graduates in the kitchen for a cuppa; this is one of the best parts of my day. Since most grads are in different teams, it’s a great opportunity to catch up and learn more about other teams within the ATO and what the grads are working on.

10.30 AM

I have a weekly team meeting on WebEx to check on the progress of our projects and to see if anyone requires assistance. Our projects can range from data acquisition, governance, privacy, data matching, among others. These projects are essential in ensuring the data taxpayers use when they lodge their tax returns and data used by internal ATO teams for review and audit purposes are accurate, secure, and used responsibly. I enjoy working at the ATO for the variety of work available. The team also gets to catch up, which is a great way to connect since we’re spread across multiple states. Sometimes if we work from home, cute puppies join the meeting too!

11.30 AM

I have some training booked in with the other graduates to get a better understanding of data privacy and governance which will assist us with our work in the Data Management team. The training at the ATO is wonderful as it offers a great opportunity for on the job learning and further developing my skillset. I’m very thankful to be part of an organisation with such a wealth of knowledge and that invests in staff training and development.

12.30 PM

Lunchtime! Since my building is in the middle of the Sydney CBD, there’s so many food options to choose from. My favourite also just happens to be next door. You can never go wrong with Japanese Sukiyaki for lunch during winter.

2.30 PM

Time for a meeting with my mentor for the Graduate Program task. Each taxation graduate needs to complete a case study and have a mentor to guide them through the task. The case study mimics a review of a taxpayer who recently lodged a tax return. From this case study, we learn how to understand client needs and behaviours, examine tax risks, and determine the best course of action whether to proceed with an audit or close the case. This task assists graduates in developing our problem solving, analytical and communication skills which we can apply in our own case work and projects.

During the meeting, I ask questions to clarify my understanding of the case study and to check if I’m on the right track. Our mentors come from various positions and business teams so it’s also a great way to get advice and learn about their variety of work.

3.30 PM

I go through my emails and check if the data providers responded to my request for information. When they respond, I report this to my team leader, and I conduct a data quality assurance check. Some of the data sent may include outliers caused by data entry errors or other factors so it’s important to get back to the data providers and ask about any outliers or changes in their data from previous years.

4.21 PM

I complete my timesheet, organise my emails, file project-related correspondence and send my team leader updates on tasks that may need reviewing. It’s now time to log off, I say goodbye to my team and head home to rest and recharge for tomorrow.

Thinking of experiencing life as an Australian Taxation Office Graduate? Sign up with Prosple to receive job alerts for Australian Taxation Office.