Hunter Bayer

6.00 AM

On the days I go into the office, I typically wake up around 6.00 am to allow myself enough time to get ready for the day (can’t forget the skincare routine!) so that I can attempt to eat a semi-decent breakfast before heading in.

I prefer getting to the office before 9.00 am as it makes me feel more productive in the morning. As a later rise, getting out the door early was initially difficult, but it has become natural over time.

8.15 AM

I usually arrive at work between 8.15 am and 8.45 am depending on the train and I always listen to music on the journey in. Our building on Collins Street is very close to the train station so it’s only a short walk to the office.

I usually start my mornings (especially on a Monday) by going through my emails and replying to anything important, noting down tasks as I begin to plan out my day and week. I also check my calendar for any meetings or events. Today, I have a regular weekly national catch-up with the Innovation Incentives team, as well as a daily stand-up meeting with the Government Grants team. We use these meetings to bring everyone up to speed on what the tasks are for the day/week and general conversation.

Since I am in the office a little earlier today, I decided to use my time to check some of the government websites for any new announcements about grant programs.

10.00 AM

Following both meetings, I have a clear view of what I’ll be doing for the rest of the day. It's important for the team to continuously check in with each other over the course of the day to see how things are tracking and whether any other urgent client tasks arise. 

The highest priority for me this morning is to review the feedback notes a client has left for us on the Project Plan we drafted for their company last week. We regularly seek written feedback from clients in our documents to ensure we are delivering work to a high standard that the client is happy with. I spend the rest of the morning reading through those notes and doing some additional research to get a broader understanding of some of their comments.

By the end of the morning, I have made some adjustments to the Project Plan document based on what the client said, as well as marked up parts to further question them about.

12.00 PM

In this line of work, every day is different and sometimes you have a big workload and need to be able to manage that. This week appears to be extremely busy so I’m having a shorter lunch break to get back to work as soon as possible. The view from our balcony is incredible and I've loved this part of the city ever since I started working here.

12.30 PM

After getting back from my lunch break, I start working on some onboarding for several clients. This is a tedious task but is important in the preparation to deliver the work for a client. One of the tasks I’m focussed on today is filling out CERA forms for some clients, which ensures we have researched the company thoroughly and understand any risks involved with them.

2.30 PM

As my team is growing, there has been lots of opportunity to get involved in the business development side of what we do, and I have been involved in drafting multiple proposals and Engagement Letters over the last few weeks.

Our basic proposal template is our way of highlighting to the potential client what our strategic approach is to delivering work, what our service offerings are, what we may do differently to competitors and our estimated fees for the proposed engagement. 

5.10 PM

Time to fill in my timesheet and start packing up for the day.

5.15 PM

It’s time to leave the office and catch the train home.

After eating dinner, I usually try to relax in some way. Tonight, I’ve gone for a bit of a drive down to some local basketball courts to see some friends.

I try to wind down for the rest of the night and get to bed before midnight so I’m ready for the next day.