Julie Nguyen

6.00 AM

My alarm rings mid-dream, and I’m stuck figuring out whether this ringing is a part of my dream or happening in real life. It’s been going on for a while now, it’s probably real. I get up and get ready with one eye open.

7.00 AM

I do my final bag check to make sure I’ve got my laptop, mouse, glasses, water bottle and lunch. Once that’s mentally ticked off, I jump into my car and head to the train station. For once, I’m not rushing for the 7.20 am train.

8.21 AM  

I walk to the office with my AirPods playing my big 90’s Dance Party playlist to hype myself up for the day. When I make it up to the office on level 34, the first thing I do is grab a window seat, make myself a cup of green tea and say hi to anyone I pass by on my routine morning journey to the kitchen. You get a glimpse of Sydney Harbour when you sit by the window seat.

8.30 AM

I open up my laptop and settle down. I start by checking my calendar, so I know if I have any meetings on for the day, followed by my emails and Teams messages. Once all the obligatory admin work is out of the way, I start working on the proposal that is due today. Although it’s due today, I’m not stressed. My proposal team and I have been working hard throughout the week to get this point and the report only needs a couple of final touches.

9.30 AM

I receive a message from my Project Manager asking me to incorporate some client feedback into the workshop agenda and slides for an upcoming workshop next week. I finish off my work on the proposal and jump into updating our workshop materials.

10.30 AM

It’s time for a break from project work. I have a catch-up with my buddy – who was assigned to help me out when I first started at Nous. We usually go for a walk, but it’s raining outside so we grab some snacks and tea, and head to the office couches for a chat. We talk about how we’ve been going on our projects, interesting and challenging things that have happened throughout the week, and our crazy weekend plans. Here’s a photo of us trying to pose for a ‘candid’ photo. After our chat, I go back to doing some more work before jumping into my next meeting.

12.00 PM

I book a room for a meeting with one of my colleagues to talk about Multicultural Nous – a Nous network for like-minded people to come together and celebrate and promote diversity in the workplace. He’s asked if I would like to help organise a ‘campfire’ session for the Sydney office and I was keen to find out more about how I can help. After navigating some technical issues, I finally got him up on the big screen.

1.00 PM

Lunchtime! I grab my lunch from the fridge, heat it and join my colleague at the lunch table. Today, I caught up with the Project Manager from one of my previous projects and asked her about what she’s working on now. She tells me she’s going to Melbourne next week for a workshop, so we start talking about how confusing Melbourne’s tram-free zones are.

1.30 PM

I wrap up the lunch conversations and move back to my desk. I grab another tea to help me push through the post-lunch afternoon slump. I get back to working on the workshop slides on PowerPoint. I get an email asking me to write a bio for a proposal that I’ve been written into. It’s due tomorrow, but I have a busy day tomorrow, so I’ll make some time to write it later this afternoon.

3.30 PM

Time for a change of scenery. I’ve decided to attend the Sustainable Development update meeting in person. Coming from a health background, I’ve never really considered working in the Sustainable Development sector, but I was curious about what projects Nous is working on in this space. I was pleasantly surprised! The meeting showcased many projects that piqued my interest, so I put up my hand and asked some questions.

4.30 PM

I’m sitting right behind my colleague who is working on the proposal I’ve been written into. I conveniently turn my chair around and ask her some more questions about the proposal, so I can tailor my bio to the proposal. She gives me some good insight and good points to include. I spend some time writing my bio and finishing off some project work.

5.30 PM

I clean up my desk, strike up quick conversations with my colleagues about what they’ve been up to and when they’re going to be in the office next, and finally say goodbye to people sitting around me. I head for the train, put in my AirPods and relax on the train home.

6.50 PM

I arrive home, dump my bag down, and rush to my dog to give her a cuddle. I heat some leftovers for dinner, kick my feet up and watch some How I Met Your Mother.

9.30 PM

I head to bed. It’s an early night for me today. I’m not going into the office tomorrow, so I’ll have time to head to the gym in the morning. Some ill-advised scrolling on my phone and then it lights out.

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