Conor Oates

6.00 AM

Up bright and early to squeeze a run along Manly Bayside. It’s always a great chance to warm up my mind for the day while catching up on the newest TED-ED podcast. The uninterrupted bayside view takes care of the rest.

7.30 AM

Commute into the office and fit in some language practice on the busride.

9.00 AM

Grab a fresh apple from our work-kitchen and set out plan for the day. Review any emails that our international clients have sent and set out tasks I want to have done today.

10.00 AM

Virtual meeting with one of my teams. Being a nationalised and flexible firm, I can work with people in Sydney and Melbourne while also having the option to work from home! This gives greater opportunity to work in specialised teams; this morning we have a meeting in Mandarin to update our progress on one of our new clients.

10.30 AM

Quick coffee break at one of Brisbane’s newest café’s with my colleague. My ongoing review of the Brissy coffee scene continues.

11.00 AM

I set out the audit methodology, work paper and request list to test payables for the upcoming client. I have an open dialogue with my senior throughout the process as I bounce my ideas off of her and she gives input. In the office, everyone is on the same footing and I can have a casual conversation with her, the managers or even the partner.

12.00 PM

To save some coffee change, for lunch I have a meal that I prepped on the weekend. I take the opportunity to read the news and also have a chat with some of my colleagues.

1.00 PM

My manager and I have a quick discussion about upcoming travel opportunities. We discuss dates to book flights for stocktakes across Queensland and Australia. Because of our diverse client base, we also have the opportunity to go to countries such as Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu.

1.30 PM

Meeting with the CFO for the new client in Laos. Even though I’m just a grad, I get lots of opportunities to speak directly to the top brass of the clients we work with; a great advantage of working mid-tier. My team has helped me to prepare for the meeting and once I start, it feels more like friendly conversation.

2.30 PM

The client sends through the documents and I get into the nitty gritty. A lot of the work I get to do involves company level analysis, and provides me business-analysis skills I’ll have for the rest of my career. I draw upon the work I’ve done in my CA to come to a conclusion I’m happy with and can send to my senior for feedback.

4.00 PM

Slow down to first gear as I hit the afternoon and review some training documents. A lot of our development is both professional and personal helping to build resilience in both areas.

4.30 PM

Meeting with the other grads where we share a (pre-covid) travel photo of ourselves and have a few jokes.

7.00 PM

Grab a snack after work and head to the QUT sport fields to play some touch footy. Despite out lack experience and record losing streak, we’re convinced we’re improving.

8.30 PM

Hit the Netflix binge and get ready for the next day. Time to see if Carole Baskin really is guilty.