Jiachen Yuan

8.00 AM Starting the day

I wake up to my alarm. I grab a quick breakfast. It’s a blueberry muffin.

9.00 AM Arrival at the office

I make my way to Level 7 of our office building where yesterday I used Bookit our internal App to book myself a desk near the window. The view is great, and the natural light helps keep me energized. I connect my laptop to external monitors, adjust the display settings, and dive into my emails and calendar.

9.30 AM It’s coffee time!

I catch up with a few colleagues and we head downstairs for a coffee. It’s a small ritual that helps us stay connected and share snippets of our lives outside of work. We chat about our weekends, current projects and any interesting news we’ve come across. 

10.00 AM Weekly Meeting

Our weekly Business Analyst (BA) meeting is a cornerstone of my week. We rotate hosting duties, and today is my turn. I update our BA kanban board with the status of my projects and listen as my colleagues do the same. It’s a mix of sharing progress, plans and troubleshooting any issues that have arisen. Our lead concludes the meeting with updates and upcoming tasks.

11.00 AM Daily Stand-up

Next, I attend the daily stand-up for our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project. The meeting includes our project manager, end users (who also handle testing), and the development team. My role involves writing user stories and clarifying high-level requirements. Today, I update the team on the last workshop with the end users and outline the next steps.

12.00 AM Lunch

I usually grab lunch with colleagues or team members. Today, we’re heading to a Malaysian restaurant I booked last week. The tram ride there is a nice break from the office. I order the Curry Beef Rice, which is delicious. After lunch, we enjoy a leisurely walk back to the office, chatting and unwinding.

1.30 PM Focus Time

The afternoon is when I get my most focused work done. I dive into a variety tasks, ensuring that I make the most of this productive period. I start by reviewing the user stories for a CRM project, ensuring each user story has clear and concise acceptance criteria. To stay ahead in my field, I spend some time on LinkedIn learning which is free to all Cenitex employees. I select courses that enhance my skills and knowledge, and I am currently studying Azure administration.

3.00 PM Weekly catch-up with my BA Mentor

I have a team meeting with my BA buddy. We discuss my work, and he gives me some suggestions about what to do next.

4.30 PM Review of daily tasks

I review my daily task list, ticking off completed items and noting what needs to be tackled tomorrow. I send out a few last-minute emails and ensure my workspace is tidy. 

4.45 PM Home time

I leave the office and take the tram back home.

5.20 PM Time for some exercise 

Once home, I change into my sports gear and head to the gym in my apartment building. A quick workout helps me recharge and clear my mind.

6.30 PM Dinner time

My partner arrives home, and we have dinner together. He’s prepared a tasty meal, and it’s a great time to catch up on each other’s day.

8.00 PM Time to chill

We relax by watching a TV series. It’s our way to unwind and enjoy some downtime together.

11.00 PM Nighty night

It’s time for bed. I usually spend about half an hour on my phone, scrolling through Instagram and catching up with friends before I fall asleep.

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