Laura Moller

7:30 AM

After snoozing my alarm a few too many times I manage to get out of bed and ready for work – playing energetic music to keep myself awake. I usually take my breakfast in with me to the office to eat when I get in; this morning it’s raspberries and yoghurt. I walk to the train station each morning, and I’ve managed to make friends with the neighbourhood magpies so they no longer swoop me every few meters.

9:00 AM

I arrive at work in Docklands, Melbourne after battling through the wind which feels like it comes straight off the Antarctic at this time of year. We have shared spaces in the office, so I collect my laptop from my locker and claim a desk. I multitask, checking through emails and eating breakfast until I’m a bit more awake. 

9:30 AM

My current team provides strategic reporting to General Managers in Technology, and they also do a lot of the invoice payment for Technology suppliers. We are starting some process improvement workshops to see what we can automate, so I help out with brainstorming and assigning tasks to the team to follow up. 

10:30 AM

I spend an hour or so working on a VBA script I’m developing, we have around 400 pieces of data we need to change (in XML format) based on what the content is. I studied Visual Basic .Net at Uni, so the coding language is fairly similar. After extracting the content, I use vlookups in the script to match and find the new info, then insert it back in and export the file. This would have taken weeks and weeks to do manually, and been highly error prone, but instead I was able to do it in just a few days. 

11:30 AM

Next is a coffee catch up with Sarah Moran (Co-founder and CEO of Girl Geek Academy) to get some tips on an upcoming hackathon pitch. My team’s idea is to create a technology platform that enables the sharing of fresh food within NAB. If someone has an overabundance of apples on their tree, they can bring them into work for other people to take. Fingers crossed for the pitch day, where we’ll be presenting to several hundred other employees!

12:30 PM

I heat up my food in the kitchen and then go sit down by the pier in Docklands. It’s also lovely to walk along if it’s a warm day. I have recently got addicted to eBooks on my phone (Library app which is free), so I’ll often sit and read by the water.

1:30 PM

As part of a NAB Graduate Business Challenge, I’m working with a team of 5 other grads to help develop a communication strategy for NABility, our employee resource for people with disabilities. They are looking at how they can improve membership and awareness of the support they can provide to employees. I love visual design and problem solving, so I’m excited to see how I can help out.

3:00 PM

I signed up for a conference a while ago about Cyber Security. It’s a topic I keep hearing about, so I want to improve my understanding of it. The event is great for networking; I get to meet some of NAB’s Cyber Security employees and the Head of Cyber Security from ANZ. In the conference, we learn about some of the fundamentals of cyber security, and how the human element is often where the biggest threat lies. There was a business card draw midway through, and I won! I don’t actually have business cards yet, so I got creative with watercolours and made some of my own.

5:30 PM

I pack up for the day and head home on the train, listening to music on my phone and planning what I might want to have for dinner tonight. 

6:00 PM

After arriving home at my place, I get changed into exercise gear and go on my 10km run. A group of 16 graduates are training for Tough Mudder in support of Guide Dogs Victoria. I don’t even really love running (more of a cycling person), but I do love a challenge so I’m trying to get fit enough to get through the 18kms plus military style obstacles. I signed up for a running app, Zombies Run!, and so far it’s working well…nothing like hearing zombies groaning in your ears to motivate you to run faster!

7:00 PM

Since I live on my own, I cook my own dinner. Tonight I make a healthy stir fry with lots of veggies and meat sourced from Queen Vic Market on my weekend shop. I cook enough for tomorrow too so I don’t have to buy my lunch. Living on your own definitely has its benefits, but unfortunately it means I have to wash the dishes as well…  

8:30 PM

I found a new Marvel TV show (The Gifted) to be addicted to, so I binge watch several episodes and have to stop myself from staying up all night watching. I also check out the latest Tech news and discover a new type of role in Denmark (a Techplomat – Technology/Diplomat). Their job is to represent their country and liaise with the major tech companies. Definitely seems like an awesome idea.

10:30 PM

I realise I have to wake up early for a meeting tomorrow so I have a quick shower and then jump into bed. 

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