Dominic Finigan

Employer: Department for Work and Pensions
Qualifications: BA politics, University of Exeter

9.15 am

The first thing I do after getting to work is check my e-mails, responding straight away to anything that needs urgent attention. Then I call my line manager, who is currently based in Sheffield while I’m in London. I let him know what I’m working on and bounce some ideas around. This set-up works well as I have the freedom to structure my work as I want to.

I’m working on a project that spans a number of government departments and that requires research and information gathering. Today I’m developing the communication and marketing plan for when the project ‘goes live’ so I contact the marketing guys for their advice.

11.45 am

I check my e-mails again before I nip out for lunch. Today there’s an e-mail relating to the Trainee Development Group that I’m a member of. The group provides trainee development to add to the accounting qualification I’m working towards. There’s also an e-mail from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) telling me about the regional events coming up.

12.30 am

I pop out for a bite to eat with my ‘buddy’, a junior trainee I’m coaching. We talk about how our placements are going and other highly relevant information – such as last night’s football results.

1.15 pm

I do some prep work before heading to a meeting with a colleague in another department. It’s not too far to travel as most departments are based around Whitehall. If I have time I may even walk along the Thames.

4.30 pm

I come back to the office to write up the notes and action points that I’ve taken from the meeting. I usually head off home at about 5.30 pm. If it’s a Friday and my accountancy exams are still a safe distance away I’ll have a drink with friends on the way.