7:15 AM: I leap out of bed and begin my morning routine. I get dressed and then pack my laptop, my ID badge, and make sure I have all my things into my backpack.
8:00 AM: I walk out the door and turn around the corner to take the subway down from my apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Columbus Circle.
8:20 AM: I step off the subway and walk through the crowd of people in the station. I go top-side to the streets and walk into the breakfast shop in the bottom of the building where our office is located. I grab an overnight oats container for breakfast, say hello to the cashiers who know me well since I am a regular, walk into the building, and take the elevator to our office.
8:30 AM: I arrive at the desk that I reserved for the day. I start by logging into both my Protiviti laptop and client laptop and examine both email addresses, checking for any urgent client inquiries or updates that need to be addressed. If there are none, then I go through a quick review of financial/business news from subscriptions and newsletters that I have (Wall Street Journal, Morning Brew, TechCrunch, etc.). I go to the coffeemaker in the office kitchen, make myself a coffee, then go back to my desk. I usually run into someone I know while waiting for the coffee to brew and strike up a quick conversation and chat.
9:00 AM: I communicate with coworkers and catch up on any updates and developments that need to be discussed before our client meeting. I then open any files necessary for me to continue conducting client work that I am tasked with performing.
9:30 AM: The first meeting of the day is with my client, a bank that hired Protiviti to perform serve as a risk management advisory function for the bank. My team’s specific jobs on the project include testing the effectiveness of internal controls conducted by the bank’s line of business, performing reviews on other work performed by the bank that is required by regulators, and identifying ways to strengthen the bank’s risk management practices.
The purpose of this meeting is to give a status update on our team’s progress as well as hear about updates and progress made by members of the client’s team who we collaborate with on assignments. We present our status on the work that is being done, address challenges that we came across, and write down action items that need to be completed before the next touch point, including communications needed with folks outside of the current group of people on the call.
10:00 AM: After ending the meeting, the team and I continue the work that is being performed and conduct the action items outlined during the call.
11:30 AM: My team and I conduct a virtual conference call with the Protiviti team members that work on this specific client. We discuss progress on ongoing projects, share updates on regulatory compliance strategies, and determine risk management recommendations for the client. We share common challenges, upcoming action items and tasks for the overall engagement, and share lessons learned from the work performed. Each consultant provides valuable input, enhancing the overall project strategy.
12:00 PM: The meeting ends and I get some more client work done before lunch.
12:30 PM: I attend a networking event in the office hosted by one of our Employee Network Groups (ENGs). Food is catered to the office, and everyone grabs a plate of food to eat! This lunch provides an opportunity to connect with coworkers, exchange ideas, build new relationships within the office, and learn and about the topic being discussed by the ENG as well as work happening in other solutions.
1:00 PM: After lunch and attending the office event, I grab another cup of coffee and dedicate this time in the afternoon to the work that needs to be done. Most of it involves analyzing data collected from the bank’s computer systems and involves sifting through transaction records. I identify patterns and generate insights that will inform help us determine whether the bank is properly reducing risk exposure and complying with applicable laws and regulations.
4:00 PM: After conducting some focused work, I then have a meeting with my Peer Advisee, who is a recent campus hire and in their first year of work at Protiviti. I am tasked with assisting my Peer Advisee through their integration into working life and to Protiviti and serve as a resource for any questions that they may have. During this meeting, we sit down, catch up, and talk about their current experience. We also talk about performance and progress on client engagements, career goals, and anything else that they want to talk about it.
4:30 PM: As I end the meeting with my Peer Advisee, I begin to close out the day. I dedicate this time to finish any work that needs to be closed out and send out final emails and communications that cannot wait until tomorrow.
5:30 PM: As the day winds down and I close out my work, I ensure that there is nothing else to be done and start packing up my backpack with anything that I brought to the office. As I leave my desk, I say my goodbyes to my coworkers, I take a moment to reflect on what today brought, and then hop on the elevator back down to the city streets.
