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A Day in the Life – Liv Bradbury, Deloitte
Liv is a second-year analyst on the Deloitte Technology and Transformation Graduate Programme. She currently works as a Business Analyst on a team that builds apps for a government department. In this blog, she walks through a day in her life, sharing tips on how to make the most of being an early careers digital consultant.
9:00-9:30: Stand-Up
My first meeting of the day is a stand-up call with my project team. We are responsible for building and delivering Android and iOS apps, as well as the back end and platform work needed to support them. We work in two-week time blocks, called sprints. In this call, the developers run through the work they’re doing this sprint, let the team know if there are any blockers, or if they need any support.
9:30-10:00: New Feature Kick-Off Call
In this call, the product team presents a new feature they would like added to the app. They may show designs, run through how it could change the user flow, and explain why it should be added. The technical team then discusses feasibility and potential challenges. As a BA, it’s my job to capture this information and create tickets that developers will pick up and work on in future sprints.
Tip: Ask all the questions! As a relatively new team member, there are bound to be technical details I haven’t encountered before. The best approach is to ask any questions (even if they seem small or silly) to ensure I understand what will be built.
10:00-11:00: Focus Time
Once I have all the information I need, I set aside some time to focus on writing the tickets. As our app is public-facing, it’s essential to focus on the impact on the end user and make this clear for developers. This may lead to further questions, which I can take back to the product team or technical lead for clarity.
11:00-11:15: Coffee Break
I’m in the office today, so I take a coffee break in the kitchen, a great spot to meet and connect with people outside my team. If I’m working from home, I might set up a coffee chat with a senior colleague to learn more about their role or career journey.
11:15-12:30: User Research
Although I’m not on the user research team, I’ve asked to join a session to learn more about the process. In this call, a user is shown the app with proposed features or designs, and we observe how they interact with it, particularly noting if there are any issues with the proposed changes.
Tip: Take any opportunity to observe different teams. It’s a valuable way to learn about other roles and improve team interactions.
12:30-1:30: Lunch
Working from screens all day can be tiring, so I always try to have a break and take a short walk at lunchtime—weather permitting here in Manchester!
1:30-2:30: Amigos
The ‘three amigos’ are the business analyst, developers, and testers on the team. In this call, we review the tickets I’ve written for a new feature, ensuring they contain enough technical detail to be completed independently. The tester confirms they understand what the final outcome should look like, and we assess the time or effort needed.
Tip: Treat calls like this as a learning opportunity. Embrace any feedback, and don’t take it personally—there are many ways to approach technical challenges.
2:30-3:30: Social Planning
Alongside project work, I get to work on ‘side of desk’ initiatives, such as helping build internal communities, delivering training, or taking part in external training. This involvement has allowed me to contribute to our DigitalHer partnership, including volunteering on Industry Insight Days and writing this blog! I’m also part of a culture and community team that plans socials and coffee clubs—a great way to meet people and make an impact.
Tip: Time management is key! Don’t say yes to things you can’t commit to, but offering help on things that interest you is a fantastic way to meet people, get seen by senior leaders, and make a positive impact.
3:30-4:00: 1-1 with Manager
I have regular one-to-one catch-ups with my manager. We use this time to discuss what I’ve accomplished and what I plan to work on next.
Tip: Be open and honest in these conversations; it’s the best way to learn and make the most of the opportunities available.
4:00-5:00: Retro
At the end of each sprint, the team meets for a ‘retrospective’ to review the past two weeks. We discuss what went well, what could be improved, and how to move forward more effectively. We also check in on team well-being to ensure support where needed.
My schedule varies day-to-day, but every day I learn more, meet new people, and tackle interesting technical challenges. My top tips for any day are:
- Embrace what you don’t know, and ask plenty of questions.
- Don’t underestimate the value of your network.
- Plan ahead, but stay flexible—you never know what opportunities might arise!