Maddy McEniery

7.00 AM

I wake up at 7.00 am. I’m not really a morning person so it takes a few alarms to get me out of bed. Eventually, I will have breakfast and get ready for work.

8.00 AM

I leave for work. CBO is located close to the Brisbane River in Newstead, so I am lucky enough to catch the ferry to work every day. I drive to the ferry terminal before enjoying the trip across the river. On the ferry, I like to listen to music and catch up on messages from friends and family. 

9.00 AM

I arrive to work and settle in at my desk. I like to check my emails and messages first thing. Then, I can begin to prioritise my tasks for the day.

9.30 AM

It’s time for coffee! Grabbing coffee with colleagues is a great way to build friendships and make new connections in the office. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions or learn something new about Cochlear’s products or processes. 

10.00 AM

I have finished up my coffee and now it’s time to head into the mechanical lab. CBO has a new 3D printer, which I need to characterise as a process engineering summer student. Process engineering involves a lot of hands-on work and some trial and error, so I’m in the lab for a couple of hours. I collect, clean, and review 3D prints that were completed overnight.

12.00 PM

12.00 pm means lunchtime! I head up to the tearoom to heat up my lunch before going to the balcony. I enjoy catching up with colleagues and talking about weekends, hobbies, and more. There are lunchtime cross-fit lessons next door or a running club that you can join if you like. On Fridays, we all go out and get lunch together and everyone takes turns picking the restaurant. Here’s a photo of when we went to mini golf as a team one lunchtime.

1.00 PM

Back to work. I head to the lab again, this time to put some of my 3D-printed prototypes to the test. 3D printing is a great method for rapid prototyping, so I don’t have to wait long before performing mechanical testing. Today, I’m using the Instron machine to measure the force required to push a PCB into a 3D-printed coil shell. Even the jig that pushes the PCB was 3D printed!

2.00 PM

It’s time to analyse the test results. I often need to do some research online or brainstorm with colleagues to understand unexpected results.

3.00 PM

Today, I have my one-on-one meeting with my supervisor.  I provide regular updates to my supervisor on my progress. We talk about any blockers in my work or any additional resources that I may need. It’s also a good opportunity to brainstorm.

4.00 PM

I typically come out of meetings with lots of ideas and plans for future work. I update my Jira with new tasks and record completed tasks. After this, I work on reports or CAD drawings. It’s important to keep good documentation of any work that I complete.

5.00 PM

Now is a good time to set up some 3D prints before I go home for the day. Depending on the 3D printer and the print job, prints can take from a few hours to a full day to complete. The good thing about 3D printers is that we can leave them running overnight!

5.30 PM

I leave work to get on the ferry. Depending on the time of year, I will get to watch the sunset from the ferry.

6.30 PM

Time to walk my dog and unwind from work. I spend a lot of time at my desk or sitting in the lab, so it’s important to keep active.

7.00 PM

My dog and I come back from our walk hungry! After I feed her, it’s time to cook and eat dinner. I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. I usually like to cook extra, so I have extra for lunch tomorrow.

8.00 PM

This is my time for household chores or hobbies. I like to read, watch movies, and spend time with friends and family.

10.30 PM

Time to start getting ready for bed. After a final check of my phone, it’s time to sleep so that I’m well-rested for work tomorrow.

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