A day in the life of a software engineer at Millennium in Dublin
Arshia Giri is a software engineer at the global hedge fund Millennium, on the team that builds and runs technology for the firm's finance, investor relations and corporate services functions. She first joined as an intern, came back full-time after graduating from Cornell University, and spent three years in New York before moving to Millennium's Dublin office earlier this year. This is a typical day in her life.
07:00 - I wake up around seven, get ready, check my phone for any urgent messages before heading out the door.
07:50 - Dublin mornings are a bit different to those in New York. Most days I walk into the office. It's about 40 minutes, mostly along the quays in the city center. I usually use the time to call my family – either my parents in Nepal, or my sister in Sydney. On days when I'm not catching up with family, I'll listen to music. Recently I've had Olivia Dean on repeat; I went to her concert here in Dublin, and it made it "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" with the city.
08:45 - I'm at my desk somewhere between half eight and nine, and I start by checking our overnight processes. My team manages the technology applications used by the finance, investor relations and corporate services teams at the firm, so there are a lot of different use cases for our tools and it's important to stay on top of all of them. We have processes running overnight, so I make sure everything has run smoothly, and close out any open questions or issues. Then I'll move over to our internal messaging channel and catch up on anything from my New York colleagues about ongoing projects.
Because most of my team is in the US, my mornings in Dublin are a bit of a head start. I use that time to really focus on the day ahead: I can see the requests and questions that came in overnight and decide what to prioritise before everyone else comes online.
10:30 - Late morning is usually when I find time for my first deep work session, and it's often when I make the most progress on coding. Currently, I'm working on a new project where I'm building the foundation for new features, then testing and documenting what I've done for my global colleagues. I'll use AI coding assistants as part of that too. They're helpful for automating repetitive tasks, drawing on existing patterns to quickly create new data models, exploring the trade-offs between different architectural decisions, and generally helping me iterate on possible solutions more efficiently.
A lot of my team's work is very collaborative with other parts of the firm. We spend time understanding how the business teams use our applications, what their objectives are, and how we can design solutions that fit their workflows. That's the part I enjoy. It's a mix of technical problem-solving and working closely with colleagues; asking questions, clarifying requirements and then turning those into something practical. The process can be challenging, but it's also where a lot of the best ideas come from.
12:00 - I usually have lunch around midday, and most days I'll go out with colleagues. There's a supermarket nearby, and I'm a big fan of a café near the office that I think has some of the best lunch options in Dublin. Having lived in New York, where the food scene is incredible, I was keen to find some good spots soon after I moved. In summer we like to head to a nearby park and eat outside; in winter we'll eat in the communal areas in the office. Either way, it's a nice reset before a more meeting-focused afternoon.
13:00 - By lunchtime my colleagues in the US are online, so this is when our stand-ups and project meetings usually begin. We'll run through ongoing work, especially design discussions, where small decisions can have a big impact on the end user's workflow. It matters that everyone has a say in the approach early on. It's a chance to align on priorities, flag any roadblocks, and decide what we want to push forward that day.
Because our team is spread across offices – some of us in Dublin, others in New York and London – communication is really important. With my local colleagues we'll catch up on our projects, share updates, and talk through what we're working on. It's helpful to discuss things in person before bringing them to a larger group.
15:30 - The rest of the afternoon is usually a mix of meetings and project work. I have regular catchups with my manager to stay aligned on priorities and to talk about how I'm learning and growing in the role.
16:30 - I've been mentoring an intern who's with our team this summer, based in New York. A colleague in Dublin and I check in with him to give him context on what our team does, explain how the different systems here work, and give feedback on his project. It feels full circle, because I started as an intern at Millennium in New York myself. My team then was incredibly supportive and made it a great learning experience, so I try to recreate that environment for new interns.
As an intern on our team, you'd typically work on projects that feed into the initiatives we focus on, and you'd own a part of it that you present at the end of the summer. That's how my own experience went a few years ago, and I got to carry on working on the same project when I joined the team full-time. Over the past few years, I've seen others follow a similar path.
Alongside using AI coding assistants in my projects, I try to stay up to date with the latest AI news by scrolling Reddit and Hacker News, and by keeping an eye on our internal channels, where people post interesting articles as well as how they're using AI in their own work. I think the way we learn about AI is very collaborative; everyone uses it differently, and colleagues across the firm are really plugged in and happy to share what they're finding useful. At Millennium we have access to a wide range of AI tools. We're really encouraged to explore new technologies, learn quickly, and think about how AI can be applied to real situations.
18:30 - I usually leave the office between six and seven and head to the gym, which is close by. I'm more of a cardio person, but lately I've been getting more into weight training as well.
20:00 – My evenings vary. Since I'm still quite new to Dublin, some nights I'll have dinner or drinks with friends. It's a great way to explore different parts of the city, and it's a friendly place where something is always going on. The Dublin office has a good mix of people across tech and other departments, so we'll sometimes have after-work drinks or other social events.
I've also picked up sewing recently. I'm still very much a beginner, but I bought a sewing machine and have been experimenting with designs. Right now I'm making a top. I get inspiration from Pinterest and watch YouTube tutorials to learn new techniques, and a colleague gave me a beginners' sewing book that I've been working my way through. I wanted a creative outlet, something totally different from my day job, and it's been a good way to switch off. I like trying new things and seeing where they go, I guess.
23:00 - I wind down and get ready for bed around this time. Before I go to sleep, I'll think through what I've got coming up the next day, so I'm not starting from scratch in the morning.
If I had to pick the traits that matter most in this role, I'd say adaptability, ownership and curiosity. Technology evolves so quickly, especially with AI, so you have to be agile and keep up with new tools and ways of working. Ownership matters, because you need to see the bigger picture and understand how your work fits into it. And curiosity – that mindset of always learning, asking lots of questions and thinking about what's next – is key.
Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: +44 7537 182250 (SMS, WhatsApp or voicemail). Telegram: @SarahButcher. Signal: sarahbutcher.22 Click here to fill in our anonymous form, or email editortips@efinancialcareers.com.
Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: comments are moderated intermittently by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You must take sole responsibility for comments you post on this site. We will take reasonable steps to weed out anything that we consider to be offensive or inappropriate.
