Ever wondered what a day in the life of an IT auditor looks like? Welcome to our Day in the Life blog series, where we dive into what a typical day looks like through the eyes of our associates. Below, Associate Consultant Erica Paisible will walk you through a day in the life at BARR Advisory. Let’s get the day started! You can also check out our previous installment of this series with Senior Consultant Eduardo Madero.
The Morning
My mornings are usually a marathon. I wake up and get myself ready for the day. Then it’s time to wake up my kids, make sure they have breakfast, and get them ready for school.
After getting everyone out the door, I’m usually able to take a quiet walk in the park or around my neighborhood, run to the store, or catch up with my mom before starting my work day.
The Work Day
Believe it or not, starting work is usually the most peaceful part of my day. I begin by opening the blinds in my home office and letting in the morning sunlight. I then proceed to turn on some music to get me in a relaxed and peaceful state of mind. Next, I’ll check for any Slack messages, unanswered emails, etc.
The majority of my day consists of control testing, so aside from my music, I have little-to-no distractions and can hone in on my work. Every week is different, and occasionally I have walkthrough meetings to attend, where I get to work closely with senior consultants and our clients.
Walkthrough meetings are an exciting time for me, because we’re able to tie up loose ends and collect a lot of missing evidence, which leads to the completion of more controls.
One of the many things I love about BARR is being able to own my schedule. Most days I work through lunch and take a break at the tail end of my day. Other days, I’ll run out to grab a bite for lunch, complete quick errands, or take a clarity break.
Work-Life Balance
As a working mom and wife, occasionally I have to attend school meetings, field trips, award ceremonies, doctor’s appointments, games, or ballet/karate classes during the day. However, I have peace of mind when it comes to my productivity, because I have the flexibility of returning to my work later in the day.
As a former STEM teacher, I did not have the work flexibility that’s available at BARR. While I love teaching, due to my commitments to school and the students, I often missed my kids’ events and was unable to balance work and family life. I’m so thankful that isn’t the case anymore!
BARR’s Culture
I love the open communication and collaborative culture we have at BARR. Even though we’re a remote company, I never feel isolated, because we have plenty of opportunities to communicate through Slack, virtual coffee connections, team meetings, and interactive trainings.
It’s amazing to know that I have my performance coach, seniors, managers, and associate colleagues available and ready to support me in every way. As a teacher-turned-cybersecurity-consultant, I’m very grateful to be at BARR.
About Erica Paisible
As an Associate Consultant, Erica Paisible supports the planning and execution of cyber risk engagements, including information technology audits and risk assessments for clients in various highly regulated industries. She specializes in planning and executing information technology SOC audits as well as client and project relationship management.
Erica holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgia State University, Master of Arts in Teaching Education from Augusta State University, and a specialist degree in education from the University of West Georgia. Erica taught both STEM and English to Speakers of Other Languages at DeKalb County School District for 11 years.
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