Are you organised, patient and analytical? If so, you might want to consider a career in records management. Those with careers in records management will be responsible for an organisation’s records from creation to organisation and through to disposal. It can lead you to working in lots of different industries, from healthcare to finance.
What are the main responsibilities for a records manager?
Careers in records management are multi-faceted and don’t just require filing documents. They often involve a combination of different roles, including project and IT management, compliance and archiving. A records manager can be expected to:
- Create document access policies.
- Make sure organisations meet legal requirements around record creation, retention and disposal.
- Provide business leaders with the right information to make better decisions.
- Be responsible for operational efficiency by managing record volumes.
- Oversee digital transformation strategies from paper to electronic record keeping.
- Train staff on records management.
- Identify records that need to be kept for historical purposes and destroy those that aren’t needed.
Qualifications needed for a career in records management
Careers in records management tend to be competitive as there are a relatively limited number of opportunities. As a result, businesses like to see candidates who have experience in either voluntary or paid positions. Most records managers will have a degree, but most employers won’t ask for any degree in particular. However, they might ask for a postgraduate degree in a records, archive and/or information management. In fact, lots of people move into records management from scientific research or technology roles, after getting the relevant postgraduate qualification.
Necessary skills when working in records management
If you’re looking at careers in records management, it will help if you’re organised, patient and analytical. Other great skills to have include:
- Communication: As many people within a company will be dealing with records, records managers need to be able to communicate smoothly with multiple people at once.
- Flexibility: Records managers are generally expected to be able to step in to any business situation that involves records – even if it’s not a record type that they have encountered before.
- Admin: Being a records manager requires excellent administrative skills. This comes more easily to some than others.
- Problem-solving: Records managers are the go-to people in organisations for any records-related issues. The ability to solve problems and put fires out quickly is highly valued. .
- Confidence: Records managers can be included in C-level meetings, so it’s important that they’re confident in their abilities and able to communicate effectively with all levels of seniority.
At Access Records Management, we work with records managers at many different organisations in the UK, helping them store, scan and destroy their company documents. We help them stay compliant with records regulations and save them time by storing files securely yet accessibly.
To find out how we could help you with your records management, contact our document storage specialists today. Alternatively, if you’d like to learn more about a career in records management, please do get in touch with our team today.