Thinking About a Career in Archives
Archives vary greatly in size and remit, so every archive needs people with a variety of different skills in order to run. Here are some of the main careers that you might find in archives:
Archivists are responsible for ensuring the material in the archive is stored correctly, catalogued and researched. They are often also responsible for ensuring that the material is accessible to researchers and the public. Archivists generally have a post-graduate qualification in archives or records management that is recognised by the Archives and Records Association UK & Ireland (ARA-UK & Ireland).
Read about careers in archives on the ARA-UK & Ireland website.
Records Managers help organisations to fulfil their legal obligations for record retention. They provide data and information and are responsible for ensuring that there is capacity for the volume of records their organisation needs to keep while also destroying records as appropriate. Records Managers generally have a post-graduate qualification in records management.
Read about careers in records management on the ARA-UK & Ireland website and on the Information and Records Society website.
Conservators are responsible for the preservation and conservation of archives. They handle and repair archival material, repairing damage and undertaking work to ensure there is no further damage. Sometimes conservators undertake rescue work, repairing archive material following a disaster event. Conservators generally have undertaken a masters in conservation or S/NVQs in Conservation or Collections Care. They may also have undertaken a certificate in Conservation with the ARA-UK or progressed through professional accreditation of Conservators and Restorers scheme administered by the Institute of Conservation.
Read about careers in archive conservation on the ARA website and the Institute of Conservation website.
In some archives you may also find researchers, digitisers, cataloguers, education or learning and outreach officers. In other archives this work may be done by staff with other titles as part of their wider role.
Finding a job
It is a good idea to check various sites for job postings as some organisations will only post to one of them. It is also a good idea to follow different heritage organisations’ social media and check their website for opportunities. It is also recommended to subscribe to different sector newsletters (including ours!) to see opportunities.
Here are some good places to look for jobs:
Association of Visitor Attractions
Training
Some roles will require you to have an information management, archiving or records management qualification whereas some will accept equivalent experience. Several universities across Scotland offer these courses usually as a postgraduate degree.
CPD is also important in the sector so keep an eye out for events, courses and workshops. Take a look on our event calendar to see upcoming CPD opportunities or on websites such as Eventbrite.
Useful Links
ENTRY ROUTES TO THE ARCHIVES PROFESSION (THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES)