Records Management Technician Spotlight

Know someone who likes things neat and organized? Who helps people find the information they need? Then they may want to consider opening a file on a career as a Records Management Technician. These individuals keep track of all the important documents—from legal contracts and regulatory approvals to engineering drawings, maps and photos— that an oil and gas company receives and creates a day.

What a typical day looks like:

Every important hardcopy and electronic document that comes into or is created by the company flows through a Records Management Technician. All these records need to be properly labelled and filled so that employees can easily access accurate and timely information when needed.

They are their company’s librarian. Records Management Technicians set up, operate and maintain systems for saving and accessing these records. When they receive a new document, they convert and rename files so they match existing items in the database. Then they store the document in the correct place and make note of where the document was stored and if previous versions of the document exist. This process makes it easier for everyone to find the most up-to-date and accurate version of a document or map when needed.

These technicians follow regulatory requirements and internal procedures to make sure that all of the information is archived safely. They also protect critical documents from inappropriate access and dispose of data and information that is no longer required.

In large organizations, a Records Management Technician may work within a team with responsibilities divided among several records and IT technicians. Senior technicians often become managers within the function. In smaller organizations, Records Management Technicians may work alone and may be tasked with additional IT, data entry or administrative duties.

The kinds of problems Records Management Technician solve at work:

A Records Management Technician needs to be constantly aware, making sure that everything is exactly where it needs to be. And when it isn’t, they need to be the ones to find it. If items are missing, they investigate and report any errors.

Skills used most on the job:

Records Management Technicians need to be analytical thinkers who are organized, methodical and discrete. They also should have strong communications skills, attention to detail and computer literacy including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Those who believe there’s a place for everything, and everything in its place, may find their own place as Records Management Technician.