I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a varied career to date. My working life started in the travel industry as a junior in a travel agency, where I worked my way up to branch manager. I then went into teaching travel and tourism at a local HE college. For the last 17 years I have worked for a local authority. 

A library assistant was my first proper library post. I had already started an OU degree when I was offered a post in the archive service of the same local authority. For 12 years I was an archive/local studies assistant while completing my degree and going on to do the Masters, also by Distance Learning. Records management has always interested me and many advertisements for archivist posts now ask for experience in both areas. I have been with my current employer for a very short time and I am quickly realising that not all local authorities do things in the same way! 

In my new post I provide corporate records management advice and services to clients, including the surveying of records and developing retention schedules. I assist with the operational aspect of the service, managing off-site storage and retrievals, and deputise for the Operations Manager in her absence. I also act as a client manager for service areas, where there’s a link with the records management services. Another aspect of my job involves training and developing others on records management, producing written guidance and raising general awareness.  

I can fully appreciate how hard it is for people leaving school to know precisely the career path they want to tread. But having worked in a number of different environments, I would say that any experience, be it work experience or part time jobs, can give you a number of transferable skills. There is always the possibility of moving into a more specialised area, if you wish, once you have qualified. 

Whether working in libraries, archives or records management, the following, in my opinion, are absolutely vital: 

·         Flexibility (you could be dealing with very different situations from one day to the next)

·         Ability to deal with people at all levels (I have had days when I have been helping new researchers with their family history in the morning and have been in meetings with the Chief Executive in the afternoon!)

·         Most important a good sense of humour!