Skills
Archivist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in archivists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do archivists need?
Archivists need technical skills such as archival arrangement, description standards, and preservation, plus people skills like attention to detail and patience. They also use tools such as ArchivesSpace and Digital asset management systems.
Technical (hard) skills
- Archival arrangement
- Description standards
- Preservation
- Digital records management
- Metadata
- Research help
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Patience
- Curiosity
- Organization
Tools, equipment and technology
- ArchivesSpace
- Digital asset management systems
- Scanners
- Metadata standards
- Archival supplies
- Databases
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how archivists put their skills to work:
- How to process a small archival collection
- How to plan a digitization project
- How to accept a donation of papers
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Archival arrangement” and “Description standards.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Certified Archivist near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our archivist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Archivist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.