When I was a child, I didn't dream of becoming an information management professional. In fact, my ambition was to be a restorer of paintings - something really different from information management. But looking back, there are more similarities than you might expect.
Connection to Art History
As a restorer, you need to dig into what the object is about, how you're going to restore it, what the history is, and what information is attached to that object. This investigative approach has served me well in my current role.
I studied museum management and art history - a totally different background from most in our field. But in the nineties, there was something called the Internet boom. Everything was going online, and after my studies, I started building internet sites for companies. That's how I started to look at the "zeros and ones."
A Diverse Career Path
My career path took me through various roles:
- Webmaster at PricewaterhouseCoopers
- E-governance work in the public sector
- Consultant for utility companies
- Information management specialist
- Microsoft solutions expert
- And finally, to my current role at Shell
This diverse background has given me a unique perspective on information management. I don't look at the world as being zeros and ones. Instead, I focus on understanding the object, asking the right questions, and looking at problems from different perspectives.
Application to Information Management
In my current role as a product manager for IM practices and behaviors at Shell, I see that people are central to our work. It's not only about systems and processes - it's about change and transformation.
For those considering a career in information management, remember: it doesn't matter what your university background is. If you have an interest in helping people solve problems, connect dots, and you're a skilled communicator interested in change management, this could be a potential career for you.
As Gandhi said, "The future depends on what you do today." So, think about what you do today, but also look at the dependency on the future. The information management field is evolving rapidly, and there's plenty of exciting work ahead for all of us.
This blog post is based on an original AIIM OnAir podcast. When recording podcasts, AIIM uses AI-enabled transcription in Zoom. We then use that transcription as part of a prompt with Claude Pro, Anthropic’s AI assistant. AIIM staff (aka humans) then edit the output from Claude for accuracy, completeness, and tone. In this way, we use AI to increase the accessibility of our podcast and extend the value of great content.
