A data technician enters and organizes data into computer systems, requiring computer skills, accuracy, and patience. They may need security clearance and must adhere to privacy standards. The work can be done in an office or at home, but can cause repetitive strain injuries and eye strain.
A data technician is a person responsible for data entry. This type of work is quite variable and usually requires a minimum of a high school diploma as well as computer skills including experience with multiple operating systems, high typing rate, and excellent typing accuracy scores. Employers can include companies that need data entry, agencies that hire data entry professionals as needed, and the government.
Data technicians must take data, often in a variety of forms, organize it in a meaningful way, and enter it into a computer system. Sometimes there are standardized systems for organizing data, as seen in medical data entry, where data needs to be coded as per an existing system. In other cases, the data technician must develop a method of organizing the data. This method should allow the technician to easily retrieve and reference the data and it is also important to ensure that the data can be easily accessed, modified and entered by others as well.
Data entry requires patience and excellent typing skills. A single error in an entry can make it impossible to find later and can also cause system problems. Data technicians need to be alert to issues such as double entries, misleading entries, poor data organization, and system glitches that could be indicative of a problem such as a computer virus or unstable software. The data technician can also verify the data as it is entered, so that questionable, incomplete or confusing entries can be flagged for further review.
Some jobs may require a data technician to have security clearance, especially when the job involves government materials. Other data technicians must adhere to privacy standards as they may be handling sensitive information, including uniquely identifying information about individuals that could compromise the release, such as healthcare records. Programs that train data technicians can discuss privacy and security issues to provide students with a thorough grounding in these topics so they can assure employers of their confidentiality and attention to detail when it comes to protecting data.
Data entry work can be done in an agency, office, and sometimes at home, depending on the type of data involved. Freelance data technicians can find a variety of jobs they can do from home for various pay rates, and some agencies specifically connect people to work from home. This work presents an occupational hazard in the form of repetitive strain injuries and eye strain, and it is important for a data technician to work ergonomically and remember to stretch and rest the eyes.
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