Data Entry Operator
What the work is
Operates a keyboard to input and transfer data into a computer for storage, processing and transmission.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Enters and codes data to process and store information
- Retrieves and updates data using digital software
- Monitors and maintains databases for accuracy
- Prepares reports and material for publication
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small typing and transcription office that serves local firms and a regional court. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A messy, muffled recording becomes a clean transcript that someone can rely on
- You find a wrong entry before it travels through three other systems
- A quiet morning, good headphones and a long file that flows from start to finish
Hard days
- Hours of repeat typing where one slip can hide among thousands of correct entries
- A recording where two people talk over each other and the deadline is tonight
- Sitting still all day, with sore wrists and tired eyes by mid-afternoon
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 561231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.