The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Information Governance Analyst (L2)
2-3 years at L2Skills to master
- Mastering the execution of routine IG processes (e.g., legal holds, ROT analysis), effective user training, and basic policy interpretation. You'd need to show you can take ownership of processes.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering high-quality work with minimal supervision.
- Proactively identifying and proposing solutions for process improvements.
- Receiving positive feedback from business users on your support and training.
- Successfully managing several end-to-end routine IG processes independently.
- 2
Data Protection Officer / Privacy Analyst
3-5 years in a privacy-focused roleSkills to master
- Deep understanding of data privacy regulations (GDPR, DPA), managing DSARs, conducting privacy impact assessments, and advising on privacy-by-design principles. You'd then need to broaden your scope to include records management and eDiscovery.
You're ready to move on when
- Expertise in data privacy regulations and their practical application.
- Experience in managing privacy incidents and data breaches.
- Ability to translate privacy requirements into actionable governance controls.
- Demonstrated ability to influence business units on privacy-related matters.
- 3
Legal Operations Specialist / Paralegal (with IG focus)
4-6 years in legal ops or paralegal workSkills to master
- Strong understanding of litigation processes, eDiscovery tools and workflows, and legal hold requirements. You'd need to build out your knowledge of broader records management and data classification.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven experience managing eDiscovery matters from the legal side.
- Familiarity with various eDiscovery platforms and their capabilities.
- Strong organisational skills for managing legal documentation and evidence.
- Ability to work effectively with legal counsel and external vendors.