Can you trace your family tree? Who are your ancestors? Were they famous? Where did they come from? As a professional researcher who compiles data about ancestry, a Genealogist can get you the answers. They are like detectives who fill in the missing facts in the historical and genetic story of both peop... Continue Reading
USA 
UK 
Explore Career Can you trace your family tree? Who are your ancestors? Were they famous? Where did they come from? As a professional researcher who compiles data about ancestry, a Genealogist can get you the answers. They are like detectives who fill in the missing facts in the historical and genetic story of both people and societies through research and deduction.
What are the typical responsibilities of a Genealogist?
A Genealogist would typically need to:
Genealogists spend much of their time on their own, looking through old records and searching library files, or working in their homes, organizing data, and updating their records. Their search for information can take them into stuffy, badly lit archive vaults and basements, where they spend hours sifting through hundreds of documents looking for a single, vital piece of information.
Travel could feature in the work schedule when visiting repositories. The dress code would vary depending on the kind of job and facility you work in. Customers feel most comfortable with professionals dressed in business casual, conservative clothing.
Most Genealogists work independently and can set their schedules. Those employed by institutions open to the public may work evenings and weekends.
Genealogy has a broad scope of employability, ranging from government agencies to online databases to self-employment. The rise of online genealogical databases and websites has opened up new avenues.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Genealogists can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Genealogists are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organizations are crucial for Genealogists interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
Genealogists can join organizations such as the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA). Professional societies publish lists of accredited members and distribute them to the public upon request.
The lack of standard academic programs makes work experience a vital aspect of a potential Genealogist’s resume. It is often best gained by working with veteran Genealogists as an apprentice, though such opportunities are rare. Experts, therefore, recommend that you attend conferences, educational seminars, and workshops to gain an in-depth informal perspective of the field.
Independent research at libraries and soliciting advice from the staff are essential practices in this field. Join the local and national genealogical societies. They usually meet in public libraries and invite new members to share their interests and learn new skills. Experience in historical research, librarianship, and archive administration can put you on the right path towards becoming a professional Genealogist. Professional, practicing genealogists can also advise you on good schools or training programs, opportunities for jobs, and some of the pitfalls of doing genealogical work full time.
The time it takes to become established can vary since there are still no formal standard academic requirements. A bachelor’s degree in history, archive administration, historical research, education, family history, library studies, or classical studies will significantly benefit potential Genealogists.
Genealogists should have expertise in research techniques, evaluation criteria, GEDCOM (genealogical data communication) format, and reporting methods. Also essential is adequate knowledge of Latin and paleography. This knowledge can be obtained through workshops or independent study.
Voluntary certification from the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), and the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes can help you gain professional credibility, stand out in a competitive job market, and become an independent consultant.
Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. Investigating members that practice outside the Code earns trust and respect, which are the most critical elements in securing a Genealogist's future.
As they must prepare and present reports, good skills in all forms of communication are essential, including software that helps prepare genealogical reports. It is advantageous to have a valid driving license and drive a car to visit local repositories, though many Genealogists specialize in relatively small geographical areas.
Performance, experience, and acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. First employment in related fields such as archive administration, historical research, librarianship, writing, or teaching offers careers in their own right, with opportunities for genealogy as a hobby. You can use the occasional chance to fulfill a client’s expectations and acquire sufficient experience to apply for the rare full-time jobs or start a small spare-time practice.
In the latter case, you will probably wish to specialize in a particular type of record, subject, or area of the country. It will be a useful tool that you can exploit commercially for fees and perhaps, use as a basis for articles, lectures, and advertisements. Most professionals advertise in popular genealogical magazines, directories, and forums, both online and published.
Paying jobs for Genealogists are rare and highly competitive. No experience is needed to become one, but those with prior work experience will increase their chances of landing a job, building an extensive client list, and earning higher pay.
The popularity of television shows related to family history helps make the profession more popular. Genealogists with good detective skills are encouraged to apply their genealogical knowledge and technique to the search for missing heirs and living people.
Others combine web development and information technology skills with an in-depth understanding of genealogical sources to tap into online genealogical databases and websites containing digitized genealogical resources.
Continued Professional Development (CPD) of this sort allows professionals to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or knowledge level. It prevents practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated. It enables Genealogists to identify any knowledge gaps and progress to a new specialism.
Genealogists can also diversify their skills by gaining more accreditation or expanding services into related work, such as writing family histories and designing family crests and coats of arms. Other ways of developing services might include conducting seminars or writing articles and how-to books to help amateurs.
The increasing application of DNA studies to genealogical research may provide opportunities for Genealogists inclined towards research. They can expect support and additional training from the academic institution or from Vitae, a non-profit global leader with over 50 years’ experience in enhancing researchers’ skills. In partnership with governments, funders of research, academies, professional bodies, trusts & foundations, universities, and research institutes, Vitae offers training, resources, events, consultancy, and membership.
Well-qualified Genealogists with significant experience in research may join the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA). Members and affiliate members are privy to exemplary professional conduct and expertise within the sphere of genealogy, heraldry, and record-searching.
The Ancestry of Genealogy
Genealogy, the study of families’ histories, traces its history as far back as the Bible, which records ten centuries of the Hebrew people’s ancestry. Young boys in primitive tribes memorized and recited their lineage to pass it down orally to descendants.
Contemporary Genealogy
In modern times, genealogy is both a skilled profession and a hobby with several useful applications. A Genealogist may focus on research about periods in history, ethnic groups, religion, records, heirs, adoptions, military, or geographical areas.
Some Applications
Inheritance of titles to land and property or eligibility for specific college scholarships may require knowing the line of family descent. Membership in certain societies also depends on verifiable family history. The most common reason Genealogists conduct their research is to fulfill the curiosity of individuals and families. It may be safe to say that genealogy is now a hobby that many engage in for sheer enjoyment.
The Role of Clients
Clients approach Genealogists with unanswered questions about their family’s lineage dating from a particular historical event or even further into their country of origin. They may wish to find out some facts about the lives of their ancestors. Whatever their goal, clients would nudge the project forward by sharing all the information at their disposal, preferably corroborating it with documents or other proof.
The Long and Short of It
Every genealogical project is different. The search for a marriage record may be as short as an hour, but compiling a multi-generational family tree may take as long as months. In addition to researching official documents, Genealogists also pore over old telephone directories, newspaper clippings, and military service records, searching for names and dates.
They glean crucial information from personal letters, handwritten documents, diaries, artifacts, photographs, and biographies. These documents can be crumbling and yellow, written in ink that is fading and hard to read. Hours or days of effort can produce nothing, or the Genealogist can come upon rich treasures of previously undocumented and unused information.
Accuracy is the Key
Genealogists have expert knowledge of various sources of information and are smart and skilled historical detectives. Their quest may begin in the local public library, but there is no telling where it will lead them. Resourceful Genealogists hunt out information even in school board records and clubs.
No amount of information is too much for Genealogists who seek to authenticate every fact in at least two different places to establish their research validity. When two pieces of information conflict, find and use a third source of validation.
Time Travel
To supplement local sources of information about family history, Genealogists contact long-distance authorities by mail, telephone, or e-mail. Typically, the genealogical departments of the administrative offices in charge of national archives and records are a useful and reliable source of information. They may offer valuable data such as passport applications and pension claims.
Genealogists may also contact genealogical societies and government agencies in other countries to travel back into time. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, US, holds the world's most extensive genealogical information collection. Historical societies can help Genealogists better understand the material they are researching.
Documenting for Now and the Future
Genealogists meticulously record the time they spend collecting each piece of data and the sources of all the information they use - the exact title and page of each written resource and the names and addresses of people interviewed.
They take photos of tombstones, monuments, or markers that give relevant data and make photocopies of official records, letters, and other printed matter when possible. The rigorous documentation demonstrates proper research and becomes a source of information for future genealogical projects.
The Voyage
It is not always smooth sailing for Genealogists as they set out to explore the vast ocean of information - or the lack of it. Sometimes the direction you take is the right one, and land rolls into sight reasonably quickly. Before you know it, you’ve successfully tracked and charted a family’s history.
At other times, however, the winds of conflicting, misleading, or incomplete information buffet your project and test your patience and skills to stay afloat and navigate your way ahead. It is tough to predict how long it will take to complete an assignment or the success you will meet in quenching your client’s thirst for answers. The Destination The job of Genealogists does not end at finding the information their clients have requested. They must transform the relevant and accurate but raw data into the form the client wants. The presentation could be a family tree, a diagram, or a complete family history illustrated with ancestors’ life stories, portraits, pictures of homes and neighborhoods, maps, and anecdotes. An enthusiastic client may even choose to distribute printed and bound copies as gifts to family members, friends, libraries, and historical and genealogical societies.
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs. Full-Time Employment
Being a freelance Genealogist offers freedom regarding flexible schedules, working hours, and location. They have full ownership of the business and can afford selectivity in terms of the variety of projects and clients presented. While it has unlimited earning potential, freelancing offers less stability and security, with inconsistent work and cash flow. There is more responsibility, effort, and risk involved. There are no paid holidays, and sick/maternity/paternity leaves are almost unaffordable. There is the added pressure of a self-employment tax and no eligibility for unemployment benefits.
However, a full-time Genealogist has access to company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. On the other hand, they may be susceptible to boredom and the inability to pursue passion projects due to the lack of time or effort. There is also a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety, along with the need to budget extra money for commuting and attire costs.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
There is a marrow-deep hunger in all of us to know our heritage...to understand who we are and where we come from. Historians remember only the celebrated; Genealogists remember them all.
Don't believe everything the old relatives tell you, no matter how sure they are.
While it can, of course, mean love, hope, beauty, and purity, a rose on a headstone—specifically its stage of bloom—can also indicate the general age of the person at their death.
What do Genealogists do?
A Genealogist would typically need to:
Accredited
$51,890
