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Position:Home>Genealogy> Does anyone know how to develop a genealogy career?


Question:My background is academics and writing, and my passion is genealogy. How do I use research and writing skills to help other people discover their family history? Are there job sites for this field?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My background is academics and writing, and my passion is genealogy. How do I use research and writing skills to help other people discover their family history? Are there job sites for this field?

This is primarily US information. Most "professional" genealogist are almost always working for an organization. Historical societies (private, non-profit, even some governmental). Some also work for some of the major on-line genealogical services (ancestry.com, genealogy.com, etc).

Having a background in writing could help, but some background in (really a specific area of) history is usually desired.

There are of course "professional" genealogists offering their services to individuals, but that's a tricky thing. I would seriously doubt you could make a living doing that. Usually, the very experienced genealogists often help someone pro-bono, as opposed to doing so for a fee. And the reason is the time involved in any genealogical search.

I recently helped (pro-bono) a family trace their family history. This was surely the easiest tracing I had ever encountered. The person I was helping was actually born before 1930, they had a few brothers and sisters also born before 1930, the ENTIRE family had stayed in the same area since the end of the civil war. AND, there were numerous records available from on-line sources (besides census information in which luckily all the family was included). I didn't spend a lot of time trying to fill in the female relatives for whom a spouses name wasn't readily available. I got them back to 1870 (they were descendants of slaves so once I hit 1870, that was pretty much it for the help I could provide).

I got a number of completely certified lines for them back to the 1870 (ended up with about 48 relatives identifed). But even in this truly EASY tracing, I honestly spent just about 120 hours of effort. If you figure a nominal charge of $50 an hour (even at that you aren't going to make a living off of it), the family would have had to pay $6,000! There is no way they could have afforded that. And that was for an exceptionally easy trace. As you know, most work would involve hundreds of hours just for a few lines. And if you have to travel just once to a courthouse or records office NOT IN YOUR AREA, well, you could be getting into tens of thousands of dollars very easily.

If this is something you really want to pursue, really consider contacting historical societies in your area, your county government if they have a department that deals with historical aspects of the county, or on the east coast, look to places like Montecello, Mount Vernon, or other historic sites that may have need for genealogical help.

I am keen to find work as a 'Probate Genealogist'. I am on a second open university course to do with the study of family history. Are you in the USA or UK, if you are in the UK I think that like myself there are more amateur researchers that answer questions, I don't know of any UK genealogist's that come on here, but I will probably get put right straight away having said that.
Over in the USA there are quite a few genealogists that are qualified as such, I am sure they will make them selves known to you in answer to your question.
It really is a fascinating subject isn't it, it's so easy to forget time and appointments in my case because you have become so wrapped up in a another search.
Hope this helps.

http://www.cyndislist.com/profess.htm#Cr...
Here's a number of different perspectives on this, since there are variations on what you can do as a "pure" certified genealogist, or other angles that would make use of your skills. I think it is a real challenge to make a living independently, although I know of some here that do. I have 25+ yrs experience, have done some small projects, but am not certified, so I don't label myself professional.
There are compromises, however, so keep your mind flexible. IE, if you put together a beginner's manual and sold it, that is one form of making some income from genealogy.
http://www.bcgcertification.org/resource...
Here is a quick look at the standards that are expected for certification. If these are topics that you are already real familiar with, that's a great start.
btw. I see you are new here... welcome. Hang out and play.