Career Overview: What I Do As a Genealogist

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Exploring your family history is easier than ever thanks to online databases, but it still takes a professional approach to collect a wide range of documents detailing our past and clarifying the complex pedigrees that preceded us all.

This is the job of someone like Christa Cowan, a genealogist since 2002 who works with Ancestry.com to help people learn about their past. We spoke to Krista to learn about her field and what it means to be a genealogist.

Tell us a little about yourself, your current position and how long you have been in it.

My name is Christa Cowen and I am a professional genealogist. Since childhood I have been interested in family history. Both of my parents were close to their large families, attended family reunions every year and did family history research — dragging me along. When I was twelve years old, my parents sent me to a computer camp. When I got home, Dad sat me down at his shiny new Compaq computer, which had one of the first DOS-based genealogy programs installed, and asked me if I would computerize my decades of family history research. Over the next few years, I spent most of my Sunday afternoons diving into our family stories. I was hooked!

I started my professional career in genealogy in 2002 doing client research and have been with Ancestry since 2004. At Ancestry, my role has expanded from historical records and content collection, index manager, community alliance manager, and now corporate genealogist.

What prompted you to choose your career path?

Despite my great interest in family history, it never occurred to me that I could pursue genealogy as a career, so I went to business management school. I continued to view family history as a hobby until friends and acquaintances began asking me for help and volunteering to pay me to help them research and develop their bloodlines. That’s when the light came on – I quit my job in the support department of a software company and never looked back.

How did you get a job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

There is one university in the US, Brigham Young University, which offers a degree in family history (ironically, this school is located in the city where I currently work). There are also certifications available through programs at Boston University and the University of Toronto. But when I was in school, it never occurred to me that family history could be a career. All my experience was gained in the trenches by trial and error. As soon as I started accepting clients, I quickly realized some of the gaps in my education and started attending conferences and seminars on genealogy and reading everything I could get my hands on (for example, Professional Genealogy, Guide to Genealogical Standards, etc.) .). I also joined the Association of Professional Genealogists, participated in mailing lists, joined genealogical societies and established contacts with other genealogists. Through this interaction, I was able to find a couple of mentors, namely Elizabeth Shawn Mills and Dr. Thomas Jones. I continue to take lessons from them whenever possible, read everything they write, and sometimes turn to them for advice and help.

What are you doing besides what most people see? What do you actually spend most of your time on?

As a genealogist, I spend most of my time researching, both online and offline, in libraries, archives and courts that hold documents that have yet to be digitized and posted on the Internet. I also spend time analyzing and transcribing records and creating links to sources. Many hours are also spent resolving conflicting evidence, writing conclusions, and entering data into a family tree program, which naturally leads to further research. Now, with the new product AncestryDNA, additional hours are spent analyzing DNA results and working with matches to determine the validity of a trace of research documentation and help people locate biological family members.

Especially for Ancestry, most of my work is genealogical education. I host a weekly webcast (archived on YouTube) called The Barefoot Genealogist . Each episode is 20-30 minutes long and I teach on a specific topic related to family history. In three years I have put together a playlist full of these video tutorials. Some past issues include a series of articles on the genealogical proof standard, a guide to finding over 16 billion records available through Ancestry, and an interview with the AncestryDNA program manager on how autosomal DNA works. I also speak at conferences and seminars around the world, sharing my best tips and tricks to help others build their own family trees.

Can you provide a typical example of a research project that you might be working on?

At Ancestry, my particular skillset is often used to analyze DNA results and compare existing family trees of different cousins ​​to determine the biological family for adopted children. I also specialize in Jewish immigration, and my help is often required to help with some of the cultural aspects of this type of family history research (eg name changes, immigration patterns, etc.).

Because I am so passionate about my work, I continue to do private research for people new to family history outside of my regular work hours. These are people who are interested in learning about their ancestry, but are not interested in independent work. For these specific projects, I am usually tasked with compiling a family tree of 4-5 generations.

What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

People often have the misconception about my work that anyone can easily get started with family history. You can take the AncestryDNA test to learn about your ethnicity and connect with extended family members. You can also create an online tree in Ancestry, listing everything you know about your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Ancestry then provides clue notes that can tell more about your ancestors and their lives.

But in the end, everyone will face a genealogical “brick wall.” They are going to reach the limits of their existing ability to determine if the entry they are viewing is actually owned by their ancestor or just someone with the same name. They will run out of things to look for on the Internet and not know which archive or library contains the records they need to take the next step. They are going to admit that they don’t understand enough of the science behind DNA to draw correct conclusions about the relationships discovered through their DNA matches. All of these skills have been developed by professional genealogists over time.

What’s your average uptime?

I usually work at Ancestry eight hours a day, but I also travel one or two weekends a month speaking at genealogy conferences or events. On evenings and Saturdays, I work to find private clients, which on average takes two to four hours a day.

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

I enjoy working on research projects with other genealogists. Everyone has different skills, different genealogy methods they use, and different knowledge about the availability of records. Working together on a research project usually means we can complete it in no time. Even if we are all working on our own projects while sitting in an open office, we can communicate ideas to each other and ask questions. I believe that collaboration improves my work experience and speeds up the process. Sometimes the circumstances are such that I simply do not have access to the records I need to answer a specific research question. Appeal to the company, engaged in genealogical research, such as ProGenealogists (company Ancestry), for help in finding and accessing the records is often much faster than trying to make the most of these discoveries.

What are you doing differently from your colleagues or colleagues in the same profession? What are they doing instead?

Most professional genealogists tend to specialize in specific geographic areas, time periods, or types of research. I specialize in Jewish immigration to the United States, analysis of autosomal DNA matches to determine biological family, and offspring research (working with a tree to determine the descendants of a specific ancestor, as opposed to working with a tree to determine the ancestors of a specific person). I have colleagues who specialize in other areas. One of them is a retired lawyer and current law professor who is a “helper” in the genealogical community when you need to understand how laws over time affect the records you create. I have another colleague who is an expert on the Quaker faith and the records created by those who practice that religion. Still others, for example, are specialists in Native American studies or US colonial studies.

What’s the worst part of a job and how do you deal with it?

Gaining access to documents that are not online alone is the hardest part of my job. In the United States, each state has different laws on privacy and access to birth, marriage, and death records. Knowing these limitations and working on them can be frustrating.

The chances are then that the records we need to answer a particular genealogical question simply don’t exist. The 1890 US Federal Census data was destroyed by fire, leaving a huge gap in the records at a critical moment when many people immigrated to this country. Some states were unable to keep records of births and deaths consistently until the early 1900s, making it difficult to track some families at the time. You really need to get creative to get around some of these issues. For example, some states conducted a state census in 1885 and 1895. If you know which states these are and where to find these records, you can fill in some of the gaps left by the missing 1890 federal census. City catalogs from the late 1800s can also be a useful asset, many of which are online in Ancestry, although some are only available at the local library in the area of ​​interest, which might be a workaround.

What is the most enjoyable part of the job?

Lately, my favorite work has been with AncestryDNA , which allows people to uncover their ethnicity, discover distant relatives, and discover new details about their unique family history. Over the past six months, I have had a dozen or more opportunities to reunite foster children with their biological families. When everything is going well and everyone is happy with the reunion, there is nothing more joyful.

How much money can you expect at your job?

Some professional genealogists work in a specific archive or library and are not interested in full-scale research projects. They are familiar with the archive and are often used as a resource for other genealogists or individuals who need to extract, copy, and deliver the record. These people usually charge $ 10 to $ 25 an hour for this service. Some professionals choose to be generalists or project managers for larger projects. They usually charge between $ 50 and $ 125 an hour, and sometimes outsource part of the study to specialists depending on where they are going. Some professionals have a specific set of skills associated with a specific time frame, type of study, or language and may charge additional fees. If travel is required, these costs are usually paid directly by the client.

How are you “progressing” in your field?

Continuous learning is the key to advancing in the family history profession. There are many really great educational opportunities for professional genealogists, such as the Salt Lake City Genealogy Institute , which is held every January, and the Genealogy and Historical Research Institute, which is held every June. Plus, if you become an expert in a particular field and then teach classes, blogging, or blogging about that topic, you can quickly build your industry profile and others hone your genealogy skills. There are also a number of certification and accreditation opportunities for those looking to take this path. These organizations test your skills and provide valuable feedback on strengths and weaknesses in various areas of the standards in our area of ​​research, in particular the genealogical confirmation standard .

Those considering a career in professional genealogy may also consider an internship or training with a professional genealogist.

What do your customers underestimate / overestimate?

Technology is changing the way family history is kept. Ancestry has over 16 billion historical records available online and adds about 2 million daily. But even with such impressive numbers, not all of the required recordings are available online. Sometimes you need to wait for a simple postal request to the archive for a death certificate or marriage record to be answered before you can go back online and continue your research armed with the new information provided. It’s easy to lose patience and want to get all the information about your family history right now. But family history is really a journey of discovery, not a sprint to see who has the most ancestors.

A typical family tree study from four to five generations, starting with a living person, can take 60 to 120 hours. The farther into the past research goes, the more hours need to be devoted, and some families, especially those with recent immigrant ancestors, have to deal with non-English-speaking records, which requires additional effort. If you want to reveal additional stories and details (besides basic information about birth, marriage and death) to find out more about the life of your ancestors, the more hours will be added.

What advice would you give to those who want to become your profession?

Go to a genealogy conference and attend as many lessons as possible. There are five major genealogy conferences held annually in the United States, three of which change cities, providing opportunities for new participants to participate.

There are also local and state genealogical societies that hold conferences, events, and monthly meetings. A Google search for your city or state name and “genealogical society” will help you find these organizations. By attending a conference, you will quickly realize that you don’t know what you don’t know. Your skills and knowledge level will be tested and expanded. You will be left with a list of books and additional online classes that you will need to continue your education so that you are ready to accept clients.

Another helpful tip is to ask a professional genealogist to take a look at your family tree and give you constructive feedback. Again, you will learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a genealogy researcher by seeing it through someone else’s eyes.

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