We spoke with Crista to learn about her field and what its like to be a genealogist.
My name is Crista Cowan and I am a professional genealogist.
Ever since I was a child I have been interested in family history.
When I was twelve years old my parents sent me to computer camp.
I spent most Sunday afternoons for the next several years immersing myself in our family stories.
What drove you to choose your career path?
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
There are also certificates available through programs at Boston University and the University of Toronto.
All of my experience was gained in the trenches through trial and error.
Professional Genealogy, Genealogical Standards Manual, etc.).
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
I also spend time analyzing and transcribing records and crafting source citations.
Specifically for Ancestry, a large portion of my job is genealogy education.
I do a weekly webcast (archived on YouTube) calledThe 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 amassed a playlist full of these video tutorials.
Can you give me a typical example of a research project you might work on?
name changes, immigration patterns, etc.).
For these certain projects, I usually am tasked with crafting a 4-5 generation family tree.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Ancestry then provides hints to records that might reveal more about your ancestors and their lives.
But, eventually everyone is going to run into a genealogical brick wall.
All of those things are skills that professional genealogists have developed over time.
What are your average work hours?
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
I love working on research projects with other genealogists.
Everyone has different skills, different genealogy methodologies that they use, and varying knowledge of records availability.
Working collaboratively on a research project usually means we can finish it in a fraction of the time.
I find that collaboration enhances my work experience and speeds up the process.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
Most professional genealogists tend to specialize in specific geographic areas, time periods or types of research.
I have colleagues who specialize in other areas.
Still others are specialists in Native American research or colonial U.S. research, for example.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
Getting access to records that are not online is single handedly the hardest part of my job.
In the U.S., every state has different privacy and access laws regarding birth, marriage and death records.
Knowing those limitations and working around them can be frustrating.
Then theres the possibility that records we need to answer a specific genealogical question simply just dont exist.
You really have to get creative to work around some of these issues.
For example, some states took a state census in 1885 and 1895.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Ive had a dozen or more opportunities in the past six months of reuniting adoptees with their birth families.
When it all works out well and everyone is happy about the reunion, there is nothing more fulfilling.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
These individuals typically charge between $10 and $25 an hour for this service.
Some professionals choose to be a generalist or project managers for larger projects.
If travel is required, those expenses are usually charged directly to the client.
How do you move up in your field?
The key to advancement in family history as a profession is to always be learning.
There are also a number of certification and accreditation opportunities for those who wish to take that route.
Those considering a career in professional genealogy might also think about interning or apprenticing with a professional genealogist.
What do your clients under/over value?
Technology is changing the way we do family history.
Ancestry has more than 16 billion historical records available online and adds approximately 2 million every day.
But, even with those impressive numbers, not all records needed are available online.
Its easy to get impatient and want to have all the information about your family history right now.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Get yourself to a genealogy conference and take as many classes as you could.
RootsTechis held in Salt Lake City every February.
TheNational Genealogical Societyholds their conference every May with Ft Lauderdale, Florida hosting for 2016.
TheSouthern California Genealogy Jamboreeis held in Burbank every June.
Finally, theFederation of Genealogical Societiesholds their annual conference in August; 2016 location is Springfield, Illinois.
There are also local and state genealogical societies that hold conferences, events and monthly meetings.
Googling the name of your city or state and genealogy society will help you locate those organizations.
Your skills and knowledge level will be tested and stretched.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].
Images byAndrzej Sowaandtovovan(Shutterstock).
