This post is part of my continuing series of course reviews from the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University. Friends of mine have been invited to blog as guest authors and share their experiences in the courses at IGHR. Here is a review by Pamela Holland.
“Genealogy as a Profession” course at IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research)
By Pamela Guye Holland
Taught by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL; Alvie Davidson, CG;
Michael Hait, CG; Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA; J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA;
David Rencher, CG, AG., FIGRS, FUGA; Judy
Russell, J.D., CG, CGL; Benjamin B.
Spratling, III, J. D.; Debbie Parker Wayne, CG,
CGL.
As an aspiring professional genealogist I want to learn as
much as I can about starting a business based on the work I love. When I saw
“Genealogy as a Profession” offered at IGHR at Samford University this year I
jumped at the chance and signed up. It turned out to be one of the best
decisions I have ever made. The week long format of the class allowed me to
thoroughly explore the genealogy profession and to hear from a wide variety of
professionals. I left empowered and emboldened to start my own business.
Day one we jumped right into discovering what defines a
professional genealogist and then delved into office setup, record keeping, business
formation, contracts and setting fees. Our homework that night was to write a
preliminary business plan. Taking the ideas we learned that day, setting them down
on paper and creating a concrete plan was a wonderful exercise. My initial
trepidation before starting the class was completely turned around and I felt like
“I can do this!” Even better I had an actual plan I could start implementing as
soon as I got home.
Next we studied marketing, client communications, ethics,
research planning, evidence analysis and writing research reports. Elissa Scalise
Powell has a wonderful method of “writing as you go” that makes creating
reports part of the research process rather than a tedious chore left to the
end. We learned about copyright issues both for our own work and for the things
we want to include in our writing and publishing. Copyright is a complex issue
every genealogist needs to be aware of but now I feel I understand it better
and have the knowledge I need to make the right decisions.
The course was rounded out by investigating different ways
to earn money and augment our skills. Some of the suggestions included DNA
research, lecturing, publishing and heir, adoption and mineral right legal
cases. We heard many times we cannot be just a “general researcher” but need to
diversify as well as have a specialty or niche to attract clients. In this
digital age the future of the genealogy profession is changing rapidly but this
course taught me how to recognize potential new avenues for growth. I feel I
now have a solid foundation to build my business on and I know the skills I
need to acquire to be a successful professional genealogist.
Pamela Guye Holland completed the Boston University
Genealogical Research Certificate program (OL10) in 2012 and is a member of
ProGen19. She won first place in the 2012 Writing Contest sponsored by the Massachusetts
Society of Genealogists (MSOG) for “It Started with a Cough: A Month of
Mourning for the Ritter and Blackett Families Living in Boston Highlands,
Massachusetts,” MASSOG 36 (Fall
2012): 83-92. Pam researches
family roots found in New England, New York, Ohio and West Virginia with ties
to England, Germany and Ireland. Pam serves on the boards of the Merrimack
Valley chapter of MSOG and the Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) and
also volunteers for the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). She
can be found at http://www.genealogybypamholland.com/