Our #1 And Most Adorable Genealogist Hard At Work At The Family History Library In Salt Lake City
Finding a stellar Professional Genealogist can be daunting to say the least! But it doesn't have to be. Here are the top things to look for that will make it MUCH easier for you!
Full disclosure: I'm a Pro myself, but I'm not intending this article as a personal sales pitch in disguise. If you feel I'd be a good fit for you, wonderful, I'd love to have you as my research buddy! If not, that's great too! But for whomever you ultimately choose, please heed these key points when searching for a Pro as I want you to get the best service and results you possibly can.
So, why would I write such an article? Well, believe it or not . . . for ME . . . straight up self interest!
"How does that work?" you might ask. Well, I always keep the big picture in mind and when you do that, it's clear that any time someone gets taken by someone unethical, or just terrible, it hurts us all in the long run. That ultimately means less friends for me to work with (and yes, it's friends . . . never clients).
So, it's in my best interest to write this article, plain and simple! How's that for brutal honesty? Best wishes and happy searching!
And now to the article!
The Quest Begins
Finding a fantastic Professional Genealogist to help you with your genealogy problems can be one of the greatest investments you can make in terms of saving time AND money.
"OK, that's great", I hear you saying, "but how do I find one?" (And no, eeny meeny miny moe is NOT a good strategy!)
Well, that's the catch, isn't it?
I'm not going to lie to you here, finding a good Pro, just like in any other industry, is a bit like running through a mine field with no map and blindfolded.
Pretty scary, huh?
Well, that's why I'm here to help. I'll be your guide.
I'm ready if you are . . .
So, let's jump ALL IN . . .
Let's Go For The Gusto!
On Your Marks, Get Set, GO
The two most often used avenues for finding a Pro are Google and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), but there's also Facebook, LinkedIN, and numerous other social media outlets (way to many to list here).
A Search for "Professional Genealogist" on Google brings up 339,000 results and a quick look on the APG website will show you a directory of nearly 2,050.
That's a bit overwhelming so many to choose from, isn't it?
Hyperventilation paper bag is at the ready, right?
But worry not, here I come to save the day! (oh yeah, I'm an Underdog fan!)
Here's my promise . . . I'm going to try and make it as easy for you as I can!
Narrowing The Field Down And Eliminating The Riff-Raff
For the ease of example, I'm going to use APG as my vehicle here as it is already specialized for individual Pros, but these principles are just as universal for the others. (If you prefer a company over an individual, which is fine too, Google or Facebook might be a better place for you to look.)
Again, no lies here, if you aren't willing to put in a little work it's going to be nothing more than a crap shoot . . . and remember, the house ALWAYS wins. You definitely don't want to go there!
So, lets narrow things down a little first. A few quick simple questions:
- What are you needing help with? What's the goal? For example, if you need the help of someone who can use DNA to help solve out-of-wedlock or adoption mysteries, this will help whittle the available choices down immensely.
Wow! That knocked it down 80%. See, we're already making major progress and wasn't that easy!?!
That's still quite a few to look at though, so lets dig a little deeper into the ones that are left:
- Have they put any effort into their profiles? Did they even fill them out at all? Simply put, if they won't take the time to do that, do you really think they're going to make any real efforts into your genealogy?
- What is the quality of their profile? Does it look like they took their time in filling it out, or does it appear rushed and hurriedly thrown together? Did they just put a bunch of very generic info in there, or did they add some info on specific cases they are proud of that demonstrates their chops? Did they use a complimentary photo? Again, this is very telling.
- How competent are they? This is a big one for sure, but don't over-focus on it. See my caveat below. How long have they done genealogy? How well rounded is their knowledge? How many clients have they served and with what kind of results? What do they estimate their success rate to be?
- How well are they regarded by their clients? Do they have any testimonials? How many? Do they show real full names and cities or only initials? Do the clients sound excited?
As brilliant as I know you all are, I'm sure you'll think of a zillion other questions you could ask as well!
Way to go! You've made it this far and you're doing a FANTASTIC job! I'm really proud of you! By now, I'm sure you've got it shrunk down to a very manageable number and the end of the tunnel is now in sight! See, I told you I was going to try to make it easy!
You're Almost There!
Before we continue, let's take a little break! Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. OK, break is over! Back to it! (Kount Kookula strikes again . . . grin!)
It's Human Touch Time
Now it's time to reach out to the surviving candidates and it is here that you'll be looking at what I feel is the most important, but almost always overlooked, aspect of finding a Pro.
Drum roll please . . .
PERSONALITY!
Because this one is SO important, I'm going to list these points out one by one.
So, here are a few things to be on the look out for when you email them or talk (preferably) to them.
Lets start with some of the things you DON'T want to see in your Pro:
- Being too serious about themselves.
- Consumed with personal narcissism instead of about what they can offer to help you.
- Over-emphatic about their titles and credentials after their names.
- You feel that this is just a job to them and they'll just "fill" the hours you give them, without a care as to whether they find a solution or not.
- They're rude.
And let's finish with what you absolutely DO want to see:
- The sense that they'd be doing genealogy even if they weren't being paid.
- That the thrill of the chase and finding solutions is their passion, and it's never a "job" for them.
- They're pleasant and easy going.
- A sense of real, genuine excitement and joy in their voice when you're talking to them about your family
- You feel you could work with them for a long time, and it's like you've known them forever.
- The feeling that they'll be tenacious and go the extra mile to find the solution you're looking for.
- They love to share similar "war stories" about other relevant cases they've worked on, personally or professionally.
The best Pros, and therefore the most effective ones, will be more excited about your genealogy than even you are. If you've found someone like that, you've found genealogical Pro gold! Don't let them go!
A Final Caveat
Genealogists are just people like you and me, and as such, are always a package deal. Trying to focus one just one aspect at the expense of the others I've laid out above (most focus only on education) is the biggest mistake people make when shopping for a Pro. Keep in mind that no one is going to be perfect (present company excluded of course . . . sorry, I couldn't hep myself. I just had to do it . . . hehe). So, weigh each aspect well.
Life Is Golden
You made it! Congratulations! And guess what? You earned a gold star!
You Did It!
I hope this has been helpful for you!
If you'd like me to be your research buddy, I'd love to hear from you! I can be reached at (888) 444-3211 or danny@hallgen.com.
I can't wait to meet you!
Check out my APG page too! https://www.apgen.org/profiles/danny-hall
Proudly 100% human written!
Photo Credits:
Adorable - Danny Hall - Isn't our son AWESOME?
Leap - Photo 85370673, Dimarik16, Dreamstime - Thank You!
Tunnel - Dobronin, Pixabay - Thank You!
Star - GDJ, Pixabay - Thank You!
