Young Genealogists?

[hsfam]

Or maybe check out this mob - The NextGen Genealogy Network:

https://www.facebook.com/NextGenNetwrk/timeline

http://www.tnggn.org

[11easkry]

Even if you can't actually find and look at records now, make sure that you ask as many relatives as possible what they remember about parents and grandparents. Perhaps even make a questionnaire and give it to them to jog their memories. Keep the replies somewhere safe, as you never know, in a few years those missing records may be available online, and you don't want to be thinking, as a lot of us do, "I wish I'd asked them when they were alive."

Good luck.

Yes, I need to write a letter to my 94 year old Grandmother in Guyana, as I have been told that she "knows all of the answers" with regards to my fathers side of the tree. Thanks!

[11easkry]

Glad to hear you are enjoying it - it is something that fascinates me as well - though I did not get into it until my 30's when the 1901 census was put online. It is a shame that you cannot easily research your own tree, but to me that sounds like the perfect excuse to go travelling!!! If it was me I would consider waiting until I had finished school then, before going to Uni (or work!), I would take a year off and go visit those countries to see what I could find (and enjoy the sights as well!!). In fact, you could even look to making a career out of it - I am sure there are people out there who want to know about their past but cannot be bothered to do it themselves, so would pay someone to research it themselves - so no different to what you are doing now I guess for your friends! Best of luck whatever you do

Kev

I've officially finished school, and only have to go in for two exams next week, then I have a 10 week school break, so I will definitely do some more research into my own tree. I have thought about it genealogy as a career, but because I took it up during GCSE's it's something that's messed up quite a few things - go into Computing, and keep genealogy on the side, or take it up as a profession after uni? I still have a few decisions to make.

[11easkry]

I started when I was 16 and remember getting some really odd looks when I went to the Family Records Centre in London. I also remember every time I went to the record office they automatically assumed I wanted a computer, not a microfilm reader!!

I've been meaning to got the Family History Centre in Ashton/Manchester for a while now, to research some records that I can't access at home. But now that I've finished school I'll have to go - at least I know what to expect

[11easkry]

I too started at 15, after watching the TV series Roots. I started asking my mother about our family, and rang my paternal aunt to ask about that side (my father had already passed away). Lots of handwritten notes, and visits to libraries and archives (no internet back then). My interest waned for a few years, but I kept those notes. Luckily, because when I took it up again, those family members were mostly gone then.
Have you tried the LDS? Their family history centres are very helpful, and they may have access to the records you are seeking.

Yes, I use familysearch all the time! I absolutely love it, and to say you get so many records for free compared to other sites! However recently some of the records, particularly foreign ones, are now only accessible from their Family History Centres, so now that I've finished school, I am going to go to my local one in the coming weeks.

[rebeccaclaire86]

Career wise if I could go back and to I all again, I'd love to be an archivist! With computing there are always jobs with companies like Ancestry and Find My Past being advertised, and I imagine ones with genealogy software companies, might be a good way to combine the two interests!

[tazzie]

Hi.

I wish I had taken it up around your age. I'd have been able to ask more people about their lives. However I only started when I had my own children. My eldest is now 16 (exam madness in our house too) he has been interested for about 5 years and has been working on the local War memorials around the local villages to document the lives of those mentioned. One of these resulted in representing his school on a visit to the battle fields in Flanders.
 My youngest came to a family history fair three years ago when he was 9 as I was looking at the books for sale I could hear him chatting to the stall holder. I made my purchase and turned to see him holding a carrier bag. He said look what I've got! I opened the bag and inside were family history book's. The stall holder had been so impressed with him talking about what he knew of his family and how he knew of their lives he had given Adam around £30 of books to help him go further. I offered to pay but the man insisted. I was a very proud mum.
 Keep at it the answers are out there..... ask lots.....take photos.
 Good luck with the exams.

Tazzie

[dawnsh]

If you thinking of a career, thing about probate genealogy.

There are many companies who don't appear on Heir Hunters.

You may want to get your A levels done and think about it then. A lot will happen to you in the next 2 years.

[groom]

My advice to you ( sorry, ex teacher so can't help it! ) would be to get a degree in Computing as that will leave your options open. Once you have that, you could then explore taking your genealogy interest further. Why not contact one of the heir hunting firms such as Fraser and Fraser, Neil is a member of RootsChat, and ask what qualifications they ask for? My worry is that at the moment there are a lot of people starting family finding businesses, so competition may be steep if you just concentrate on that.