Careers in Genealogy / Family Research

[raysen]

Hi guys,
First of all, sorry if this is in the wrong board, wasn't sure where may be best to post.

Anyways, I am being made redundant and through one unfortunate thing or another I've never quite had a 'career' as such. Mainly down to never being sure what I would love to do, I've always done what I've been good at just because I can rather than really thinking about what I want out of a job & I am going to be made redundant so all these options are re opening for me again.
So, psychoanalysis cut short, I'm contemplating a future career in genealogy of some sorts.

I was wondering if anyone here makes a living out of it, I am willing to go back to College, so any course advise would be great.
I would love to hear your thoughts and any advise you may be able to offer?

Thanks
Rachael

[dawnsh]

Hi Rachael

You haven't updated your profile so we don't know where in the world you are.

There are many topics here on Rootschat about the same thing and I think there isn't a concensus of opinion.

If you have time and the money do take a course. That will help you in your own research.

Setting up your own business is not that straight forward, you have to pay yourself a wage, sort out premises, take out various insurances.

If you do decide to go for it, you must establish exactly what you are willing to do for people and how much you will charge. You only have to look through the back pages of current genealogy magazines to find out who is offering what. You could find that you are asked to do research you can't do.

Also consider that your subscriptions to the likes of Ancestry and FindMyPast do not include searches for families that aren't your own. If you start doing a large amount of look-ups you may find your subscription suspended.

Pay a visit to your local archives and see if any businesses have put their cards on the notice boards, see what they are offering.

Hope this helps.

Dawn

[raysen]

Hi dawn, thanks for the advice. I agree with the being self employeed bit, but have a couple of members of family who are or have been selfemployeed so business wise can get tips and advice there. But that alone is a lot to contemplate, especially if anything takes off.

I did not realise that through my own accounts on ancestry etc I am not supose to use it for anyone elses search. Thanks for that advice.

Due to my knowledge & like you say I dont want to be asked to look into something I dont know how to, I was maybe thinking of starting local and marketing as a basic/starter family tree package I.e. I would do as much of the family tree as I can with the information I get from sites.such as ancestry, creating their own username and login details so they can pick up at later date or amend if they so wish. I could print off a psychical copy/presentation.
Obviously there would have to be disclaimers & added.extras I.e. If they want or I need any bmd certs to continue, the fact I may not beable to get as many details for every single person etc.

My theory with this basic /starter thing is I know of lots of peopld who are really impressed with the information I have gathered on trees and it isnt much more than this info and they often say how they would love to know that about their ancestors but havent gotthe time/patience to learn and do it.

Cheers
Rachael

By the way, im from Suffolk, England :-)

[falcybe]

Hello Rachael,

My sister, pigletlovesfamily (plf) on Rootschat, took this course a few years ago and she found it very very helpful, not only for her studies into our family tree but also as an aid to understanding the wider picture. Like you, plf often finds information where others find blanks but like everyone she needs help from time to time, hence her joining RootsChatters.

Warning, the course was not at all easy. I know because I gave my sis a helping hand from time to time: reading her essays and so on and being a (distant) shoulder to lean on. But it was worthwhile.

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/details.php?id=30

or put the following into your search engine: oxford university family history diploma

cheers, falcybe
oh, ps: and update your profile, click on the word "profile" near the top of this page. Just knowing where you are in the world helps people who wish to help you enormously  . If you click on my profile button you will see that I am in Belgium. Of course, having written all this, if you really don't want your county location to be general knowledge to fellow RootsChatters then ignore what I have just written. Each to their own 

[Sloe Gin]

Also consider that your subscriptions to the likes of Ancestry and FindMyPast do not include searches for families that aren't your own.

Blimey, if you're not allowed to look up anyone you're not related to, these boards would be very quiet!  And lots of local history research projects would be compromised.

Ancestry's T&Cs do allow professional family research:

You may access the Website only personally with an individual browser ..., use graphics, information, data, editorial and any other content displayed on or accessible through the Website (“Content”) only for personal or professional family history research, and download Content only as search results relevant to that research. For example, the download of the whole or material parts of any work or database is prohibited. Resale of a work or database or portion thereof, except as specific results relevant to specific research for an individual, is prohibited. Online or other republication of Content is prohibited except as unique data elements that are part of a unique family history or genealogy.

  http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/legal/TermsAndConditions

As for FindMyPast, I think there is a professional sub option available, but I'm not 100% sure. They do put a limit on individual searches.

[millymcb]

From FindMyPast (presumably for the non professional option)
What you can use the service for:
You can only use the website for your own personal non-commercial use, e.g., to research your own family history. We are also happy for you to help out other people with their family history by telling them about records available on the website and how and where they can be found, including showing them anything within our free search results. However, you must not provide them with copies of any of the records (either an original image of the record or the information on the results page), even if you provide them for free.

Their terms seem harsher than Ancestry which surprises me.

Milly

[raysen]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the tips and the confirmations.
I am a member of Ancestry but not FindMyPast, so shouldn't be too much of a problem. But now I've thought about it, if I go ahead with all this, I may create a new account for each 'customer' and give them the account details at the end, so they have all their information on their own account.

Thanks for the course information too falcybe was this an online course? I'll have a check out of my local college/uni to see if any of those courses stick out as something I would find useful. I'll also speak to my local Archives and get a Family Tree magazine to see about any one else who maybe advertising the same/simelar.

It's also a case of finding out how to price myself hourly/daily etc What do you guys think the best option would be?

Cheers
Rachael

[raysen]

p.s. - Profile updated ;-)

[IMBER]

This may be of interest?

http://www.strath.ac.uk/genealogy/