How to Become a Genealogist

Genealogy, the practice of tracing family history and ancestry through the centuries, has piqued the curiosity of the British public.

Satisfying our curiosity and the need to know where we have come from, it is a process that fun and informative, as well as being one that throws the odd surprise into the mix too.

For many people, it is a hobby. It is something they do of an evening or a weekend, spending time researching online archives for traces of ancestors and stories.

But it can be much more than that. It can be the means by which people lay claim to land, property and estate.

Therefore, in looking at how to become a genealogist and filling in the gaps of a family tree, you need to be aware that it could lead you places you never thought, including a new career.Genealogy can be more than just creating a family tree…

• Gaining and using experience – with so many projects and tasks these days, when we want to know something, we use a search engine. There are organisations, archives and so on that are in the process of adding records to their online libraries, a great way of finding information. But sometimes, you will need to dig deeper, possibly travelling to libraries and archives across the country. Some professional genealogists will travel the world in search of the information they need. You will gain so many new researching and information-finding techniques, other than searching the web.

• Literature of old – the way we keep records has changed over the years, especially the language used in such documents. For example, in handwritten script from centuries ago, an ‘s’ would often be written as ‘f’, a small piece of information that can make deciphering a document so much easier.
  

• Volunteer on projects – if you are interested in such projects, volunteering on local projects can be a great way of gaining valuable experience, skills and knowledge. These projects will often look at how a town has flourished from a tiny village, to a throbbing city – and somewhere in that mix could be your ancestors.

• Educate yourself – from subscribing to professional journals, to taking courses of all kinds, including how to work in an archive, where to find information and how to look, etc.; there are so many points of interest to genealogy that taking one course will no doubt lead to others.

• Not just family-based research – genealogy is not just about family trees and ancestors. Professional genealogists work as authors, teachers, lecturers as well as offering their services to all kinds of professions, including the legal profession and so on.

Start your genealogy journey online
And by this, we don’t just mean typing in your surname to see what it means or where it came from. Online genealogy courses are the perfect way to start your journey, acquiring the basic

Studying online has many benefits;

• No need to become cash-strapped – at one time, acquiring new skills meant giving up work and sitting in a classroom all day. No longer is this the case as studying from home is the perfect option. Study when you want and when you can, and still be able to pay the bills every month.
• High quality and great value – you may think that some online study courses are a little vague or a light-tough course. You may be surprised to find that many online course, including those that show you how to become a genealogist are of the same value and quality as those taught in a classroom. The only difference is that it is down to you when you want to study, and how.
• Cost-effective – it can be expensive going back to school or college. Your course fees will include tutor time for planning and delivering sessions, marking your work, registering with the awarding body, as well as overhead costs such as venue hire etc. With online study courses, the provider has lower costs thus, these savings are passed on to you.
• Progress at your own pace – learning is all about you. By studying the Diploma in Genealogy, you will acquire the basic skills, knowledge and understanding of ethical practice that you need to get you started on your new, exciting journey, all with full support from qualified, experienced tutors.

Take the first step today – Enrol!
Every journey starts with a single step. How to become a genealogist who is knowledge, expert and experienced starts with acquiring the basic of skills. Enrol with NCC Home Learning and never look back.