Genealogical Researchers

Employers

Citizenship reclamation specialists are employed by genealogical research firms and law firms. Heir searchers work for attorneys, estate administrators and courts, and probate research firms. Military repatriation experts are employed by private companies that provide services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies. Genetic genealogists are employed by for-profit companies that provide DNA analysis services to customers. Major companies include 23andMe, AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage DNA, Sequencing.com, and HomeDNA. Genetic genealogists also work for police departments and other law enforcement agencies, government agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and private forensic science consulting firms. Some genealogical researchers operate their own consulting firms.

Starting Out

Most genealogical researchers first begin their careers as traditional genealogists and gradually expand their knowledge of a particular specialty—such as forensic genealogy—by taking classes that are offered by colleges and universities, professional associations, and for-profit education companies to build their skills. Some participate in internships or other experiential opportunities at genealogical research firms. With experience, they begin offering their genealogical research services to clients until they build a strong reputation in the field.

Once they have a successful business, they can obtain clients by word-of-mouth, by promoting their business on social media and at their Web sites, and by networking at law enforcement or genealogy career fairs and related events.