By Alice Childs, AG®
If you are reading this, you have probably set a goal to become an Accredited Genealogist® professional – or are at least considering the idea. I became an official Accredited Genealogist professional in March 2022. This came after many hours of research and preparation, but it was well worth the time spent, and I learned a few things about the process along the way. While the overarching goal to become accredited can seem daunting, breaking the larger goal into specific smaller goals will ensure your path to success. Here are seven strategies to consider:
1. Become familiar with the accreditation readiness assessment, which will guide your activities and preparation. Included are requirements for a certain number of hours of education and research, with specific guidelines for the number of hours to spend in records for your region. You will need experience with relevant repositories and websites and writing research reports. The culminating activity will be the submission of your Four Generation Project.
2. Set a reasonable goal for when you would like to submit your Four Generation project. First, determine the number of research and education hours you need and how much research you still need to complete for your Four Generation Project. Next, divide the total number of hours needed by the number of hours you can commit to spending per week. This will tell you when you can reasonably expect to be ready to submit your project.
3. Begin tracking your hours. You will not need to submit a time log to ICAPGenSM. You will simply check the boxes on the Accreditation Readiness Assessment certifying that you have completed the required number of hours. Consider creating a spreadsheet with columns for each area in which you need hours – records for each state, nationwide records, education activities, etc. Record the total number of hours you will spend in each area in the header of that column. Create a formula so that hours are automatically totaled at the bottom of each column. Use a tool like Toggl to track your time accurately.
4. Focus your research and education. Ensure that you are working on research projects that use the important record types for your region. Go beyond websites and begin requesting records from important offline repositories in your work. If you don’t have ancestors who lived in parts of your region, consider asking friends and neighbors if they have ancestors from that area, or simply access a probate or census record from a locality in your region and begin researching someone mentioned in that record. Seek out books, classes, and other educational opportunities that will help you learn more about researching in your region of specialization. Education that focuses on methodology is also essential.
5. Create a Personal Reference Guide. Gathering resources for research in your area into one place has several benefits. First, as you create the guide, you will be solidifying your knowledge about your region of specialization. Next, you will be creating a library of articles and quick reference guides that will be of value to you during all future genealogical research. Finally, because the Written Exams are open book, your personal reference guide will be something you can quickly consult during the timed tests.
6. Practice writing client reports. Even if you aren’t actively working as a professional, consider writing a formal report after every twenty hours of research. The more you can practice writing now, the better prepared you will feel when it is time to write your Four Generation Report and take the third Written Exam segment.
7. Be sure to include enrollment in the ICAPGen Study Groups in your plan. The time to apply for the Four Generation Study Group is when you have reached the following milestones:
- You have chosen your accreditation region and have completed the required number of hours for researching in that region.
- You have completed most of your research for at least one generation of your Four Generation Project.
- You have developed high-intermediate or advanced research skills.
- You have experience writing research reports.
You can apply for the Test Prep Study Group after successfully completing the Four Generation Study Group and submitting your Four Generation Project. Or, you can apply after successfully passing the Four Generation Project.
Taking these steps will ensure that you are well on your way to reaching your goal of becoming an Accredited Genealogist professional. Best of luck to you as you begin or continue your journey!
Alice’s original article is published on her website, Genealogy Now.
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