How do I find a professional genealogist to assist with my Connecticut genealogy research?

Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions hiring professional help to finish your Connecticut genealogy research project?

There are four organizations with directories you can use to find professional genealogists who specialize in Connecticut research. (The membership of the New England Chapter Association of Professional Genealogists overlaps with that of APG.)

• Association of Professional Genealogists
• Board for Certification of Genealogists
• Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council

Things to consider when you choose who to hire.

• What’s their training and/or background? While accreditation/certification provides a measure of the genealogist’s background, the lack of certification or accreditation does not necessarily do so. There are skilled genealogists who – for various reasons – just haven’t done the process yet. Alternate measures: what courses have they taken? Have they been published? What subjects do they lecture on?
• Is the person onsite or remote? Many Connecticut records are available online on FamilySearch and Ancestry, but there are many that have yet to be digitized. Depending on what you need, you may need someone onsite (or who goes through the vaults often enough to know what they need to request).
• What’s their research focus? Even in a state as small as Connecticut, genealogists may have a stronger in a specific county or town that can be key for the deep dive needed into your family’s history.
• What’s your budget and project goals? You may not want to hire a genealogist for your entire project but just for sections. You may be time or money limited. Knowing that going in will be helpful.
• What communication do you prefer? Do you need regular updates? By phone, email, something else? Asking first will help.
• Are you a good fit? Talk to your genealogist. Not everyone meshes well.