The genealogy profession has truly blossomed in the last few years. Many people are wondering about their family heritage. While some will take the journey to discover this for themselves, there are others who will want to hire a genealogical professional. How does one know what characteristics and abilities a genealogical professional should have? What do clients need to look for in a researcher to ensure they are finding someone who can help them in this family history endeavor? Marian Pierre-Louis is a genealogist who has created some great podcast resources to help you.

There is one new resource that I have found very helpful and exciting! It is the “Genealogy Professional” podcast hosted by Marian Pierre-Louis. Another great aspect of this podcast, is that it can also help someone who wishes to transition to a professional to gain ideas and insights from someone who has already taken that path. They can hear their story, learn of their trial and errors, and successes and learn from them. The Genealogy Professional podcast is your resource for learning best practices and gaining a sense of what a genealogy career is all about.

Some of the awesome genealogists that have been interviewed are Lisa Also, Caroline Gurney, Melanie Holtz, Cinamon Collins, Kathryn Lake Hogan, Sheri Fenley, LaDonna Garner, Leslie Lawson and others. The shows are available thru links on Marian’s website, but also on iTunes.

I recently listened to Leslie Lawson's interview and came away so inspired by hearing of her experiences in becoming a genealogical professional. She shared how she started out, what educational paths she took and the obstacles she encountered. She gave some great advice, especially in using templates to help in staying organized and saving precious time. Leslie started out doing genealogy for her family and friends, but now has transitioned into a professional who specializes in Forensic Genealogy! After Leslie's interview, Marian gave some great tips and advice which can be found on her website.

Marian Pierre-Louis is also the host of another educational podcast, Fieldstone Common. She will introduce you to authors and historians who bring history alive! Topics focus on history and genealogy in the Northeast United States. Authors, historians, curators, archivists, genealogists and other stewards of history are interviewed about their books or projects. You can visit her archives to see all the great interviews she has uploaded.

In conclusion, if you are looking to hire a professional genealogist, or thinking of transitioning from doing family history as a hobby to a career, the “Genealogy Professional” is a podcast that can help you in your decision. If you enjoy history, then “Fieldstone Common” will be an informative educational podcast. Marian has done an excellent job in producing great quality podcasts that are entertaining, but also very informative and educational. I highly recommend listening to Marian Pierre-Louis’ podcasts.