about me
professional genealogist Jennifer Dondero, author of Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist, an Amazon bestseller
About Me
Meet the Author
I'm Jennifer, and I'm an Occasional Genealogist... sort of. For over ten years I've been a professional genealogist. I started researching my own family nearly 30 years ago. Like many of you, I started as an Occasional Genealogist. I had to squeeze research in while in school and while working full-time. Then I got my first genealogy job and for awhile, it was genealogy all the time. Now I have two kids. I do other people's genealogy constantly but my own? Coming up with ways to do great genealogy, despite all the interruptions, is now mandatory.
Learn More About Me

Posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosures page for details.

 


data:post.title
4:51 PM

The Brick Wall Solution Roadmap: The Genealogy Framework That Turns a Dead End Into a Next Step

If your genealogy research has hit a brick wall, the problem is almost never a lack of records. It's a missing framework. The Brick Wall Solution Roadmap is a free six-step process that makes the genealogy research process genuinely actionable — so you always know where you are in your research and what t…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
6:41 AM

The Two Most Basic Things You Need to Bust a Genealogy Brick Wall

Before you can do anything else to bust a brick wall, there are two things you must have, information and knowledge. This sounds really simple and it shoukd be. But people rush ahead and get stuck for years because they don't START with these absolute basics. Genealogy knowledge is the foundation for bu…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
5:56 PM

Stop "Building" Your Family Tree and Do This Instead

Maybe your family tree is stuck because you're trying to "build" it. If you haven't had this genealogy revelation, it might just change the way you research. This is a follow-up post,  read the other post, here . I use the term "great genealogy" but that is what you want to wor…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
2:27 PM

What to Do Before Hiring a Genealogist [+Checklist]

In this post, we’ll go over what to do with your genealogy research before hiring a genealogist. Why you need to follow some essential steps before hiring a pro. The three things you want to do. What you'll get from this process, regardless if you actually hire someone or not! What to…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
12:12 PM

How to Break Through Genealogy Brick Walls

Does this sound like you? You've searched the same databases three times. You've tried different spellings. You've stared at the same census record until the ink blurs. And your ancestor is still nowhere. If that sounds familiar, you've hit a genealogy brick wall and you're in good company…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
10:22 AM

Is Hiring a Genealogist Worth It? {+ alternatives}

Is it worth hiring a professional genealogist to build your family tree for you? This isn't a yes or no answer. In this post we'll quickly look at: the different types of work you can hire a genealogist to do how different projects are priced when you need to hire help and what your a…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
2:22 PM

FAN Club Genealogy Research: How-to and Tips

If you're trying to learn what a genealogy FAN club (or the FAN principle) is, read this post , instead. Today's post gets into a few more nitty-gritty details of how to start FAN club research for genealogy (also called cluster research or cluster genealogy). IMPORTANT: This is the technique …
tags
Read more
data:post.title
1:23 PM

How to Create a Reverse Family Tree

This post will give you some resources if you're trying to create a reverse family tree or trying to decide if creating one is right for you. We'll look at... What is a reverse family tree How to learn more about creating a reverse family tree How to get a free reverse family tree tem…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
10:38 AM

Are Genealogy Forms Getting You Stuck?

There are tons of free genealogy forms available on the internet, and even more paid forms and templates. But these tools can only take you so far. Forms are a great starting point for gathering information about your family history but learn to use them appropriately in this post.
tags
Read more
data:post.title
8:30 AM

The Worst Genealogy Mistake

Are you frustrated with your genealogy progress? Maybe you feel stuck. Maybe you feel confused. Maybe you feel impatient. There's a really good chance you're making the worst genealogy mistake. It's a really popular mistake that will leave you stuck, confused, and not progressing for YEARS.
tags
Read more
data:post.title
11:52 AM

The "QuickSheet" for Your Toughest Problems

This is one of several reviews of Genealogical.com publications, you can find the list of available reviews, here . One of the publications Genealogical.com sent me to review is one of my very favorites. The Historical Biographer's Guide to Cluster Research (the FAN Principle) is a "QuickSheet." A…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
6:05 AM

The Best Way to Do Genealogy Research : Family History Month #3

One of the top requests I get from genealogists is help doing research planning. I know this was a topic I was always looking for help with even after I was a professional. Last week I started talking about Research Plans but today I want to flesh it out and the freebie(s) in the Family History Month 2019 Collection…
tags
Read more
data:post.title
2:30 PM

What Is a Genealogy FAN Club?

If you got here because you Googled “genealogy FAN club,” you probably are embarking on a really fun stage of your genealogy research. At least I hope you are. This post focuses on what a FAN club is. It covers: What the FAN acronym includes A basic "what cluster research is not" …
tags
Read more
data:post.title
10:35 AM

Can a Genealogy Checklist Help You?

Do you like the idea of a genealogy checklist? A handy little list you just follow and mark items off so you know where you are? I like that idea, too. It sounds much less intimidating than a research plan or doing analysis. I still often yearn for a nice little checklist to walk me through my research.…
tags
Read more
2026 The Occasional Genealogist. All rights reserved. View our Privacy Policy. | Design created with by: Brand & Blogger.