15.12 Prospects for Careers Utilizing DNA and Genealogical Skills

DNA research skills add value to a historian's toolbox that other people are unqualified to use. A knowledge of genetic genealogy is not just good for research; it is lucrative and opens career opportunities. Take, for example, law enforcement and the way that civil servants are utilizing science in solving crimes and identifying perpetrators. The news often touts cold cases being solved decades later through DNA testing, but that is not the whole story.

To solve cases utilizing the science of DNA, genetic genealogists are needed to interpret the results of a DNA test and build out possible genetic trees, triangulating with other matches to identify which individuals were most likely the suspect or the victim. While some may feel that being involved in the criminal justice process is not something they would enjoy, others may find satisfaction in using research skills to unlock a path that gets to the truth and gives the families of victims the closure they may have been seeking for many years. The same is true for military members who are missing in action and whose families are waiting for their remains to come home. A genetic genealogist can help identify remains and bring closure to the family waiting to know where their loved one died. Identification means the opportunity to return remains and to honor their service with a proper burial near their loved ones.1

Genealogy is not just a hobby; it can be a profession and has applications in many industries: Science, history, computers, teaching, tech, AI, and publishing are just a few.

Solid research skills, honed by practice, can open doors to unique experiences and discoveries in seeking what happened in history, how it affected the people of those times, and how it connects to individuals living today.