As with any portion of the consulting industry, history consulting can be unpredictable and stressful. However, the intellectual and financial rewards of consulting can outweigh these drawbacks. There are several basic concentrations within the history consulting industry. Most firms have one or two specialties and develop an expertise and reputation in those areas. A description of these specialties, and some representative examples of firms and jobs within each, are offered below.
Genealogy is the study of family history.
It is often a personal study using public historical domains. Genealogy and public history also share a common background. Both are connected to the past, the present, and the future by their historical natures. Professional genealogists are usually self-employed, assisting clients in researching their ancestors. They are also contracted by private law firms to help find missing heirs, by doctors to trace the medical histories of their patients, and by historians or writers to assist them with research for certain articles or publications.