Eva, I was very attracted to your post, partially because I know the feeling. I've been feeling like I've hit a wall in my career path for some time now and I just haven't been able to figure out what to do about it. So it was nice to know that misery has company, lol. Also, I can pass along what advice others have given me, which did serve me well along the way. First, I can suggest the ProGen program. If you've not heard of it yet, check out their website and ask around a bit. If you're looking for other like-minded individuals with the motivation and dedication to continue towards their goals, you'll find it in spades within a ProGen group.  The website is http://progenstudy.org.  Another great opportunity for in-person methodological experience is to take the one week summer classes offered at IGHR. I can't recommend that one enough. There are other one week intensive classes around that are equally wonderful (like SLIG and the one offered at the National Archives) so look into those as well.  A final recommendation that has been made to me in the past was to join rootsweb message board lists in the areas of your expertise and offer to take on work there.  You get the experience and others get help with their research. Of course, this only works when the participants are willing to order the records necessary to progress, etc. and therein lies much of my troubles. But you may have better luck in your locale.  I hope this has helped you a bit. Let's both hope we can succeed and "eventually" achieve our goal of obtaining that CG! Please drop me a message if you ever need a soundboard or anything along the way. I'd love to commiserate with someone in the same boat! Nikki LaRue ________________________________ From: Eva Goodwin <edwgoodwin@gmail.com> To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 3:48 PM Subject: [TGF] next steps? Hi all, I'm feeling a little stuck in a rut in my genealogy path and could use some suggestions to get me going! I'm currently completing the American Records certificate from the NIGS, so I'm always working on the coursework for that. But of course the program itself is online and pretty self-guided. It also is great for getting me familiar and comfortable with all the various kinds of sources and records available but I think I also need to be doing other things concurrently, or working towards other things, in order to really feel like I'm moving forward. My eventual goal is to be CG. Eventual. And in that light, I know that what I really need to do a lot of is methodology work. And I also need social support - people around me who also are excited about this work who can help motivate me so it's not just me and my computer and my filing cabinet! Here are some things I feel like I might be looking for: - intensive in-person institutes or programs where I can meet people and also immerse myself in method work - ongoing study groups, whether in-person or interactive online - one-on-one mentorship with (a) more experienced genealogist(s) - a home learning course that is more methodology centered rather than records centered I am 26 years old, extremely motivated, I have an undergraduate degree from a prestigious liberal arts college and I am an excellent researcher. I know I have what it takes to be a good professional. I have already self-taught my genealogy research until now using books, internet, whatever I could get my hands on. But it's also hard to just do it all by myself in a vacuum. I went to the NGS conference in Cincinnati in the spring and it was a taste of how exciting it could be to be a part of this bigger thing! And I'm seeking people who also want to push themselves as hard as possible to connect with and have in my community, and seeking also learning opportunities that are directed towards an advanced hobbyist looking for the next level of learning. Any suggestions? Thanks so much :) Eva The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message