At what point can I consider myself a genealogist?

Question:

At what point can I consider myself a genealogist?

I've been tracing my family tree for about 5 years. I've tracked it in at least 5 directions. Am I a genealogist yet?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'll disagree with a few of the sentiments above...and I am a certified professional genealogist and historian with the credentials to prove it.

You are a genealogist when you follow good, established research procedures, and whether you're doing it for yourself or others. Many great genealogists in this world have never taken a penny for their work...nor would they consider it right to take money for something they love.

You are a genealogist when you know how to research in archives, libraries, newspaper archives and places that have no computer databases...but you're successful nonetheless.

You're a genealogist when it wakes you up in the middle of the night as a breakthrough comes to you in your dream...and it's accurate!

You're a genealogist when you go to family reunions and can correct years of family folklore with real stories of the people who fathered all of you. Reality is sometimes so much more fascinating than fiction...and our job as "real genealogists" is to tell the story of these people and bring them back to life.

You are a genealogist when you take your experiences and share them with others. A big part of our "job" is to teach others how to record the records of our families and preserve them for many generations to come.

From what I've read that you have posted on this site, you've been a real genealogist for much longer than you realize.