It's important to know that what gets passed down as family lore is not always true: your ancestors came over from a tiny village in Poland that no longer exists, you're descended from English royalty, or your 4x great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess. These fun bits of family lore can give you something to investigate, but they shouldn't be relied upon as "truth" unless you can find proof!
Genealogical societies offer members access to records, publications, conferences, research assistance, and more.
Many hobby genealogists enjoy joining and participating in lineage societies. These are often organizations that require you to have an ancestor who had a certain profession, or participated in a specific historical event or other niche activities. Here are a few lineage societies, including some rather interesting ones!
Many hobby genealogists attend conferences, classes, or institutes in order to hone their genealogy skills in a specific subject area. If you have an interest in becoming a professional genealogist, you may want to explore degree or certificate programs, or other professional development and training opportunities.
Conferences
Classes and Institutes for Beginners and Hobbyists
Institutes tend to be a full weekend/week event, or a month or two of classes.
Professional Learning Opportunities
If you need to hire someone to do research on your behalf or to consult with a professional, you want to make sure that the person you hire really knows their stuff. Only genealogists that have been credentialed, or are a part of a professional organization, are bound by a code of ethics and have proved themselves competent in conducting genealogical research.