If you’re looking to become a professional organizer, there are a few things you’ll need to do.
First, you need to decide whether or not this is the right career path for you. You’ll want to make sure that organizing is something that aligns with your values and interests. If it does not, then becoming an organizer will be difficult and unfulfilling. You should also take time to think about what kind of organizer fits your personality best. Some people prefer working as home organizers, while others prefer working in businesses or schools as corporate organizers.
After deciding whether or not this is the right career path for you, you should start networking with other professional organizers. This can help you learn more about what the industry looks like and how it works—and learn from people who have been in the field longer than you have!
Next, look into any certifications or degrees that are required in order to become an organizer professionally. Different states require different qualifications, so make sure to check with local requirements before starting your training!
Finally, consider taking classes at a local community college or university—these classes can help prepare you for real-world situations and give you hands-on experience working with clients on projects at home.
How To Become Professional Organizer
A professional organizer can help organize and downsize belongings to help their clients get the most efficiency from their space. As things accumulate, it may become more difficult for someone to organize them in a practical way. This is when a professional organizer can help. In this article, we explain the skills, certifications and career steps to take to become a professional organizer.
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What is a professional organizer?
A professional organizer is a person who has gained significant skills in organization and applies that knowledge to helping others become more organized. A professional organizer helps their clients create a more efficient and effective approach to organization and downsizing. The organizer analyzes the organizational needs of the client, including the number of items, how much needs to go and where they can make more space. This can be in the client’s home or accomplished by using a storage unit. Many organizers act as independent consultants or contractors, but some find work in a professional capacity working for one or more businesses.
What does a professional organizer do?
While the duties of a professional organizer differ with every client, there are some standard responsibilities you can expect from working in the field. Some of these responsibilities might include:
- Organizing and labeling items in containers or closets or storage spaces
- Communicating with the client about short- and long-term organization needs
- Formulating a long-term plan for the client to stay organized
- Organizing individual rooms and spaces or entire buildings or homes
- Finding and utilizing extra space in an environment for storage needs
- Facilitating the disposal, recycling or donation of unwanted or excess items
Sometimes, organizing personal space can mean moving, donating or recycling items that hold emotional significance. A trained organizer should have the skills to comfort their client and help them navigate the offloading process. Sentimental items can be difficult to part with, so you need empathy to understand their position and come to a compromise. This often involves working closely with the client to figure out what’s best for them and formulating an action plan to help them reach their goals.
Even businesses sometimes need help organizing their spaces and may hire a professional organizer to create a more harmonious work environment. In a business capacity, an organizer can act as a consultant or actively participate in the organization process.
Related: Understanding Managerial Organization
How to become a professional organizer
Follow these steps to start a career as a professional organizer:
1. Complete training and education
Not all professional organizers have certifications or any training. Some of them are simply people who have a talent for organizing and want to lend their skills to help others. However, the minimum requirement is usually a high school diploma. That being said, there are other routes you can take to earn a professional certification and legitimize those skills.
2. Earn a CPO certification
Professional organizers have the option to gain a CPO certification from The National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals as an extra credential for their resume. This certification isn’t a necessity, but it gives some credence to your skills as an organizer and helps set you apart from the competition.
To get a certification, you typically need a school diploma or equivalent. NAPO requires prospective organizers to submit proof of at least 1,500 hours of paid work in the last five years as an organizer in a professional capacity. A professional organizer must also adhere to a strict code of ethics and pass a written exam, which consists of 125 multiple-choice questions.
Individual members are expected to pay an annual membership fee to NAPO, which is around $275. Remember that this is optional, but is also something that may help with future prospects.
3. Gain clientele
Once you’ve completed your training and earned a CPO certification, you can offer your skills to new clients. Maybe you have a family member or friend who’s in dire need of organization. You can start by establishing a name for yourself with free consultations. This is a good way to connect with new clients and show them what skills you’re offering.
Skills you’ll need for the job
Prospective organizers will want to bring a set of basic skills to the industry, which include:
- Organization skills: The ability to identify organization issues, formulate an action plan and help enact that action plan. A professional organizer will reflect those skills in both work and personal life, having an organized home/office and utilizing space appropriately.
- Problem-solving skills: A professional organizer spends much of their time solving problems for the client, so good problem-solving skills are advantageous for an organizer. The ability to identify the problem and propose an effective solution can help a PO stand out from the competition.
- Empathy: Empathy is an important skill because it helps bridge the gap of understanding between people. Professional organizers will want to empathize with the needs of their clients and understand why it’s difficult to move, recycle or donate certain items. Empathy helps a PO understand resistance by the client and can help facilitate more effective goals.
- Attention to detail: A good professional organizer has an excellent eye for detail, often seeing things others might have missed. Such a skill helps separate the professional organizer from the everyday home organizer.
- Communication skills: The ability to communicate effectively with clients is crucial to the professional organizer. Communication helps both the client and the PO better understand the needs and goals of the project and might prevent conflict or misunderstandings.
- Creativity: Some problems require creativity to solve them effectively. Professional organizers show a good level of creativity in their problem-solving and attention to detail.
Related: 10 Examples of Organization in the Workplace
Job growth and salary prospects
As the countless shopping opportunities grow and online shopping continues to rise, the need for professional organizers has grown. Many organizers enter the field as independent contractors or consultants, which means limited access to benefits packages, but with greater flexibility and room for expansion. Many of the country’s top professional organizers have created an entire brand from their organizational skills.
A professional organizer’s pay rate will likely depend on their experience level. In addition, getting a certification from NAPO might grant the organizer new opportunities or increased pay. The average salary for an organizer is about $45,023 per year.
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Benefits of pursuing a career as a professional organizer
Becoming a professional organizer offers many benefits, including:
- The chance to help others better organize their spaces
- An opportunity to help clients address mental health concerns by cleaning up clutter and organizing their living/work spaces
- Planning and organizing rooms, homes or businesses in such a way as to foster a specific result (creativity, productivity, relaxation, etc.)
- Helping clients understand the power of organization
Many organizers choose the field to put their unique organizational skills to use helping others.
