Are you interested in becoming a professional organizer?
No, I’m not hiring. But I receive emails probably at least once a month asking me if I am, from people who are interested in becoming a professional organizer.
It occurs to me that I could save them the time writing (or be helpful to people too bashful to write), if I created a blog post with the information I usually write to these folks.
So here’s what I think you need to do to become a professional organizer:
Love people. In my experience being a PO is more about the people and less about the organizing. Of course you should love organizing as well, but if you don’t love working with people (and if you can’t stop yourself from judging the organizationally challenged), this might not be the field for you.
Invest in professional association memberships. The first thing I did when I decided to become a PO was to join the National Association of Professional Organizers. I would have joined a chapter instantly, but St. Louis didn’t have one at the time. We do now. Joining NAPO not only gives you credibility, it gives you access to the knowledge of a thousands of organizers through the email listservs (soon to be online forums).
Invest in training and education. The second thing I did was join the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (back then it was called the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization). I started taking their teleclasses, which were extremely educational and also gave my confidence a boost. I took some education classes via NAPO as well.
Invest in conferences. I’m a conference junkie. I love them. There’s no better way to learn about the industry, in my opinion. I went to the first NAPO and NSGCD (now ICD) conferences that were available after I became a PO. And I’ve been to every one since. The 2011 NAPO conference just ended but the ICD conference is coming up in a few months. It’s September 15 to 17, in Raleigh, N.C.
Think about a training program. A number of professional organizers offer training or coaching for new POs. I haven’t been through any of their programs myself, but here are some of the more prominent ones:
Get your website going. I think a good website is absolutely essential. (I rarely hire service providers who don’t have one.) I know for a fact that my website brings in the majority of my business. If you need a good web designer, you can’t go wrong with Nora Brown, who designed this website.
Do freebies if necessary. In my first six month of business, I did freebies for friends in exchange for testimonials and before and after pictures for my website. It gave me valuable, relatively low-stress experience (we took these sessions very seriously) and it helped me build my website. That worked very well for me.
Have a social media presence. I couldn’t do this when I started out, since social media as we know it wasn’t in existence, but I did start blogging fairly early on. If I were starting out now, I’d have a Facebook, Twitter and Linked In presence.
Becoming a professional organizer is a fairly low-overhead proposition. But I’d urge you to invest in professional associations, conferences, and training or classes. I’m awfully glad I did.
If you’re a PO, feel free to add your two cents in the comments!
Tagged with: becoming a po, icd, napo
Comments
Jeri, you’re the best! (Folks, getting to know people like Jeri is one of the great benefits of joining NAPO or ICD.)
Thank you so much for adding those valuable resources. I’m glad you found the post helpful. You’ve made it even more so!
Janine Adams Apr 14, 06:55 AM
The one thing I’d add to what you and Jeri have said is almost a sub-point. Yes, you should join professional associations and get education, which means attending not only the NAPO and ICD conference, but also (whenever possible) the NAPO chapter meetings.
But more than that, aspiring professional organizers need to build relationships with their colleagues, both via social networking, as you mentioned, Janine, and via those old-fashioned methods of speaking face-to-face and on the telephone. This is not an encouragement to squeeze a veteran colleague dry, but to do one’s due diligence and then approach people with a questioning and open mind.
There’s a vast difference between asking a colleague “How should I do X?” (which implies you want to benefit from all their labor without doing any of it yourself) and “My research has indicated X, but also Y. Do you have an opinion?”, which shows a genuine respect for the field of inquiry and the colleague with whom you speak.
And Jeri is so spot on regarding reading. Read everything, and not only about organizing. Read about psychology. About time management. About business practices and social trends. Read until your eyes are tired and your brain is full, then take a nap and read some more. Investing in yourself means investing in your intellectual growth, which I believe is the only way you can have professional growth.
So there. Nyah! ;-)
Julie Bestry Apr 14, 12:47 PM
Love it, Julie! You’re absolutely right. One of the things I loved most about becoming an organizer was getting to dive into all the learning and reading. There’s so much to learn and it’s all so interesting!
You and I are both conference enthusiasts and I know we agree on the value of that face-to-face interaction with our colleagues. For me, it’s absolutely essential.
Thank you so much for improving this post by commenting.
Janine Adams Apr 15, 06:17 AM
Great post Janine! As I re-start my mentoring for new Professional Organizers, I plan to point people to your post as well. This is very informative and much like what I have on my www.organizeru.com site.. One thing I would add is your favorite books that are geared toward newer organizers and broad topics. I’m sure you have your own faves so I won’t list mine here :-) .
You are awesome as always.
— Allison
Allison Carter Apr 15, 07:02 AM
Thanks Janine for a great post and everyone else for these great comments! Janine, you are so right that it’s about people first, and organizing second! Lots of people are good at keeping themselves organized, but helping another person to get and stay organized is a completely different skill set.
I would also add to take advantage of resources such as the Small Business Administration and SCORE to bone up on business and marketing skills. If the thought of marketing yourself churns your stomach, (as it did me!) don’t despair! You can find ways that work for you and it becomes a seamless part of your existence.
Caroline Totah Apr 15, 08:45 AM
Professional Organizers in Canada also has a yearly conference, which will be in Toronto this November. It’s worth checking out, whether you’re Canadian or not!
Janet Barclay Apr 15, 11:05 AM
Thank you Janine, Jeri, Julie and my other colleagues for your combined input, great post! I’m drafting a list of educational resources for our NAPO-WDC chapter meeting guests and was hoping to gather more outside sources for training – so thanks for helping me out! I would also add that I’ve seen great classes offered by A Red Bench. Anyone else have another good source to add? I’ve been emphasizing to prospective organizers (in my role as Membership Director) that developing relationships with others is key. Just like we tell our clients, there is no quick way to sucess…it takes time!
Jackie Kelley Apr 15, 03:09 PM
I agree with the great tips above and would like to add one more thought/reality check. I believe that the success of my business has been due to the fact that I wanted to own a business first, and be an organizer second. I work face-to-face with clients 16 – 20 hours a week. I work 35 – 40 hours a week total. Do the math. There is so much finance, strategy, sales, administration, and marketing that goes into running a successful business.
I caution those interested in becoming a PO to make extra sure they want to be a business owner. You don’t get to “practice your craft” 100% of the time, and if you neglect the non-organizing pieces of your business, you won’t have one. I took a night class for entrepreneurs at my local university before opening my business and that was invaluable.
Melissa Gratias Apr 16, 07:35 AM
Thank you for that very important point, Melissa! Actual organizing with clients is just a small part of what I do for my business. Like you, I spend at least as much (if not more) of my time running the business than I do working with clients.
I appreciate your comment!
Janine Adams Apr 16, 07:41 AM
This is so great! It was just this week that I finally decided to save a draft in Word of my response to inquiries from interested maybe-one-day-organizers! Very good advice! I agree!
I also stressed that they will need to work hard to be sure their website comes up in a search that their potential clients would do. I, too, get a large percentage of my business from internet searches! After helping friends if they still love organizing tell everyone they know, hand out their cards, speak (if at all possible), participate in a GO Month project and join a chamber or network group!
Love your site, Janine.
Tracy @ Simply Squared Away Apr 22, 12:56 AM
Hi, Tracy! Thanks so much for your comment. I hadn’t even touched on marketing on this post, but of course that’s so important. In terms of SEO, I think that blogging regularly helps my website come up on internet searches. But it takes awhile to get there. Networking is essential! Thanks for pointing that out.
Janine Adams Apr 22, 06:36 AM
Glad you posted this! Excellent list. I get the emails too.
I’d add a little perseverance to the list. You might be able to make a living but it will take some time to build a solid reputation and expertise. Leaving a lucrative job and beginning an organizing company is a leap of faith.
Decide also what will be the measure of your success. Is it a monetary number? Mine is paychecks,(of course) but also hugs, and control of my personal schedule which I didn’t have in my previous career.
Melanie Dennis Jun 1, 07:27 AM
Excellent points, Melanie! Thank you so much for contributing them!
Janine Adams Jun 1, 10:56 AM
Hey guys, this was very helpful. I am interested in learning more about becoming an organizer, but need help finding classes that are interactive (webinars or in class). I still am working in the corporate world and want to make sure I really enjoy professional organizing as much as I think I will before joining associations (if possible). I live in NJ. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Jill Maso Jun 7, 08:25 AM
Great to read all these comments and to see how everyone supports each other, that’s the best thing for a healthy field to work in. I got referred to this page by C Lee Cawley and I’m new to the Arlington VA area. Just starting up as a full-time PO when recently moved from San Diego CA. Looking forward to my first DC chapter meeting to introduce myself and meet the people in this field.
Stephen Bok Oct 30, 06:15 PM
Great post, Janine! I’ve just modified my standard reply to “I want to become an organizer” emails to start with this:
If you’re interested in becoming a professional organizer, I’d recommend reading the advice here:
http://www.peaceofmindorganizing.com/blog/are-you-interested-in-becoming-a-professional-organizer
Some other points I include:
1. Getting training from an experienced organizer can be a huge help; it’s what I did when I started out.
Here are some possible resources, all offered by organizers I know and respect:
http://www.workshops4success.com
http://www.customlivingsolutions.com/classes/
http://metropolitanorganizing.com/services/training-professional-organizers
2. Reading is another way to expand your knowledge. You can see my list of favorite organizing books at http://www.squidoo.com/organize/.
3. You might want to read a bit about personal safety issues. There’s a book called Safe Home Visits that some have recommended; I haven’t read it myself. I have read The Gift of Fear – it was highly recommended to me, and I in turn recommend it to others.
Jeri Dansky Apr 13, 10:45 PM