A different professional organizing question
January 21, 2025 6:13 PM Subscribe
Nope, I don't need one...my question is, how do you become a professional organizer?
In a comment on MetaTalk someone* mentions hiring "a neurodivergence-experienced professional organizing team". I would love to do this kind of work! What's a good way for someone to get started? Are there reputable sources for training? Other certifications that are helpful?
Some maybe-helpful, maybe-not background: I'm neurodivergent. Tidying and organizing are things I do in my free time just for fun. They give me joy and a sense of accomplishment. When I was a kid, I had a very cluttered and chaotic living space; I loved collecting things related to my special interests and filling my room with them. Then my grandmother died, leaving a house full of belongings that didn't have a clear place to go. As my mom shouldered the stress of emptying the house and dividing everything up on top of her grief at losing her last living parent, she and I both owed that we wouldn't carry on her more-is-more approach a single generation more. We shifted our mindset to one of regularly decluttering and being more thoughtful about the kinds of spaces we wanted to live in. We started with a big cleanout of our home that became a regular practice and tradition. I've since read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and realized that I unconsciously already did many of the parts of the 'KonMari method'.
I'd love to use this talent and passion to help other people, especially people who might find it meaningful to work with a fellow neurodivergent person. I know that professional organizing is a vocation that requires a lot of compassion and understanding that everyone has a unique relationship to their possessions and their homes. I know that while I'm a "put things away so I know where they are" person, there are also "keep things visible so I know where they are" people - I've lived with more than one! As an autistic person, I don't always come across as warm or nurturing, but I think I can bring my understanding and experience to bear when things get emotional. I also understand that a lot of us are collectors and we like it that way! Rather than assuming everyone wants to pare down the way I once did, I'd love to help people display their collections in ways that feel intentional and make their living spaces feel like home.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
*Anonymizing for privacy because I think MetaTalk is logged-in-users-only
In a comment on MetaTalk someone* mentions hiring "a neurodivergence-experienced professional organizing team". I would love to do this kind of work! What's a good way for someone to get started? Are there reputable sources for training? Other certifications that are helpful?
Some maybe-helpful, maybe-not background: I'm neurodivergent. Tidying and organizing are things I do in my free time just for fun. They give me joy and a sense of accomplishment. When I was a kid, I had a very cluttered and chaotic living space; I loved collecting things related to my special interests and filling my room with them. Then my grandmother died, leaving a house full of belongings that didn't have a clear place to go. As my mom shouldered the stress of emptying the house and dividing everything up on top of her grief at losing her last living parent, she and I both owed that we wouldn't carry on her more-is-more approach a single generation more. We shifted our mindset to one of regularly decluttering and being more thoughtful about the kinds of spaces we wanted to live in. We started with a big cleanout of our home that became a regular practice and tradition. I've since read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and realized that I unconsciously already did many of the parts of the 'KonMari method'.
I'd love to use this talent and passion to help other people, especially people who might find it meaningful to work with a fellow neurodivergent person. I know that professional organizing is a vocation that requires a lot of compassion and understanding that everyone has a unique relationship to their possessions and their homes. I know that while I'm a "put things away so I know where they are" person, there are also "keep things visible so I know where they are" people - I've lived with more than one! As an autistic person, I don't always come across as warm or nurturing, but I think I can bring my understanding and experience to bear when things get emotional. I also understand that a lot of us are collectors and we like it that way! Rather than assuming everyone wants to pare down the way I once did, I'd love to help people display their collections in ways that feel intentional and make their living spaces feel like home.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
*Anonymizing for privacy because I think MetaTalk is logged-in-users-only
Literally just had a bud over to organize my house for a bit of cash, and then posted on instagram about it in the hopes that other people would also give her some cash for this.
While she's starting out, she'll offer a discount if she can do before and after photos.
However she does want to keep it to friends and family for a while as she does not have insurance in the event that something gets damaged in someone's home - that's something to investigate probably.
posted by stray at 7:15 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
While she's starting out, she'll offer a discount if she can do before and after photos.
However she does want to keep it to friends and family for a while as she does not have insurance in the event that something gets damaged in someone's home - that's something to investigate probably.
posted by stray at 7:15 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
I paid a starting-out pro-organizer specifically marketing to neurodiverse folks to help my young adult kid clean out his room before a move. They cut me a half-price deal because they were just getting started. Then I wrote a nice review for them to help them drum up more, full paying customers. I could tell they were still learning some things (how to make a realistic estimate for example) but they were super helpful and respectful.
posted by latkes at 7:54 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
posted by latkes at 7:54 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
Something to consider if you do decide to do any formal networking/marketing would be to connect with therapists and psychiatric prescribers, who would be a potential referral source for you!
Upon googling, I do see a certification option: NAPO... but I'm also a fan of the advice to just start on a small scale and grow organically at first and consider getting certified/formal training later.
Other things to consider: what do you need to consider for safety? (insurance, equipment/gear, biohazard precautions if going into hoarding situations, etc), and what are your local/state laws around running a business? Not sure if you're in the US or not, but if so, SCORE is a great resource that hooks up mentors with people that want to start a small business for free who walk them through the process.
Hopefully these are helpful resources for you to get started, it sounds like an awesome pursuit!
posted by carlypennylane at 9:10 PM on January 21 [2 favorites]
Upon googling, I do see a certification option: NAPO... but I'm also a fan of the advice to just start on a small scale and grow organically at first and consider getting certified/formal training later.
Other things to consider: what do you need to consider for safety? (insurance, equipment/gear, biohazard precautions if going into hoarding situations, etc), and what are your local/state laws around running a business? Not sure if you're in the US or not, but if so, SCORE is a great resource that hooks up mentors with people that want to start a small business for free who walk them through the process.
Hopefully these are helpful resources for you to get started, it sounds like an awesome pursuit!
posted by carlypennylane at 9:10 PM on January 21 [2 favorites]
Yeah, this really isn't an industry with legit certifications and trainings, at least not yet. Agree with others that you just have to get a few gigs that are willing to let you take before/after pics so you can show what you can do, and then hopefully you'll get word of mouth recommendations from clients after that.
I also recommend that you try to make contacts in real estate - realtors, stagers, movers. I've encountered professional organizers that got most of their jobs as part of "white glove" full-service move packages. They just unpack the boxes into the new house so people can show up and move right in without having to do any unpacking themselves at all.
posted by potrzebie at 9:20 PM on January 21
I also recommend that you try to make contacts in real estate - realtors, stagers, movers. I've encountered professional organizers that got most of their jobs as part of "white glove" full-service move packages. They just unpack the boxes into the new house so people can show up and move right in without having to do any unpacking themselves at all.
posted by potrzebie at 9:20 PM on January 21
Mod note: *Anonymizing for privacy because I think MetaTalk is logged-in-users-only
To be clear, MetaTalk has never been for logged-in members only. It is absolutely viewable by even non member of the site and there are no plans to change that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 9:59 PM on January 21
To be clear, MetaTalk has never been for logged-in members only. It is absolutely viewable by even non member of the site and there are no plans to change that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 9:59 PM on January 21
Best answer: Hiya, Capricorn. I am a Certified Professional Organizer. I've been a professional organizer since 2002, running my own business as my only source of income for 23 years.
First, I would greatly, but respectfully, disagree with potrzebie's characterization of mine as not being "an industry with legit certifications and trainings."
This kind of training, on everything from psychology to brain-based conditions to space analysis to a whole host of other essential aspects of the the art and science of being a professional organizer and working with clients is exactly what the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) does, as well as our sister organization, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD, (formerly the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization), which provides training specifically for people with specialized concerns, including chronic disorganization, ADHD, TBIs, various brain-based conditions, and hoarding disorders.
The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO), under the auspices of NAPO, has been certifying professional organizers since 2007 (after a decade of exam and certification development); I was in the inaugural class. In addition to certain client work and other requirements, certification requires sitting for a psychometrically-sound and legally-defensible exam on a series of topics requiring preparation and study. It's not designed as a beginning or entrance into the field, but as an advanced credential. I sat on the Board of Directors for several years, working with certification and examination professionals to help nurture and grow the validity of the certification program.
Similarly, ICD offers courses of study and certification in narrow and specific areas for clients intending to work with clients who have any of a variety of cognitive, neurological, emotional, or related challenges.
Yes, there are people who can "hang out a shingle" who do not avail themselves of NAPO or ICD (or the equivalent organizations in their nations), just as there are people who can claim to be in a variety of professions, but I assure you that our profession absolutely has wide and deep training opportunities as well as certifications.
It's one thing to help someone "tidy" and quite another to have the proper training and background to ensure that you know how to serve clients with a variety of special needs, for anyone ranging from needing help with general decluttering to someone with early stage dementia needing to make their home safe, and everything in between — and the experience to know when someone's issues are more complex than your skill base allows you to serve at a given time.
Beyond that, being an entrepreneur without the support and training of fellow members of your profession is phenomenally difficult. From working with clients to understanding marketing and rate setting to the ethics of our profession, trying to go it alone isn't in your best interest. (We're big on a "rising tide lifts all ships" model.)
Second, Capricorn, I absolutely believe that your particularly perspective could be a wonderful foundation for a career in professional organizing. The profession has challenges but is incredibly rewarding. And yes, you can read a handful of books on organizing and put up a website, but you'd be doing yourself and your prospective clients a disservice if you didn't take the opportunity to avail yourself of what NAPO (and possibly ICD) have to offer.
"Just starting" without having any support (or the right insurance, or role models) means not giving yourself every advantage. And please understand that working with certain clients without any training can be emotionally dangerous to those clients.
But you don't have to jump in with both feet right away. Depending on where you live (I'm not sure if you still live where your posting history indicates), you could attend a few NAPO chapter meetings and talk to some professional organizers (like me!). Some new NAPO members get experience working on larger teams to get a sense of how professionals run sessions.
You are welcome to MeMail me with your email address, and I can send you a long (ha) email with a list of the advice I give people who aspire to become professional organizers, as it involves learning both about the organizing field and learning how to run your own business. (In most cases, the organizing/client work is the easy part; running a business is where the time and effort go.) Depending on where you're located, I may also be able to refer you to some colleagues of mine who can give you a deeper understanding of our field.
I will say, however, that if you do hope to work with neurodivergent clients, you will definitely want to explore ICD as well as NAPO. I am friends as well as colleagues with the founder of the organization and many subscribers (what they call members), and I am awed by their particular levels and areas of expertise and empathy. You also might be interested in attending ICD's virtual half-day next month.
(And I apologize for any typos. I purposely — with attention to organization — left my glasses in the car earlier because I was going to go out again, but it's 13°, so yeah, no, I'm not walking back to my car to get them to proofread this.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 12:51 AM on January 22 [14 favorites]
First, I would greatly, but respectfully, disagree with potrzebie's characterization of mine as not being "an industry with legit certifications and trainings."
This kind of training, on everything from psychology to brain-based conditions to space analysis to a whole host of other essential aspects of the the art and science of being a professional organizer and working with clients is exactly what the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) does, as well as our sister organization, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD, (formerly the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization), which provides training specifically for people with specialized concerns, including chronic disorganization, ADHD, TBIs, various brain-based conditions, and hoarding disorders.
The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO), under the auspices of NAPO, has been certifying professional organizers since 2007 (after a decade of exam and certification development); I was in the inaugural class. In addition to certain client work and other requirements, certification requires sitting for a psychometrically-sound and legally-defensible exam on a series of topics requiring preparation and study. It's not designed as a beginning or entrance into the field, but as an advanced credential. I sat on the Board of Directors for several years, working with certification and examination professionals to help nurture and grow the validity of the certification program.
Similarly, ICD offers courses of study and certification in narrow and specific areas for clients intending to work with clients who have any of a variety of cognitive, neurological, emotional, or related challenges.
Yes, there are people who can "hang out a shingle" who do not avail themselves of NAPO or ICD (or the equivalent organizations in their nations), just as there are people who can claim to be in a variety of professions, but I assure you that our profession absolutely has wide and deep training opportunities as well as certifications.
It's one thing to help someone "tidy" and quite another to have the proper training and background to ensure that you know how to serve clients with a variety of special needs, for anyone ranging from needing help with general decluttering to someone with early stage dementia needing to make their home safe, and everything in between — and the experience to know when someone's issues are more complex than your skill base allows you to serve at a given time.
Beyond that, being an entrepreneur without the support and training of fellow members of your profession is phenomenally difficult. From working with clients to understanding marketing and rate setting to the ethics of our profession, trying to go it alone isn't in your best interest. (We're big on a "rising tide lifts all ships" model.)
Second, Capricorn, I absolutely believe that your particularly perspective could be a wonderful foundation for a career in professional organizing. The profession has challenges but is incredibly rewarding. And yes, you can read a handful of books on organizing and put up a website, but you'd be doing yourself and your prospective clients a disservice if you didn't take the opportunity to avail yourself of what NAPO (and possibly ICD) have to offer.
"Just starting" without having any support (or the right insurance, or role models) means not giving yourself every advantage. And please understand that working with certain clients without any training can be emotionally dangerous to those clients.
But you don't have to jump in with both feet right away. Depending on where you live (I'm not sure if you still live where your posting history indicates), you could attend a few NAPO chapter meetings and talk to some professional organizers (like me!). Some new NAPO members get experience working on larger teams to get a sense of how professionals run sessions.
You are welcome to MeMail me with your email address, and I can send you a long (ha) email with a list of the advice I give people who aspire to become professional organizers, as it involves learning both about the organizing field and learning how to run your own business. (In most cases, the organizing/client work is the easy part; running a business is where the time and effort go.) Depending on where you're located, I may also be able to refer you to some colleagues of mine who can give you a deeper understanding of our field.
I will say, however, that if you do hope to work with neurodivergent clients, you will definitely want to explore ICD as well as NAPO. I am friends as well as colleagues with the founder of the organization and many subscribers (what they call members), and I am awed by their particular levels and areas of expertise and empathy. You also might be interested in attending ICD's virtual half-day next month.
(And I apologize for any typos. I purposely — with attention to organization — left my glasses in the car earlier because I was going to go out again, but it's 13°, so yeah, no, I'm not walking back to my car to get them to proofread this.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 12:51 AM on January 22 [14 favorites]
Best answer: I am also an aspiring organizing professional. For the new year - inspired by The Wrong Kind of Cheese's previous endorsements - I treated myself to a NAPO membership ($419), which includes a free, online "Basics" professional-development course that covers topics like ethics, healthy client interactions, and safety. Once I complete that course, I will be listed in their online searchable directory. The classes are turning out to be very informative and giving me lots of opportunities to think about things like areas of specialization and how to expand my skill set. Beyond the basics course, they have a huge library of paid and free PD resources. I would definitely recommend exploring membership.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:41 AM on January 22 [5 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:41 AM on January 22 [5 favorites]
*Anonymizing for privacy because I think MetaTalk is logged-in-users-only
Hey, I'm not sure what this means here - is it that you set your user profile to not be viewable to people who aren't logged in? If so you're fine (it is indeed not viewable aside from the About section and the date you joined). But if you also didn't want this question to be linked to your personal info and all your other activity here, which is visible in your profile to logged-in members, then you'll need contact the mods and ask them to anonymize this question so that it doesn't show up with your username. (Not sure if mods are also willing to anonymize in-thread mentions of an asker's name.)
posted by trig at 7:13 AM on January 22
Hey, I'm not sure what this means here - is it that you set your user profile to not be viewable to people who aren't logged in? If so you're fine (it is indeed not viewable aside from the About section and the date you joined). But if you also didn't want this question to be linked to your personal info and all your other activity here, which is visible in your profile to logged-in members, then you'll need contact the mods and ask them to anonymize this question so that it doesn't show up with your username. (Not sure if mods are also willing to anonymize in-thread mentions of an asker's name.)
posted by trig at 7:13 AM on January 22
Response by poster: trig: I anonymized the name of the person who posted about hiring a professional organizer in MetaTalk, which is visible to logged-in users only, for their privacy.
posted by capricorn at 7:42 AM on January 22 [1 favorite]
posted by capricorn at 7:42 AM on January 22 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ah, thanks for the correction Brandon. Didn't realize. You're welcome to delete this derail.
posted by capricorn at 7:43 AM on January 22
posted by capricorn at 7:43 AM on January 22
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That's how I got started in home PC fixit work. My assumption was that accepting the slower ramp-up inherent in starting a business without advertising it to the general public first, and only handing out cards to people I'd enjoyed helping, would mean that pleasant people would refer me to other pleasant people and I'd end up enjoying all of my work.
It was a very good assumption, as it turned out. And you don't actually need formal quals to get business via personal referrals. All you need is to be helpful, polite, respectful and good at what you do.
posted by flabdablet at 6:47 PM on January 21 [8 favorites]