A Career as a Professional Organizer

by Cyndi Seidler

It is a rare, if not an all together non-existent occasion, for clutter victims to invite people into their homes. However, some are now opening their doors to professional organizers.

For many people like this, clutter becomes a way of living - or living around. The habit of saving everything, of spending on frivolous items or buying an over-abundance of unnecessary items, and of hoarding belongings they no longer need, all lead to too many possessions and not enough space.

Once an area gets out of control, some people seem to look the other way. They even get to the point of actually not seeing what's in front of them, becoming unaware that there's a clutter problem.

Professional organizers were spawned from the growing demand that people had too much and needed to make changes, but couldn't do it on their own. Many individuals just don't know how to start such a quest.

In the early days for the industry of professional organizers, magazines and newspapers would sporadically publish articles about getting organized. As time went on, more attention was brought to the subject, and studies were done.

It wasn't that long ago that television recognized the trend and began airing shows like Clean Sweep, Queer Eye for a Straight Guy, and Mission Organization. These programs feature clutter victims and professional organizers getting them organized, launching a nationwide awareness to people suffering with clutter.

For professional organizers who had already found their niche, business became quite prosperous. For those well-organized individuals wanting to shift careers, this newly discovered profession seemed right up their alley.

A lot more organizers who came to join the profession came from secretarial jobs and such. They had basic organizing skills, but they didn't have any knowledge of running a business or working with clients. Training to help individuals wanting to become professional organizers became very necessary.

The HG Training Academy, established in 1996, is one such company that became the first to offer a training program for professional organizers. At that time, the only other way people could get educated in this field was from books, attending the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) annual conferences, and going to local NAPO Chapter meetings.
With hundreds of student graduates coming out of the HG Training Academy's program, it set off a wave of confident and skilled practitioners that contributed to helping the industry grow stronger.

The professional organizing industry is well recognized, and people are willing to pay $50-$100+ per hour for their services to help them get organized.

It's just a matter of time before the industry becomes an accredited one. NAPO, celebrating 20 years as The Organizing Authority, currently has certification for professional organizers under development, and offers continuous training events.

For more information, visit the NAPO web site at http://www.napo.net/ or check out the HG Training Academy's program at http://www.professional-organizers.com.

About the Author
"Organizer to the Stars" Cyndi Seidler is an author, syndicated columnist and professional organizer. Her company's training program for professional organizers, The HG Training Academy, was established in 1996 to deliver an online training venue for individuals interested in starting a career as a professional organizer. http://www.professional-organizers.com/