Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to becoming a professional organizer than labeling and folding clothes. Creating a practical, neat, and organized home is a professional organizer’s number one priority but, as with any job, their day-to-day responsibilities require a slew of softer skills. These non-organizing skills can mean the difference between a so-so professional organizer and a great one. Curious to see if you have what it takes to organize for a living? Before you become certified or take any courses, find out if you possess any of the qualities on this list. If not, you know what to work on to be a professional organizer that clients trust and want to hire.
Top Skills All Professional Organizers Need
“Clutter can range from financial documents and divorce details to sentimental memories, items from a particularly difficult time in the past, or even items you need hand-holding to let go of. It is my job to be discrete with what I see and professional with everything that I do and say,” Rosenthal says. While professional organizers can easily turn a blind eye to private materials, Rosenthal takes an extra step to put her clients at ease with a confidentiality agreement. “People often resist taking on organizing projects in their home because of how overwhelming or inherently emotional it can be,” says Clea Shearer, co-founder of The Home Edit. “We love that we’re able to help people conquer their clutter and breathe a sigh of relief.” Professional organizers need to make their clients’ homes tidy, but they also need to help their clients during this emotional time, especially if they want the new organizing habits to stick. “By no means are we calling ourselves therapists—not even close!” says Joanna Teplin, another co-founder at The Home Edit. “But it’s a reason we find our job so rewarding.” “There’s always one surprising box of items that’s more emotional for clients to edit than others,” explains Lisa Ruff, the Neat Method’s director of business development. “You won’t have any clue what it will be until you’re knee-deep in the process.” That’s exactly why it’s so important for a professional organizer to be able to read a room (literally!) and adapt accordingly, Ruff says. Roadblocks such as finding that surprise box of possessions or needing more containers than anticipated can be frustrating and add time to a project, but she says it’s still important to slow down once a client gets emotional during the process. “As soon as you see the client get emotional, you know it’s time to slow down, take even more care with each item, and let the client set the pace,” she says. “There will always be many client projects going on at the same time,” Rosenthal says. “There will always be an email needing a response, an order ready to be placed or picked up, a hiccup in the organizing plan, competing priorities, and more.” Juggling all that—while actually doing the organizing job—will set any professional organizer on the path to success.
