To learn more about the career of professional organizer, study some of the many popular books offering different approaches and methods of organizing. Surprisingly, a real life glimpse into the unique roles of professional organizers can be gained by watching documentary and reality television shows focusing on hoarders, home organization, and home redesign and redecorating. You can try out your own organizational skills around the house in your room or a family members.

To sharpen skills and evaluate your level of interest in pursuing this career, volunteer to assist friends with small projects such as a garage reorganizations or help out at service organizations, senior citizens, or community projects for organizing photographs or documents. Contact a professional organizer in your area for information and possible mentoring opportunities. 

The job of a professional organizer is as varied as those individuals who choose it as a career. The common duties, across the board, include discarding, decluttering, categorizing, and organizing personal or business spaces or items to enhance appearance and functionality. Most professional organizers are self-employed, and work directly with clients.

A professional organizer may take on a hands-on role of purging and organizing items or may instead assist the client with creating organizational systems to allow a client to perform the tasks of purging and organizing on his or her own. The professional organizer serves, in part, as a designer and must be familiar with various storage products and solutions. Whatever solutions they create must fit with their clients lifestyle and be something the client can maintain on their own.

Additionally, professional organizers must recognize the difference between clients who are disorganized due to time constraints, lack of interest, or lack of knowledge and those who have chronic disorganization issues, due to mental or physical disabilities. For clients involving these chronic disorganization issues, professional organizers can help, but may also refer the client to other skilled professionals who can provide specialized services to address those mental or physical issues.

Many professional organizers provide services for the elderly and for those relocating from a longtime home to a smaller one or otherwise downsizing their possessions. Some assist business owners or families in creating efficient work spaces. Still others help prepare nurseries for newborns. In addition to organizing specific areas of the home, professional organizers assist with organizing financial records, medical records, personal collections, electronic files and information, photographs, family memorabilia, and miscellaneous documents.