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Professional Organizer and Redesign Specialist

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Name: Noelle Jackson
Job Title: Professional Organizer and Redesign Specialist
Where: Seattle, Washington State
Employer: (Self) Small Business Owner Redesign Consulting, Home and Work Redesign
Years of Experience: 1 year of professional home and work redesign, 10 years doing home and work redesign for friends and family
Education: College and Graduate School ( Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill )

Professional Organizer Salary

Thanks to our fast-paced society, professional home and work organizers are in big demand these days. A professional organizer can set their own schedule, so this is an appealing career choice for those who need more flexible hours. We recently interviewed Noelle Jackson who explained exactly how to become a professional organizer and do efficient home and work redesign.

She also spoke about the the factors that affect a professional organizer’s salary, the steps she took to become a professional organizer, training to be a professional organizer, the National Association of Professional Organizers, home organizer tips, what exactly home and work redesign means, and why this is a good job for women making a career change.

If you’re wondering "How do I become a professional organizer?" or "What is a typical professional organizer salary?" and/or want to start your own business in home and work redesign, this Salary Story should be a priority on your to-do list!

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Professional Organizer Job Description:

As a professional organizer, Noelle Jackson’s role is to help her clients organize their homes, home offices, or small businesses. For home organization, this may include kitchens, closets, garages and any other storage areas.

Noelle helps people organize what they already have (paperwork, tools, clothing, etc.), develop organizational systems that they can actually use, and sometimes follow-up with them to maintain their new organizational systems.

Organization of home offices and small businesses involves discussion with the client to assess the kinds of documents they have, how they use those documents, and what kind of system they can be comfortable with so they will use it on a daily basis.

Organization of home storage such as kitchens and closets often requires that Noelle first sort through the items in those spaces to help the client determine what really needs to be kept, and what can be thrown away, recycled, or donated. After the initial assessment and sorting are conducted, Ms. Jackson determines whether organizational devices such as files, shelves, or containers are needed. Once that is done, Noelle can perform the physical organization of the spaces.

Everyone has a different level of organization already, ranging from “almost none” to folks who have some organizational systems in place, but either can’t or don’t use them. The fun and challenging part for Noelle is to figure out what they need, and how to set up a new organizational scheme that will really work for them.

What are the steps in becoming a professional organizer?

Noelle Jackson stated there are many ways to enter into professional organization as a career. Practical experience and training both play a role. Membership in professional groups such at NAPO (the National Association of Professional Organizers) is also very helpful for training, contacts, resources, techniques and supplies.

Ms. Jackson believes the more you work at organizing, the more you see, and the more you learn. She believes it is helpful to have experience with different organizational systems and theories, and to be familiar with the many types and brands of organizational supplies, from files and shelves to closet and storage units.

Is a professional organizer a good job for women making a career change?

Yes. Noelle has always been an organized person, and her previous line of work required very detailed organization skills. For years she was organizing kitchens, closets and garages for friends, as well as helping them decorate their houses. When Noelle decided to make a career change, she decided to try something she really enjoyed doing as a full-time endeavor — home and work redesign.

Moving to professional organization and redesign on a full-time basis has been very fulfilling for Noelle, allowing her to use both left and right-brain talents. For some clients, she performs a detailed review and sorting of paper and other materials.

For others, there is more creativity involved in making spatial assessments and design choices so that the final space works well and looks good. Form and function really do go together — especially in home and work redesign.

What was Noelle Jackson’s most humorous moment while working as a professional organizer?

Noelle shared that there are certainly interesting moments when she finds things that clients have inadvertently “stored” away, and some clients have been amused when they see what she has found.

Noelle constantly reassures her clients that she keeps both their habits and their information confidential, so she really can’t disclose specifics. The favorite part for her is when people come home and are surprised to find out what they have, and that it will all fit in their closets and desks.

What is the employment outlook for professional home organizers?

Noelle Jackson believes the job outlook for professional organizers is good, because people are finding themselves with less and less free time to spend getting their homes organized, or keeping them that way. Also, with the ever-growing efforts at “paperless” offices and home billing, many people are having difficulty determining what documents they need to keep in hard copy at home, and how long they need to retain them.

With the increasing demands of most workplaces and increased work hours, more and more people are looking for outside professional assistance to make their homes or offices work more efficiently and feel and look better.

What factors can affect a professional organizer’s salary?

The type of organization, services you offer, and the markets in which you work are key factors in setting either hourly or project rates.

How does your salary compare to a professional organizer salary? The PayScale Salary Calculator is a quick and easy way to compare positions. But when you want powerful salary data and comparisons customized for your exact position, be sure to build a complete profile by taking PayScale’s full salary survey.

Matt Schneider
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