I enjoy organizing things. I always make projects for myself like
organizing a friend's book collection, cleaning out an attic and
reorganizing it so that the items are accessible and cataloged,
ripping a cd collection to iTunes and finding all relevant
information/photos to add to the songs, etc. Is there a job that
entails this sort of work? What kind of degree should I get to get
into a career field that does similar work?

Hi spreegirl97,

I love organizing as well, my friends think I'm nuts. Several years
ago I redid all my filing using the "File Don't Pile" method, I can
find any piece of paper in less than a minute. My bookshelf is 8'wide
and 7' tall, all organized by subject, my clothes are separated by
type and color. Needless to say, my friends think I'm obsessive, but
really --I just enjoy organizing! I like the feeling of leaving a
room, and knowing every nook and cranny.

I found some interesting web sites about the career of Professional
Organizers. Seems they are becoming more and more in demand. There's
certification, associations, and providers listed below for you to
peruse.


The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)
http://www.napo.net/
..."is the premier national association dedicated to the field of organizing. 

Formed in 1985 as a not-for-profit professional association, NAPO is
dedicated to sharing information about the growing organizing
industry, its trends, and its concerns. NAPO works to set and define
quality standards for the organizing profession. NAPO's members
include organizing consultants, speakers, trainers, authors, and
manufacturers of organizing products. NAPO is The Organizing
Authority..."


Why Become Certified?
http://organizingtheworld.org/becomecertified.htm
..."The field of Professional Organizing has become increasingly
complex, surpassing the basic functions of clearing out clutter and
filing papers. As a result, there is a growing need for some measure
of competence.

IAPO is dedicated to maintaining and promoting a rigorous,
examination-based certification program to advance the professional
organizing industry.

Corporations and individuals worldwide will know what the CPO?
credential signifies, thus eliminating the need to determine whether
or not you meet their professional standards..."

CPO? Certification Education Requirements
http://organizingtheworld.org/certificationrequirements.htm 


Professional Organizers Training Academy 
http://www.professional-organizers.com/program.htm
Linked from:  http://www.handygirl.com/ 
..."The HG Training Academy (HGTA) offers training programs to fit
your needs.  Students can study in the comfort of their own home, in
their own time.

While being organized yourself is a definite asset, simply doing what
works for you may be too limiting for the client. The critical skill
that a professional organizer must have is the ability to create
customized organizing solutions that work for the client..."


Professional Organizers
http://www.breathing-room.ca/homes-about.htm
..."Professional Organizers help individuals and businesses take
control of their personal space and possessions by creating solutions
for their organizing needs..."


Professional Organizers Can Help
http://www.servicemagic.com/article.show.Professional-Organizers-Can-Help.9801.html
..."Professional home organizers assist with many areas of
organization including residences, businesses, time management, paper
management, chronic disorganization, space planning, filing,
wardrobes, closet systems, event planning, errands, personal shopping,
financial management, packing and moving and many more areas..."
  

White Space - Professional & Home Organization Services
http://www.getwhitespace.com/?source=google&keyword=professional+organizers
..."It all starts right here. A fresh start. 
 
White Space? is the combination of Professional & Home organization,
flow and function; creating places of comfort and unparalleled
efficiency.
 
Whether it?s a bedroom closet or a 14,000 sq ft. office, the
professionals Organizers at White Space? can customize a solution to
add balance, order, simplicity and control to your life..."

Organizers Web Ring
http://www.organizerswebring.com/


You might like to start small and start a web site like this one, but
with more of a focus on organizing:

Fly Lady
http://www.flylady.net/


Hope this gives you food for thought!  If I can assist further, please
use the clarification feature.


~~Cynthia


Search strategy:
"Professional Organizer" certified
"Professional Organizer" association
"Professional Organizer" training

Thanks for mentioning websites with explainations of why each was
listed. This answer was certainly more than I anticipated. Thanks so
much!

Just to clarify, Flylady is my heroine and she helps all of us
disorganized people of the planet to overcome the problems associated
with *not* being BO (Born Organized) and with overcoming the negative
thinking and disempowerment of perfectionism (if you can't do it
perfectly, first time, you tend not to do it at all). That's why our
houses get messy and we miss appointments and don't take library books
back on time  :(

She encourages those who live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over
Syndrome) to put on their lace-up shoes (seriously!) and follow her
email prompts to deal with particular areas/zones/tasks for just 15
minutes at a time because "you can do anything for 15 minutes".

Her website and emails are free and she is simply brilliant if keeping
on top of things is your issue. If you're a brilliant, shiny,
born-organized type of person then Flylady probably isn't your thing.
Her gentle, warm, positive messages educate and empower people to
organize themselves rather than getting someone to come in and
*organize* them.

Good luck with your career. It must be heaven to be so organized.

Librarian or Library Cataloger are excellent jobs for someone with
good organization skills:

http://www.becomealibrarian.org/

spreegirl97,

Thanks so much for the kind words, the 5 stars, and the generous tip!

~~Cynthia

Can you organize people as well?  

If so, you should look into a position in project management.  A
degree in business with a management focus would be a good start for
an undergraduate education.  Then consider certificatio from the
Project Management Institute.

http://www.pmi.org/info/default.asp