Name: Renée Belisle
Job Title/Employer: Certified Professional Organizer/Owner of Clutter Rehab,
LLC
Year of Graduation: 1980
Degree/Major: B.S./Sociology
 
What is your favorite part of your current job?
I love the end result of an organizing project. I know from the beginning what a difference it will make in my client's home or business life, but they have a difficult time picturing it. By the end of the project, they are beginning to experience the positive changes and impact organization can bring for them.
 
What career path did you follow from your ASU degree to your present job?
I went into the field of human resources, mostly in financial institutions. I was in that career for 25 years, ending in a senior management position.
When the last company I was with closed, I decided I was ready to make a change and knew I wanted to start my own company. I looked at several industries and business opportunities before deciding on professional organizing. I've been in business now for four-and-a-half years. Many of the skills I used to be successful in human resources transferred to my new career.
 
Describe one skill learned at ASU that you use daily in your job.
Actually, I've used many things learned in my college classes in the “real world.” I remember the first time I realized this. Statistics had been challenging for me and I thought to myself all through the class, “I'll never use any of this. Why do I need it to graduate?” Early in my HR career as a compensation analyst, my manager put me on a team project where we had to use regression analysis. I was the only one on the team who knew what regression analysis was!

What advice would you give to current students or job-seekers about finding work in your field?
Professional organizing is a growing industry. At this point in time, you almost have to start your own business because there are not a lot of firms that hire employees. However, that is changing. Clutter Rehab is one of those firms.
Also, many people start an organizing business and never make a go of it, closing after one or two years. Their primary mistake is they don't run it like a business. You need to market and sell your services constantly.

Other critical skills needed in this field include influencing and negotiation skills, attention to details, the ability to teach, and a lot of patience.