6 STEPS TO FULFILLING YOUR CAREER AS A MODEL AND LEARN HOW TO GET MODELLING JOBS
1. HIGHLIGHT YOUR STRENGTHS Are you interested in becoming a model? The first step is to bring out your natural beauty and highlight your strengths. You may need to put a little money into the process; for example, go to the salon and make sure your hair is healthy and radiant. Take time in the morning to work through a beauty routine that benefits your face and skin. It is not always easy to find the time to do this, but your appearance is obviously an important part of being a model.
2. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF While your appearance is important, not every attractive individual makes it in the world of modeling. Therefore, think about how the most famous models conduct themselves. Professionalism is key. You do not want to show up to appointments late or get an attitude with those that are simply trying to do their job. Maintain a pleasant demeanor, even if things get difficult. You will develop a reputation in the industry for being easy to work with, which means that you are more likely to get additional jobs. Furthermore, do not forget about cultivating relationships with the photographers on the set. They have a lot of influence when it comes to booking the models, so it is worth your time to speak to them kindly and show them your good side.
3. KEEP IT REAL It is great to have dreams of stardom, but you have to work your way up. It is highly unlikely that you will be sent to your first job, get discovered, and suddenly become a supermodel. Therefore, you must be prepared to work long hours and face rejection in order to get what you want. Also, it is important to understand that you are not going to be right for every kind of modeling job. You have certain strengths and you should tap into those when working. For example, are you quite tall and thin? You may be perfect for the catwalk. If you have a few more curves to your body, you might want to focus on plus size modeling. Or, if you have great social skills, it may be best to look into becoming a promotional model, as they need to speak to the public. Finally, if height is an issue, editorial modeling might be the right choice for you. You simply need to have the type of face that lights up the page. There are a lot of options, so it is important to investigate them and pursue the ones that are the most viable for your career.
4. WORK ON A PORTFOLIO
There is really no point in speaking to an agent until you have a portfolio ready. Agents want to know what you have to offer as a model, and the only way they can determine if they want to represent you is to see samples of your work. Your portfolio should include things like a profile and head shots. Choose pictures that highlight your strengths. Do not be afraid to spend a little money; after all, this is your career you are talking about. Therefore, find a photographer that you feel can do you justice. Wait until you are happy with the way your portfolio looks and then go from there.
5. GET REPRESENTATION After your portfolio is finished, it is time to get serious about your chosen career. Remember, rejection is normal at this stage of the game. It is highly unlikely that the first agent you speak to will be the one that signs you to a contract. In fact, you will probably speak to many different people before you find the right fit. To improve your odds of success, make sure to do your research. It is important to know what agencies are close to you and which ones specialize in the type of modeling that you are interested in. Target those places first.
Also, before you even contact an agency, research how legitimate they are. There are people running scams out there, and you do not want to get caught in their trap. A huge warning sign is when an agency asks you to pay them a bunch of money, before they even set you up with a job. Most legitimate places simply take a cut of your pay when you go out to work. Booking your first modeling job is exciting. You could be on your way to a very successful career, although you will need to work hard to get any level of recognition. There are a lot of models out there, and not all of them are successful. However, you can do well if you stay focused!
6. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY SESSIONS
Know what you should seek in a fashion photo shoot and what is usually included. We cover all this and more in this comprehensive section. When seeking a good professional photographer, it is important that you find one whose style meshes well with your own. Search online to get a feel for various photographers’ style and approach. Explore their websites and read
feedback, testimonials and answers to frequently asked questions. Compare packages offered and prices. This will give you a good idea of who you want to talk with well in advance. Call the photographer(s) you have chosen and find out when they have a free booking slot to see you. Take care when dealing with some studios, too. These places generally keep professional sales teams in place who spend all their time cold calling and hard selling. They may tell you that you’ve won a photo shoot and makeover free of charge. They say they must charge you a nominal, refundable fee. Once you become enmeshed in their machinations, you’ll find yourself bombarded with sales pitches. They will try to sell you the images from your shoot for an exorbitant amount of money. After you are signed with a good agent, they will help you get hooked up with a good professional photographer to have a proper shoot done. That’s why it is so important to engage an agent before you set up a photo shoot. We don’t want to discourage you, but we work with agents in modeling all the time. We know that they usually have specific jobs in mind for each of their clients. Be that as it may, they can’t present a potential model without a good portfolio. That’s why they call on us. This is very common among reputable agents.