Marketability

As an aspiring model you need to know how to market yourself. After spending time with numerous models and photographers at different stages in their careers I have found a few helpful tips.

• When meeting a photographer or agency representative you should always remember you have to sell yourself. 

•  Act like a professional. 

•  Make eye contact, smile and give a professional handshake. 

•  Make sure you wear clean, casual clothes, choosing fitted rather than loose garments. 

•  Use minimal make-up and keep hair clean and simply stated. 

•  Your hands should be manicured and you shouldn't ever paint them any particular color. 

•  Always keep them simple, French manicures are best. 

•  Bring paper and pen for notes and information, you never know what tips a photographer or other model may give you. 

•  One of the most important things to always remember is to BE ON TIME. 

•  Wait for the agent or photographer to ask for pictures do not force your portfolio on them. 

•  When having a discussion, do not fidget. 

•  Make sure you always use proper English (or other dialect) and refrain from slang or inappropriate language. 

•  When calling or e-mailing an agency or photographer: 

•  You should be prepared with current, accurate Composite Card. 

•  You should include a head shot, a full length shot, and a body shot for proportions. 

•  All shots should look like you. Models looking to be discovered should email pictures to the agencies and photographers they are interested in. 

•  Each email should have a brief introduction that contains your name, contact information, current true measurements, height, and age. 

•  It could take several days/weeks to be contacted in return, so be prepared to wait. 

•  You should keep track of where and when you sent emails and who responded.

• It is also very important to discuss rejection. Becoming a successful model takes hard work, beauty, a good personality, and self-confidence. Rejection is a daily part of a career as a model. It should not be taken personally and reasons for it may not always be known.

• To avoid being scammed: remember to do homework, use common sense, and thoroughly investigate a company before doing business with them. There is not an easy way to break into modeling. If there was, consider how many models there would be.