How to Get Work As a Model

Finding work can be half the battle as a model. Read on to find out how to find work as a model.

Modelling Agency

If you are a model who is signed with an agency, you’re in luck – your agency will do most of the work for you.

Of course, it isn’t just down to them to make a good name for you – you must ensure you work hard, attend any interviews you are invited to, and make a good impression to everyone you meet.

Continue to practice in your spare time, be prompt, and above all be polite. Your agency will work hard to get you jobs if they think you are worth it.

Little Black Book

Networking is a model’s bread and butter. This means meeting and befriending professionals in the same industry and keeping their contact information in case you need to pull a favour.

Networking is time-consuming but ultimately worth the bother as it can result in more job opportunities. You can network with anyone; your photographer, other models, brand reps – even make-up artists and hairstylists.

You never know when a new opportunity may present itself and you are far more likely to hear about them if a friend or co-worker tells you – or better yet, puts in a good word for you.

Be ready to do favours for others so they will feel comfortable doing them for you. Be kind and polite to everyone, including shoot assistants, caterer’s and anyone else you might think isn’t “high up”.

Social Media

Social media is a great way to self-promote.

The pros of social media are that it is fully controlled by you, so you get to control how you are perceived. You get to manage your own image and self-brand. It is also free.

The downside to social media is that it is incredibly time-consuming and difficult to build followers on.

A working model should have plenty of material to post daily (be sure to use relevant hashtags and tag/credit the brand/photographer etc). Aspiring models may need to create their own photoshoots to have material to post.

Whilst time-consuming and often frustrating, this will give you excellent experience of all aspects of a photoshoot. Be sure to ask the photographer and brand’s permission before posting any of their content.

Adverts

Modelling jobs are often advertised online, particularly on brand social media pages. These are often run as competitions and can be a great way to get into the business.

Be sure to follow all your favourite brands on Insatgram and Facebook so you don’t miss out on any opportunities.

Have An Amazing Portfolio

A portfolio is a model’s main tool for success, so it should be as good as possible. A portfolio is a folder containing images of a model.

As well as a physical folder to take to interviews and castinc calls, a model should also have an online portfolio.

A portfolio should be updated constantly. There’s no need for it to contain every image ever taken of you; 20 of your absolute best shots will suffice.

Aspiring models may choose to hire a photographer to take professional images of them for their portfolio. A portfolio should include head shots as well as full-body images.

It’s a good idea to include natural beauty shots in your portfolio (minimal make-up, plain clothing) to show let your natural beauty shine through and give brands and agencies the opportunity to see whether you’d be a good fit for them.