How to become a model

Realising how to become a model is a learning process and becoming a model can take lots of hard work and lots or persistance. Everyone knows that the best way to find modelling jobs is to get yourself signed up with a modelling agency. There are several different ways to get yourself on the books with a modelling agent. You can:

Wait until your scouted.
Appearing in publications as a freelance model (where agencies will call you).
Send applications to as many reputable agencies as you can.

Firstly, getting scouted is very very rare. Most people that tell you they are "scouts" actually work for a photography company that is trying to sell you their services and prints. Secondly, getting work as a freelance model is very difficult, it involves contacting the companies and advertising executives yourself to get the work and they may not even require someone quite like you. So, that leaves one method left, the easiest and most popular way of getting a modelling agent is to send in an application.

Modelling application consist of some of your bodily details such as height, weight, dress size etc. They also include photographs. Here's some advice:

You do not need professionally taken photographs to get on the books of a reputable modelling agency.

As a guideline, you require three photos. Firstly, you need to provide a photograph of your face, shoulders and upwards. You must not cover yourself in make-up, the agencies want to see exactly what you do look like, not what you could look like. Then the other two photos should be full body shots, one from the front an one from the side. Make sure you don't wear anything too baggy and the modelling agencies want to see exactly what your body looks like.

Okay, so you've got some agencies you want to send your information to. You've taken your photographs and it's all ready to send. Now how many agencies are you going to send it to? One, five, a hundred? It's the law of averages, 99% of the time models are rejected by the first agency they apply to, and the second, and the third. But persistence pays off.

A great way to apply to many modelling agencies is by using how-to-become-a-model.net (the site your already on). We have a list of over 500 reputable UK modelling agencies and for a small fee, we can send your profile and pictures to all of these agencies at once.

Right! So you've sent your photographs to as many agencies as you can. Now comes the fun part...waiting! It can take anything from one hour to a year to receive a response from a modelling agency. And unless your successful, most modelling agencies won't respond at all. Rude you say? Well these modelling agencies get thousands of applications each month; for that reason, they probably don't have enough time to say no to all those people each day.

Finally! You get a response, this could be an invitation to be added to an agents books or a casting, or as previously mentioned, a no. You should always be suspicious of agencies you haven't heard of before. before going to visit a modelling agent, and definitely before signing anything, you need to do some research.

Find out how much they are going to take as commission. 20-25% if typical, anything more and thats just greedy. Ask the agency about their current models and the kind of work the agency gets them. Ask how they promote their current models. See if you can take a look at some of the work that agency has been involved in. And make sure you ask them what they plan to do with you. I'm sure there's many more questions too that you would like to ask. Just make sure your comfortable with anything they are going to ask you to sign for.

Never join an agency that charges you a registration fee.

Modelling agencies that charge you a registration fee are never a good idea. The fact that the agency makes money simply just by recruiting you means that they are more likely to concentrate on recruiting more models, than on finding work for you. This is not how to become a model.

So once you've found your agent, you've signed on the dotted line, you can start to begin working as a model. Always make sure you are fully prepared for a shoot before you set off. You need to find out exactly what is expected of you, and what exactly they expect you to do.

Safety is paramount, always make sure you feel safe on a set, never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. You will always be welcome to bring a friend with on on a shoot but bringing them into the room where the photos are being taken can make you nervous and less at ease in front of the camera. Reputable photographers won't mind if, on arrival, you make a quick phone call to let someone know that you have arrived. Modelling is about having fun and earning lots of money, and you should always strive to keep it that way.

After reading this, you are now educated in the best methods and practises for becoming a model, by getting on the books with a reputable modelling agency. Your next step now is to go ahead and take your photographs, and start to submit them to agencies, or send them to over 500 modelling agencies at once with How-to-become-a-model.net.