Spotlight on Susie

So you want to be a model?

Well, you have picked a tough and competitive business that requires a lot of hard work, patience, and the ability to take rejection well and often. 

There is a simple fact that all models must learn about the business of modeling… 

The most successful models fail many more times than they succeed. 

Modeling is NOT the glamorous profession that is portrayed in the movies and reality TV shows.It is simply the nature of the business. Generally several models if not ten or twenty are submitted for the same job – not everyone can get the job and nobody is picked for every job.

In fact the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the year 2006, the job of being a model ranked #8 on the list of Top 10 Worst Jobs in the United States. Models made a median hourly wage of $11.22, a bit less than twice the minimum wage of $5.85. Not so glamorous. Most models work part time.

On the plus side, it is a business that can give you the opportunity to meet lots of creative people, have a lot of fun and make some money and who knows, for the very lucky few even travel and notoriety.

The reality is that this is a BUSINESS –just like any other business–that requires constant research and marketing to keep up with the trends and to keep your face in front of the modeling agencies that you have employed to market you.

Models must take care of themselves and work hard to maintain a marketable image. Photo shoots can be long and difficult and take place in less than desirable conditions.

Still interested? Ok – here is where you start…

To begin work as a commercial model – you need a professional modeling portfolio and a comp card (also called composite card, a marketing tool for models. They serve as the latest and best of a model's portfolio and are used as a business card).

Your modeling portfolio is the most important expenditure you will make in the business of becoming a model. It is your marketing tool. It is how you will show modeling agencies and potential clients that you have the ability to act and portray the characters that they need for their advertising campaign.

Your modeling portfolio and the comp card (zed card) that you have printed will ALWAYS be seen by a potential agency or client – before you are.

The modeling portfolio should be filled with photographs that look as though they have been published. You want people to assume that the pictures in your book have been used in a commercial advertisement or fashion magazine.

Certainly – if you are asked, be honest. But you want to impress people with images that look as close to the real thing as possible and show not only how attractive you are – but how much personality you have.

Remember the rule – “Less is BETTER!”

You don’t win any prizes for having more photos than anyone else. You are competing against many other models for jobs. Your pictures need to have the “WOW Factor”. They need to be professional – visually catching and most importantly – make you look incredible and show how much personality you have.