1. Availability and Reliability- When working as a model, your agent will call or email you with auditions and bookings. These can occur any day of the week, and you are typically given only a couple days notice, if that. Your agent needs to know that you are free to work and that you will always be punctual.
2. Hard Work - Many bookings require long days. Shoots can be a lot of fun, but they can often be ten hours or longer, so your agent needs to know that you have the stamina and can remain a team player and focused during your booking. Having a great work ethic is important regardless of whether you are at a fashion show or commercial shoot.
3. Flexibility - Shoot dates and times can change unexpectedly, and can occur during your day job, so the agent wants to be sure you can arrange your schedule to meet the needs of a busy model.
4. Beauty - You have to have the "look". Beauty could mean a lot of different things to different people, so it's a tricky word. Inner beauty and outer beauty often go hand-in-hand. Having both an inner kindness and confidence together with your outer beauty can make the agent like you and want to work with you more.
5. Personality - This is something that can come through in photos more than you know. Having a great personality will not only attract the agent, but it will allow them to know how to sell you as a model.
6. Style - Carry yourself as a model to show that you work in the fashion industry. You don't have to have an extensive wardrobe, but looking frumpy or in sweats is not likely to get you very far. Every time the agent or a client sees you, they see the big picture and try to envision you in their ad or catalog, etc. Dress for your body type and look the part. Many models wear skinny jeans and a fitted black top.
7. Current Photos - There is no point in having a 10-year-old photo in your portfolio. It may be a great photo and you love it, but you need to understand that you look different now. Keeping your photos up-to-date can help save you time when going to auditions, because the casting agent will get the current "you" they saw in the portfolio.
8. Marketable Features - What are the things that set you apart from the other models? This is a question to think about when marketing yourself to an agent. Why would someone want to put you on the agency's model board? Showcase your best qualities in your pictures, and be yourself when you meet with agents and casting directors.
9. Skill - How is your runway walk? In this business, that is an important skill, and so are many other things. Make a list of what you can do. Things like horseback riding, skiing, swimming, rock climbing, and other seemingly random things can come in handy for specialized bookings.
10. That Special Something - There is a quality in successful models aside from beauty and personality that makes them photogenic and intriguing. It's in all of us - it's just about being comfortable in our own skin to let it shine through. Take in the advice and suggestions of your agent and photographers when it comes to choosing photos that show off your magical side. It's hard to describe in words, but all agents look for it.
2. Hard Work - Many bookings require long days. Shoots can be a lot of fun, but they can often be ten hours or longer, so your agent needs to know that you have the stamina and can remain a team player and focused during your booking. Having a great work ethic is important regardless of whether you are at a fashion show or commercial shoot.
3. Flexibility - Shoot dates and times can change unexpectedly, and can occur during your day job, so the agent wants to be sure you can arrange your schedule to meet the needs of a busy model.
4. Beauty - You have to have the "look". Beauty could mean a lot of different things to different people, so it's a tricky word. Inner beauty and outer beauty often go hand-in-hand. Having both an inner kindness and confidence together with your outer beauty can make the agent like you and want to work with you more.
5. Personality - This is something that can come through in photos more than you know. Having a great personality will not only attract the agent, but it will allow them to know how to sell you as a model.
6. Style - Carry yourself as a model to show that you work in the fashion industry. You don't have to have an extensive wardrobe, but looking frumpy or in sweats is not likely to get you very far. Every time the agent or a client sees you, they see the big picture and try to envision you in their ad or catalog, etc. Dress for your body type and look the part. Many models wear skinny jeans and a fitted black top.
7. Current Photos - There is no point in having a 10-year-old photo in your portfolio. It may be a great photo and you love it, but you need to understand that you look different now. Keeping your photos up-to-date can help save you time when going to auditions, because the casting agent will get the current "you" they saw in the portfolio.
8. Marketable Features - What are the things that set you apart from the other models? This is a question to think about when marketing yourself to an agent. Why would someone want to put you on the agency's model board? Showcase your best qualities in your pictures, and be yourself when you meet with agents and casting directors.
9. Skill - How is your runway walk? In this business, that is an important skill, and so are many other things. Make a list of what you can do. Things like horseback riding, skiing, swimming, rock climbing, and other seemingly random things can come in handy for specialized bookings.
10. That Special Something - There is a quality in successful models aside from beauty and personality that makes them photogenic and intriguing. It's in all of us - it's just about being comfortable in our own skin to let it shine through. Take in the advice and suggestions of your agent and photographers when it comes to choosing photos that show off your magical side. It's hard to describe in words, but all agents look for it.
About the Author:
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