How to Be a Model

It's not enough that you're tall, thin and gorgeous. To make a living as a fashion model, you need to work hard, be lucky, market yourself ruthlessly and watch out for unscrupulous people. And remember, this isn't lifelong work. Even if you hit it big, the typical modeling career lasts only a few years--or until gravity takes its toll.

Instructions

1. Start at the right age and have the right body type. If you are female, start as a teenager, be at least 5 foot 8 inches tall and weigh between 100 and 125 pounds. Men often start by their early 20s, are about 5 foot 11 inches tall and weigh between 140 and 165 pounds.

2. Look for an agency to represent you. Agencies help you find jobs, advise you on your appearance and career, and collect a commission from your earnings. Most agencies are based in New York, but you can find modeling jobs in other cities.

3. Weed out ripoffs such as an agency that hits you with fees before you get work. Many fashion photographers will tell you which agencies take advantage of models. Check with the Better Business Bureau or the office of your state attorney general (see Resources). Watch out for agencies that charge high registration fees, photographers who say you need an expensive portfolio and anyone who pushes sex or nudity.

4. Submit professional photographs to the top agencies in the form of 8 1/2-by-11-inch one-sheets, which have a black-and-white professional photograph on one side with your statistics and contact details on the back. The photo should be as simple as possible--wear minimal makeup, use a plain background, dress in a swim suit or other clothing that shows off your figure. Don't invest in a full portfolio; an agency will help you develop that later.

5. Go to an agency's open call. These free events are a great way to get in the door. If an open call isn't scheduled for the near future, ask whether you can stop in to introduce yourself.

6. Enter a model search if it's sponsored by a well-known agency. Fees vary and you don't want to pay a fortune to enter, but model searches can put you in contact with the right people.

7. Go to a modeling convention. These can be expensive to attend, but you'll learn a lot about the field and introduce yourself to several agencies at once.

8. Go to modeling school. Some people doubt whether it's worth the money, but you can gain experience.

9. Register with a Web site such as Model Scouts (see Resources). Model scouts will see your profile and contact you, if they're interested.

10. Get a solid education and make plans for a post-modeling future that's based on your brains, not your beauty.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang out in malls or on the beach. Modeling scouts scour teenage hangouts for new talent.

• It takes time to break into modeling. Be ready to work at another job while you establish your career.

• If you're not young, tall and thin, explore other types of modeling careers. You might become a petite or plus-size model, a senior model or a real-person model for ads and catalogs. Some people are body-part models--for instance, they might have a beautiful neck or hands that look great in jewelry ads.

• Models earned median hourly wages of $10 in 2002. Keep in mind that you probably won't get work every day and many jobs last only a few hours. Supermodels skew the figures, too, with a scant few making up to $40 million a year.

• Expect a settling-in period when you begin your career, and keep your head on your shoulders. Many models fall prey to shady characters who promise them the world.

• Before you sign with an agency, have a lawyer review any contracts to protect you from making a bad deal.