MISTAKES BEGINNER MODELS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Being a new model in the industry might be overwhelming and with people pointing you left and right it, confuses you. The fashion industry is ever changing, and it’s inevitable to make mistakes as a new model. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

#1 APPLYING TO THE WRONG AGENCIES

Know where you’re going. There are many agencies around the world representing people from many walks of life and genres of modeling. There are agencies just for influencers, fitness models, commercial models, beauty models and then there’s agencies who are all inclusive.  Before applying, ask yourself what type of modeling would I like to work in ? Once you’ve narrowed down to that, apply to relevant agencies with your material.  If you’d like to be a fitness model then apply to fitness agencies. Not commercial agencies. 

#2 BAD/MISLEADING IMAGES 

Your Image. It's the base of your career and what gets you signed and booked in the first place. Let us explain the difference between bad and misleading images.

Bad images - When starting out as a model not all images you take will feel 110% to you and that's ok ! BUT it's not always your fault. Collaborating with photographers as a model isn’t something new but choosing the wrong photographer is the issue. Working with very new photographers or photographers from another genre of work can create bad images. They might be new to shooting people and if they don’t have the eye for that genre of work it can create images that don’t end up of value to you or your agency.

Misleading images - Taking an unedited selfie and uploading it online takes less than a minute for the world to see. It's a great way to be seen online. Taking a selfie and altering to oblivion is a bad idea. When you are applying for agencies and modeling jobs it's always best to keep your images online the real life you. We aren’t talking about not dying your hair or not wearing black lipstick but editing your facial and body features that do not look accurate and very extreme. When you get booked and you get to set looking completely different than your images, this can create problems because casting directors, brands or photographers are not what you expected. It’s the beginning of a bad reputation.

Photographers nowadays know the importance of accuracy and keeping a model's features as they are without photoshop manipulation, so the level of photoshop on images nowadays has decreased. Agencies will know when image alterations to noses, bodies and face has been reconstructed when they see you in real life. Our advice is don’t edit your facial and body features and embrace your natural beauty.

#3 KNOWING IT ALL AND NOT LEARNING

New or experienced models. There is always room for growth and learning. It never stops.  Being able to identify critics from bleak talk is easy but that's not the issue. A barrier between you and success is being naive and not learning solid critics, feedback from your peers. Not only feedback, but it’s your own individual experiences. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as this is an ever changing industry with new information, techniques and formulas appearing almost every day. A know it all attitude could be outdated information leading to unwanted paths.

#4 NOT READING YOUR CONTRACTS

YOU’RE GETTING SIGNED ! THAT'S AMAZING NEWS ! HERE’S A PEN JUST SIGN AND YOU’LL BE A STAR IN NO TIME. Just kidding, slow down.

A mistake beginner models make is signing contracts without thorough reading to it. A Modeling contract is not a 3 week thing it could be 1-4 years of being signed to that one agency. Always ask questions and know that the prerequisite to signing any contract is giving a 3-5 working day period before the initial signing.

Take the contract to fellow models or peers in the industry, a lawyer or ask online if something doesn’t feel right about the agency's contract. The normal commission rate for an agency is 10-20%. It's a red flag if any agency is charging ridiculous commissions. Fashion houses usually offer agencies exclusive contracts for certain girls to work/walk for that brand for a period of time. The contracts can range anywhere from 6 months to a year. We’ll get more into detail about this next time when we discuss different types of modeling contracts. Ask questions. Don’t rush into it just because you got it. After all this is your career and livelihood.

#5 TAKING REJECTIONS PERSONAL 

The dreaded call back of “sorry you didn’t make the cut for the job” thinking the casting director, agent or brand have a personal vendetta with you. Wrong ! 

There are so many productions happening every day and casting directors hiring different faces for each project matching them to the brief and vision of the client. Do not take rejection personally as this can affect your motivation to continue in this industry. After all this is a business and everyone wants to execute their visions and projects to the max and you just aren’t the right fit for it. There are always jobs out there for you just be patient and continue working.

#6 GIVING WRONG MEASUREMENTS 

Remember tip number 2 where we mentioned misleading images are a bad reputation for your career and tip number 5 for rejections ? Yeah we have something new to add to them. Not giving the agencies your accurate measurements due to fear of rejection is a bad bad idea. If your waist is a size 26 don’t write 24 just cause its close and you know it’ll get you signed. When the time for your agency interview and measurements appointment comes, which it will by the way, it won’t be a good look on you to lie about your measurements.  The modeling industry isn’t as cut throat about measurements as it was a decade ago. Being a size 6, 8, 10 or higher will still get you signed with the right agency. Embrace yourself and trust yourself. Submit accurate information.

#7 TRYING TO CLONE OTHER MODELS TO FIT IN

Have you ever seen the movie IROBOT where Will Smith was shooting an army of robots that looked like humans and tried to control the world ? Cool movie right ! Some coloration with what we’re about to say. 

Imagine the modeling industry where every single model looks like the other. Same hair style and color, same clothing style, same vibe imitation, same everything...so boring if you ask us BUT thankfully the industry isn’t like that. The biggest power you have is that no one can be you and no one is like you. We’re lucky that no campaign, no magazine issue is ever the same with models because as said it becomes boring and redundant.

Don’t try to look like other girls to fit in. Uniqueness is cherished and sought after in this industry. Models with buzz cuts, funky hair cuts, different colored eyes, body shapes, sizes, heights ! It's amazing what the industry has. Stand out because that's how you’ll be seen. We talked a lot about embracing yourself in this guide because we really believe in it.

#8  LOVING THE COMFORT ZONE

The comfort zone. The ultimate relaxation, no fear, no pressure, steady same performance, familiarity with everything, no new skills, missed opportunities, nothing new, boring. Noticed how it got negative towards the end ? That's what comfort zones create. It's a stagnant zone of the same experiences.

Leaving the comfort zone in the beginning creates the feeling of unease and fear. It's like going skydiving. Before jumping out the plane you imagine everything that could possibly go wrong like passing out or the parachute not deploying, but once you jump and fly through the air and land safely you get an adrenaline rush of wanting to do it again and your level of dopamine is high and life is amazing.

Living is on the other side of fear. Do not be afraid to try new things with your career. Modeling doesn’t have to be your only path, you can always create a new one for yourself to dabble into acting or performance arts or anything that triggers your interest. You’ll notice in time how the new stuff you do comes back to play around in your modeling career and expand it and make it stronger.