Nowadays, everyone is a model. The rise of bloggers/influencers/models is blowing up our social feeds and application list and we only have ourselves to blame.
If you watch any reality tv show, at least 70% of the contestants will be 'models' or the dreaded '& model' (which basically means they have an instagram account) but most of these high flying influencers struggle to bridge the gap and actually become a paid, working model.
So without futher ado, here's our handy guide to making the jump from Instamodel to real life Modelle:
1) DO YOUR RESEARCH
We cannot stress this point enough: Research Research Research!
You could find an amazing agency that you love (i.e. us) but we might not get the right work for you / the right clients / location etc. so it just wouldn't work out. You need to look deep into the agency, check out reviews where possible, their current models, recent jobs, website, instagram etc. and make sure you're feeling it.
2) DON'T rush your application!
It's all too telling when someone has spent less than 60 seconds on their application. We're looking at you 2'0 measurements / N/A experience
If this is a career you seriously want to get into, taking the time to get the application right is well worth it, you wouldn't rush a job application right?
If you don't know your measurements - please google it. You can work out your rough measurements based on the size clothes you wear, or the bra size you take or your suit size; Measurements are a really key part of the application process, so please get them right as they can be the deciding factor in your application.
Take a look at similar profiles in the categories you'd like to join, look at what images they have on their profile and try and mirror those in your application. (ALSO PLS NO SNAPCHAT FILTERS IN APPLICATIONS - dog ears are cute but not necessary!)
3) Avoid paying up front to join an agency
Scam agencies are rife in in the industry, and unfortunately it's one of things that cannot be regulated. A lot of 'agencies' or 'model platforms' will charge you hundreds of pounds to have a poorly constructed portfolio built but then will never contact you for jobs / just take your money and run!
This is where part 1 (Do your research) will come in very handy; Check out online reviews / forums, where people have been stung before it will be there to find if you look!
As a rule of thumb, we advise to never pay upfront to join an agency, however we do know that a few legitimate child agencies do ask for a small fee, so always do your research!
4) Juniors / Children
Whilst we do represent Juniors at RMG, we don't get a huge amount of work in for them. As such (going back to that old research point), we may not be the right agency for you if you are looking for child to join an agency. We don't have a set age range, but most of our clients really only work with children aged 4 and up, so please bear that in mind when you are applying.
Newborn children will rarely be accepted because they change so much in those first years.
5) Images
When applying to join our agency, we look for the following
- Clear, Well lit images of you
- Full face, Full body, Side Profile
- Professional images are preferred but not necessary
- Well lit polaroids / Snapshots (i.e. No Make-up, Smiling, Non-Smiling, Images)
- No Snapchat filters - we know you don't have butterflies on your face, please do not add these to the application as it will be rejected.
6) Unsuccessful Applications
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we cannot individually reply to each applicant, & once an application have been rejected, it disappears from our system so we are unable to give retrospective feedback. However an unsucessful application does not mean that you are not beautiful / that you won't make a great model someday. As mentioned above, it might be down to the images you supplied on your application or a multitude of other factors.
- Your location might be too far away from our main areas of work
- Your look may be too similar to another model
- The images supplied on the application were not clear, well lit, or contained Snapchat / Facetuned photos (see point 5)
- You simply might not be right for the agency (but this means you could be perfect for another agency!)
This industry is full of knockbacks. Every day models are released from jobs / cancelled / rescheduled / rejected. It's simply a part of being a model, so something you need to be prepared for, even if you are successful with us, there will still be rejection from clients etc.
if your application is unsuccessful, we welcome you to come back and try again in a few months, but please don't apply with the same images!
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We hope this brief guide helps!
This industry takes a LOT of charisma, nerve & confidence, but it is also an amazing industry to be a part of,
so don't be disheartened, keep trying and you will make it!