Firstly its time to ask yourself some serious questions - and we mean serious – upon taking a good look at yourself in the mirror (without make-up if you are female) what are the answers to the very basic questions below?:
 

• Do you have good or clear skin?

• Do you have quite straight and reasonably white teeth?

• Do you have healthy appearing hair, complexion and nails?

• Are you a suitable weight for your height? (This does not mean super skinny nor does this mean having a wrestler’s body) Body shape depends on which type of modelling you wish to enter - ie: fashion, glamour, plus-size. Whatever the case, you must appear and maintain a healthy weight for your height (see the Health section (www.famode.com/info.php) for more info).

• Do you have particularly attractive and distinctive features?

• Do you think you could leave the house without make-up and be your natural self? - It is important that agents, clients and photographers will be able to see the real you rather than 20 layers of make-up.

• Do you have a healthy work ethic? (Do not underestimate how difficult and hard working the industry truly is. It can often be extremely de-moralising, frustrating, tiring, and a very lonely job).

• Are you confident in front of the camera? (An obvious one, but you’ll be surprised by how many people feel awkward or freeze once they’re in front of a lens. Just be honest with yourself).

• While on a photo shoot, could you take directions or sometimes orders from photographers or people that you do not know for, occasionally, long periods on end?

• Finally, are you photogenic? This is probably the most important factor as vast majority of the modelling industry thrives on photographic productions. Refer to your photo album and ask yourself honestly if you look good in more than a few photos.If your answer is no to one or more of these questions, but you still wish to pursue a career in modelling, then be prepared to be thick-skinned or get ready for some serious rejection. 

If your answer is yes to all of the above, this however does NOT guarantee that you’ll make it onto a modelling agent’s books, let alone make money and/or become an internationally recognised top model. But do not be disillusioned. Just like every exciting industry today, the modelling world is highly competitive and can be exceptionally de-moralising. This is simply because the career does not rely solely on University degrees, wit or even personality. It simply relies on how you look.

In some cases, it won’t even be down to whether you are better looking than anyone else, it may be that ‘your face fits’ a particular assignment, clothing range or product description. In cases such as these there is simply nothing you can do to make sure you get the job over anyone else, it is just pure luck.

What is fundamental despite all of this is that you look after yourself - health wise and in outward appearance - to ensure that you look fantastic when put in front of a camera.

Remember
The modelling industry is just that: An industry full of people that are attractive and stylish. These people are in effect the cream of society’s genetically perfect and beautiful crop. They are the lucky few that are able to call themselves perfection and they should be exactly that - physically and aesthetically perfect in almost every way. This is just one of the reasons why models are often paid so much, simply because companies, magazines and advertisers comprehend that they are paying big bucks for perfection.