How To Become A Model: An Aspirational, Yet Realistic Guide to Getting Started As A Model

Becoming a model is a dream for many, but the reality is often misunderstood. Modeling isn’t just about good looks or going viral on Social Media. It’s a profession that requires patience, discipline, resilience, and strategy. While it can be exciting and creatively fulfilling, it’s also competitive and demanding.

If you’re serious about starting a modeling career, this guide will walk you through what it really takes, without sugarcoating the journey.

1. Understand What Modeling Actually Is

Modeling is not a single job; it’s an industry with many different paths. Before you begin, it’s important to understand where you might fit.

Some common modeling categories include:

• Fashion and runway

• Commercial and lifestyle

• Beauty and cosmetics

• Fitness and athletic

• Editorial

• E-commerce

• Plus-size, petite, or niche markets

There is no single “model look” anymore, but there is a right look for specific markets. Success starts with understanding which lane suits you best.

2. Be Honest About Your Starting Point

Aspiration is powerful, but realism keeps you moving forward.

Ask yourself:

• Are you comfortable being photographed and observed?

• Can you take direction and feedback without taking it personally?

• Are you willing to hear 'No' far more often than 'Yes'?

• Can you stay motivated without instant validation?

Modeling favors confidence, professionalism, and adaptability more than perfection. The strongest models aren’t always the most conventionally beautiful, they’re the most consistent and coachable.

3. You Don’t Need Experience—You Need Potential

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need prior modeling experience to start. Agencies and clients look for potential, not polished performance.

What matters most early on:

• Natural presence

• Strong facial structure or unique features

• Body awareness and posture

• Confidence in front of the camera (even if it’s still developing)

Your job at the beginning isn’t to look like a finished product, it’s to show that you can become one.

4. Start With the Basics: Digitals Matter

Before professional shoots or fancy styling, you’ll need digitals. These are simple, unedited photos that show what you truly look like.

Good digitals include:

• Natural light

• Minimal or no makeup

• Clean hair

• Fitted, neutral clothing

• Plain background

• Clear face and full-body shots

These images are often the first thing agencies see, and they matter more than glamorous photos when you’re starting out.

5. Agencies Can Help, But They’re Not the Only Path

Getting signed to an agency is a goal for many aspiring models, and for good reason. Agencies provide access to castings, clients, contracts, and guidance. However, signing with an agency isn’t instant, guaranteed, or required to begin.

If you pursue agencies:

• Research legitimate agencies in your market

• Submit directly through official websites

• Avoid anyone asking for upfront fees or “mandatory” photoshoots

Some models begin independently, building experience through test shoots, small commercial jobs, or social media, then approach agencies later with stronger material.

6. Build Confidence and Skill Intentionally

Modeling is a skill, and skills can be learned.

Work on:

• Posing and movement

• Facial expressions and eye control

• Walking (especially for runway)

• Taking direction quickly and calmly

• Maintaining energy during long shoots

Practice in front of a mirror or camera, study professional models, and treat every shoot, paid or unpaid, as a learning opportunity.

7. Be Prepared for Rejection (But Don’t Let It Stop You)

Rejection is part of the job. Models are often turned down for reasons completely outside their control, height, client preference, branding, or timing.

Being passed over does not mean:

• You’re not attractive

• You’re not talented

• You should quit

It means you weren’t the right fit that time. The models who succeed are the ones who keep showing up anyway.

8. Take Care of Your Body and Mind

Modeling demands stamina, physically and mentally.

That means:

• Maintaining healthy habits (not extreme ones)

• Getting enough rest

• Managing stress and comparison

• Setting boundaries

• Protecting your self-worth outside of bookings

A sustainable career is built on balance, not burnout.

9. Be Patient, Careers Take Time

Very few models experience overnight success. Most careers build slowly, quietly, and unevenly.

Progress might look like:

• Learning before earning

• Small jobs before big ones

• Long gaps between bookings

• Gradual improvement in confidence and quality

Momentum comes from consistency, not speed.

10. Decide What Success Means to You

For some, success means walking major runways. For others, it’s steady commercial work, creative fulfillment, or supplemental income alongside another career.

There is no single “right” version of success in modeling, only the one that aligns with your goals and lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a model takes more than ambition, it takes resilience, self-awareness, and effort. It’s a career that can open doors, challenge you creatively, and help you grow in unexpected ways, but only if you approach it with clarity and commitment.

Dream big, stay grounded, and remember: every working model once stood exactly where you are now, wondering if they could make it.

The first step isn’t being discovered, it’s deciding to start.

- Malia C., Talent Development Executive