Five Ways to be a Successful Teen Model

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1. School comes first

It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the idea of becoming a famous and fabulous supermodel, and to let other things slip because of it. It’s really important when you’re a teen that you focus on your studies as well as modelling – there are absolutely no guarantees for models, so you need to work hard at school and have a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out.

2. Take advice and learn from experience

If you’re nervous or unsure on a modelling shoot, listen to what others are telling you, or seek advice from other models before you go if you can. If a modelling shoot doesn’t go as well as you wanted it to, put it down to experience and don’t repeat your mistakes next time. Don’t get hooked up on one bad shoot or casting – it probably wasn’t as bad as you think! Just learn from it and move on.

3. Be comfortable, be yourself and be natural

One of the most important parts of modelling is ensuring you’re comfortable and happy with the experience. If you’re uncomfortable, it may be that modelling isn’t for you, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Or you may just need to get used to it. Modelling is all about enjoying yourself and being natural – that attitude results in the kind of shots that are needed in promotional campaigns. Always rememberthat somebody has already picked you above lots of others for the campaign – get stuck in and be really confident in yourself.

4. Don’t take anything personally

The reality is that you won’t get every assignment you’re put forward for, and your modelling career may well be filled with disappointments in the early stages. You mustn’t take this personally and you mustn’t give up – the modelling industry is incredibly competitive, and even supermodels like Daisy Lowe were passed over in favour of others to begin with. Keep trying, have faith in your agency and representation, and don’t take anything too seriously.

5. Be healthy

Parts of the mainstream fashion industry may be full of size zero models who live on a diet of coffee, vodka and cigarettes, but this doesn’t mean you should aspire to be that way. The best models in the industry are not the ones who have a lifestyle that threatens their health – they’re healthy, they look after themselves and they are comfortable at their natural size.