Backstage: 2 Ways to Get Your Modeling Career Started

I am always surprised at how others react when I tell them I’m a model. The first thing most people ask is how I became one. The truth is, it essentially happened by accident.

There are really two ways to get into modeling: dumb luck or a more formal approach. 

The former is what happened to me. Modeling is something I’d wanted to do it for a while but at the time, I was in school studying music. That summer, I went to Germany for a month with a friend and while we were in Hamburg, I got “scouted.”

Essentially, I woke up, hung out with friends, was scouted, and three weeks later my life changed forever. I don't have any tips for dumb luck but I can offer some ways to put yourself in a position where you may get scouted.

Assuming you have the height requirements and look the part, my advice is to place yourself in a high fashion hub like New York, Milan, or Paris. Scouts are always patrolling these areas to find people that could model. Wear your best clothes and show up—you never know who you might meet. Try to make friends with people who are models already or associate yourself with the “fashion world.” If you want them to come to you, then you need to be in a position where they can see you.

My scouting story is quite rare, so I wouldn't bank on being randomly scouted. However, if you can get yourself in a fashion group or make friends with people already in the industry, then it’s just a matter of time before someone sees you and strikes up a conversation... READ MORE