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Getting Paid For Modeling

I get asked a lot of questions about how I get paid for modeling. I try and help people individually but I thought it would be more helpful to lay it all out here.

The first thing I did was build my network. Building your network is slightly more important than even building your portfolio. But if you do it well you can do both at the same time. You want to build meaningful connections with the people you are shooting with at the beginning. Usually this will be TFP (Trade for Print) work. But if you like those people continue working with them when you can. This will build a reputation and a solid network which will be important when you start moving forward with your modeling. 

Next, your portfolio. The beginning is your time to experiment. Find your niche. I would recommend trying everything. You're going to want to show people that you are versatile with the kind of modeling you can do. Not every model can do every kind of modeling flawlessly. For example, I think I am great at editorial/commercial but runway would not be for me. I would not start charging people until you literally do not need anything for your portfolio. And if someone comes to you with a bomb idea and a bomb team you do not offer your rates necessarily because that is beneficial to you. Of course what a "bomb idea" is is up to you and your personal taste. 

While you're doing these things it is important to build your social media presence. This can be done by being active and posting the work and things you are doing to further your career. People want to hire and work with hard workers. Even if you are not getting the attention you want keep going. It will look good later. It will also show people at a glance what you are capable of. So try and make your page diverse and of course choose your favorite shots.

SOCIAL MEDIA REMINDERS:
* it helps to post every day but only if you have new/updated content
* it is okay to take breaks just try and remember that consistency is key 
* usually it is best to post no more than once a day because you want people to be reminded of you not overwhelmed
* even if you do not post on your page try and post on your story 

People are going to contact you a lot of different ways. So make sure you have lots of mediums and ways for people to contact you. I like to have a website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and various model sites like Model Mayhem. I also have two emails that provide different purposes.
Don't forget you can contact others too. It can be a great move to reach out to business and let them know who you are and what you do in the community. They may not hire you in the moment but now they know who you are. I know a lot of models that carry around business cards that have their picture and measurements on them. This can be good to give to clients and business in order to further spread your name around.

Over all, getting paid is a mix of them coming to you and you going to them. You're going to find jobs through a lot of different mediums and ways. But the important thing is to not forget to continue building your brand. After all, people are paying to work with you. This basically means do not get lazy with creating your own art and posting. I do this by working with my friends a few times a week. That way I am having fun and creating some awesome art for clients and fans to see that I am still working on me.

Good luck & happy job hunting!!
Chey Dawn 

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