Modelling isn’t as plain sailing as what we see in magazines and on social media. It’s a career that you don’t have much control over; just because you’re signed to an agency doesn’t guarantee you’ll book loads of work. The first thing to understand about the industry is rejection is unavoidable, and you will need to build resilience to pursue this career.

When I first got signed, I would get excited over being optioned on jobs only to be released the next day. I didn’t know the full extent of how competitive the industry was until my first London Fashion Week. I quickly became aware of the job competition as Fashion Week allows you to see the competition in real-time. At many castings, you’ll find a long line of models waiting to cast for the same job as you. I once cast for a major designer and there were three floors of girls all hoping to book one of probably 16 places in a show! After this experience, I trained myself to not get too excited until I had booked the job. There are loads of models being optioned alongside you and only one person can get the job. Once I’m optioned I just try to forget about it because there’s not much you can do to help the decision of who gets booked.

Even if you try to manage expectations, it can still be disheartening when you’re constantly optioned on jobs and released the night before. However, the thing to remember is being optioned means that you are on the radar of casting directors. If you haven’t been booked on this particular job they’ll remember you for the next one you’re suited to. From experience, I've been released from options by clients only to get booked by the same brand years later!  

It may also be disheartening when it feels like the same models are booking jobs over and over again, but I assure you they’re being released from options too! People rarely show the bad bits on Instagram, try not to compare yourself to someone else's highlights.

It’s also good to remember that even if you’ve had a bad season, it doesn’t mean the next one will be the same. One season I went to 19 castings in a day, arrived home at 9pm and received three emails saying I had been released. I didn’t book any shows that season. A few seasons later I felt like I was ready to quit. I was totally over fashion week and only went to three castings… I ended up booking all three shows. In the same way that fashion changes every season, the type of model that designers are interested in also changes. It’s important to learn to not take rejection personally, the designers may have just been looking for someone with a different look.

From four years in the industry, I’ve learned to step back from placing all my worth on booking jobs and letting rejection get the better of me. Being a part of such a unique industry gives you opportunity and experiences like no other. The majority of models have other jobs and creative outlets outside of modelling, it’s even becoming the norm in the industry for models to get booked because of their hobbies. The irregular schedule of modelling means you don’t have to give up on these passions. Starting out as a full-time model right out of university gave me the time to develop my hobbies, build a new community and find out where I was really interested to take my career. Through connections I’ve made at castings, parties and on set, I have been able to work as a fashion journalist at men’s Fashion Week, in influencer marketing and now as Marketing & Communications Manager at Contact.

Modelling is a career where you can celebrate your uniqueness, and rejection is totally normal, so don’t be hard on yourself for not booking a job. To get the most out of the industry you have to take all the added opportunities that come with it. Once you’ve understood how common rejection is in the industry, you can enjoy the experience a whole lot more!