Click some good-quality photos of your little one. The photos need not have to be professionally shot. One headshot and two full-body photographs should be enough to start with.
Approach some genuine modeling agencies after proper research, and share your child’s photographs and details such as age, weight, and height.
Share the profiles with multiple agencies. Then you have to wait for casting calls, also known as go-sees.
They will get back to you if they like the profile, and you will have to take your child for auditions.
If your child gets selected in the audition, your agency will intimate you. After your kid is done with the work, the agency will cut 10 to 20% of the model’s pay.
Remember that legitimate agencies never ask for money upfront. They only take their cut once your kid gets work. Be wary of such cheats who feed on the excitement of parents.
Do not confuse between a model scout and an agency. A scout charges for clicking pictures of your child, which they eventually send to agencies. You can do this on your own.
Your child may not be earning much from modeling as magazine and catalog shoots pay less. The rates are higher on television and in movies. Sometimes, very prestigious magazines or companies pay less but provide a good exposure to your kid.
Do not relocate to a new city or country for kick-starting your child’s modeling career as no agency can promise assignments. Alternatively, you can continue sending photos to modeling contests and competitions online.
For modeling assignments, children are often required to take leaves from school. Whenever your child takes a day off from school, keep the permission letter ready as most agencies will ask for it.
Your child may not get an assignment immediately after being selected by an agency. There is a process for that.
What Makes A Good Child Model?
Children do not have to be perfect to become a model. But here are some usual requirements:
Agencies look for children with good features such as healthy skin, big and bright eyes, shiny hair and a smiling face.
- Conventionally good-looking kids are in high demand. Children are selected depending on the type of cover or advertisement.
- A “different” or unusual look might make your child unique. For example, young boys having long hair or an Asian child with green eyes or any other unconventional features could have an edge over others.
- A child’s overall personality also matters. A fearless, happy and smiling kid is preferred to a kid who always needs their parents around.
- The child needs to be friendly, outgoing, and comfortable interacting with strangers as they have to meet photographers and baby wrangles. They should be okay with a crowd of other kids.
- The aspiring model should be good at taking advice and instructions from new people during shoots. A shy child will not be able to enjoy all the attention and thrills that come with modeling, while a carefree child will not like to listen to others.
Child modeling is as competitive as the adult modeling profession, but getting work is not impossible.