I've been signed! Now what?

Do I sit at home and wait for the phone to ring? Hell NO! Not if you are serious about being a model.

You have to understand that 5 minutes after you left the agency another pretty girl walked in and half an hour later another, and so on and so on. That process repeats itself day in and day out. How is an agency going to remember you with the constant stream of new models walking through their doors?

As if this weren't bad enough, let's say right after you leave the agency a client calls wanting a girl for a print ad. They want someone with your look and your age range. You are still fresh in the agent's mind. In fact, your comp card may still be sitting on her desk. Chances are, unless you have a very unusual look that the particular client wants, you will not be called for the job even though you would be perfect for it. Why? The agency doesn't know you. They aren't going to take a chance on a big job with someone they have never booked before.

So what do you do- you are now just one of many pretty faces, and the agency doesn't know you and therefore doesn't trust you with higher paying jobs, like print jobs.

Don't wait for them to call you - call them! In the beginning, you need to be calling (yes, calling, not emailing) your new agency every week to ten days. Keep these phone calls short and sweet: just remind the agency that you are there and anxious and eager for work. Do NOT let more than ten days pass without speaking to your agency.

In the beginning, do not be too picky about what work you take. Chances are when your agency does start calling you with work; it will not be the print and television work you want. Your agency will start you out with promotional work so they can find out if you are reliable and if you follow directions. If possible, take this work- you need to pay your dues and build a relationship with your agency. Just because you are taking the promotional work does not mean that you stop pushing for the print work or the TV commercials while you are still building.

The bottom line: be proactive. Don't just wait for the phone to ring or you will not work as a model.

If you let them- they will forget you.