Reasons a Modeling Agency May Tell You "No, Thanks"

No one can read an agency's mind--not even me--and this can be frustrating to newbies submitting themselves but not getting the results they want. While each person's experience is unique, there are some common reasons why agencies may tell a model that they are not interested. I felt it would be somewhat helpful to list those reasons here. I'm sure there are some that aren't on this list but this is basically the gist of it, based on my knowledge and experience in the modeling industry:

• You don't have the right look they want: This could mean a number of things but mainly deals with your physical appearance (facial features, body type, hair type/style, etc).

• Your look isn't "in" right now: Clients hire models with the looks that fit the trends that are currently selling within the industry--remember, models are needed to "sell" things like clothing, products, accessories, etc. However, the "in" look always changes throughout the year so if your look isn't what's hot now, it could be 6 months or a year from now. For example, pale skin and green eyes may be all the rage early in the year but months later, dark skinned, exotic faces may be the next "in" look.

• They already have someone with your look: This doesn't mean you have a twin but that the agency already has one or more people with the same measurements and stats as you. For example, I was told this by an agent because they had just signed a model who had the same complexion/skin tone as me, hair type and measurements BUT she was also a few inches taller so she could do both print work and fashion. It was a business decision because the agency knew the taller version of me could get booked for more work since she could go back and forth between print and fashion, while I would have only been qualified for print work.

• Things are slow in the industry: Believe it or not, the modeling industry doesn't go strong all the time. When the economy is in the dumps, the agencies are affected as well. It doesn't make sense for an agency to bring on new models when they're already having trouble finding steady work for the models they currently represent.

• It's off season: I've heard this from one or two models who were seeking representation. There are some months during the year where there is constant demand from clients for models and other months where there simply isn't a huge rush of bookings that need to be filled. Even the retail industry has its slow days and when this happens, like the reason above this one, agencies won't sign anybody until there is enough work to go around.

Will agencies tell you these reasons to your face or via email? Probably not in most cases. If an agency isn't interested in representing you, you'll simply never hear from them (there are too many applicants for any agency to respond to each and every one). However, there are instances where models are given a reason. The factors on the list above do not cover the situations where agencies tell models to come back at a later time (such as when a model has braces or is told to lose some weight).