Ten tips to avoid disappointment for the aspiring model

1. Obtain all promises and claims in writing, preferably with a public notary’s signature or a third party.


2. Check the agency's history with the Office of Consumer Protection and on the Internet.


3. Request an unsigned copy of a contract to take and review with a family member or colleague before you sign anything. Be suspicious if there appears to be pressure to sign with undue haste. Forget the mythology, a top agency is under no pressure to sign new models.


4. If the agency makes exaggerated claims of its standing in the industry, be wary as a good reputation travels far in advance. Ask for evidence of success. A reputable agency will have a list of information of company endorsements and models who have advanced their careers with them.


5. Don't allow praise or flattery to affect your judgement. Avoid advances made in public places. Normally you would initiate the approach to be signed by a successful agency.


6. A successful agency does not normally request advance payments, be suspicious and don't allow yourself to be taken in by promises that any deposit is refundable, as there are often disclaimers and strict refund conditions. Never pay in cash.


7. Avoid companies which endorse a specific photographer. This usually means that they are splitting fees and selling overpriced photos or comp cards.


8. Verify that the company is legally licensed with the appropriate government authority.


9. If you are required to travel for interview at the agency’s request, demand travel tickets and expenses in advance as there is nothing as disappointing as an unpaid credit card bill.


10. Never respond to an ad for a shoot or talent screening in a remote back water or in suspicious company. Out of the way locations are almost certainly places where compromised positions may be engineered, indecent proposals made or awkward positions imposed. Out of town locations or truck or biker shoots may spell trouble.