I am a petite model at 5’6, and I have been offered multiple agency contracts since starting my career 6 years ago. While getting signed with a reputable agency is truly a matter of timing and market fit, there are ways to position yourself while applying to agencies so that you get signed, submitted to clients, booked as quickly as possible.
The fastest I have been scouted from initial application to contract in hand (inbox, actually 🙂 ) is about 2 – 3 weeks. Again, this is because I applied at the right time (more on this in the next section) and my look happened to fit the market.
I also share more details on how to get signed with No experience in this YouTube video:
Understand Your Market Seasonality
The fastest way to get signed is to apply to agencies during their slower periods. While good agencies book jobs for their models throughout the year, there is an element of seasonality to the modeling industry. During the slower periods, agents have more bandwidth to review model submissions and scout new faces.
During busy season, agents are often fully occupied managing and confirming jobs for models and clients. They might not check model submissions as frequently, or they don’t spend as much time considering each potential model.
Given that background information, when should you NOT apply to agencies?
Fashion Month
It’s best to avoid applying to agencies during fashion month, and maybe a couple of weeks after as well, so your application doesn’t get lost in the backlog of applications that haven’t been reviewed for weeks.
Fashion month occurs twice a year. The Fall/Winter collections are shown mid-February to early March, and Spring/Summer collections are shown September to early October.
Even though as petite models, we probably aren’t participating in fashion week (height requirements are still 5’8+ for runway, unfortunately), many agencies that sign petite models still have a roster of majority 5’8+ models. In the New York market agents will be busy sending last minute castings and confirmations during fashion week/month. Agencies in markets outside of New York may be less busy, but if they operate as mother agents, they probably have models who are working fashion week as well, and have to be on top of streamlining communication from different booking agencies to their models.
If you are applying during these time frames in the US, wait to apply at the very least, after New York Fashion Week.
Major Holidays
Agencies take the holidays off, so I typically avoid applying to agencies around winter (November/December holidays) and summer holidays (early July).
For European markets this also means avoid applying during the month of August.
Models will probably continue applying during these times, so when agents get around to reviewing the backlog of applications, there may be more applications than usual, and there’s a chance agents may not put as much consideration into each application because of the sheer number of applications. This is pure speculation on my end, but just in case, when I am on the market for a new agency, I am cognizant of the time of year.
Understand Your Market
As a model, it’s important to understand what types of jobs your look can fit in your location. Petite models often book beauty, commercial, fitness, fit, parts and even editorial jobs. Depending on your look, body type, and how you develop your portfolio, you may niche down into one category of modeling.
Start observing campaigns and commercials in the wild, and see if there are any campaigns that have hired models that have similar facial features or build to yours. Make a mental note of these clients, and as you search for agencies, look for agencies that have clients like the ones you have noted.
For a comprehensive list of what types of jobs petite models can book and how much these types of jobs pay, check out this article.
Research Agencies
Petite models have much lower chances of getting signed to high fashion/editorial forward modeling agencies. That’s not to say you won’t find petite models on their board, but often, these petite models have reputable mother agencies who have placed them with these high fashion agencies through the mother agency’s connections. Unfortunately, there are no modeling agencies that have niched down to petite models (yet, that I know of!), but here are the following types of agencies that are height inclusive.
Types of Agencies that Sign Petite Models
As a petite model, you’ll want to target commercial, talent, and boutique modeling agencies. There’s some overlap between commercial and talent agencies–which is to say, many commercial agencies also have a talent roster as well.
Commercial agencies focus on submitting talent to commercial stills and video jobs. One example of a commercial agency is Vie Agency.
Talent agencies submit their talent to TV, film, and commercial jobs. Talent agencies height requirements are much more flexible than modeling agencies. One example of a Talent agency is Stewart Talent.
Boutique modeling agencies have smaller rosters and represent a range of models. I have found they are more likely to sign non-mother agency represented petite models. One example of a boutique modeling agency is Unite Unite.
Many petite models that are signed to prestigious modeling agencies (IMG, Ford, The Society, etc) have mother agents who have placed them with that agency. These models are typically very experienced and are signed in numerous markets. While it’s not impossible to get signed with these agencies without a mother agent as a petite model, I have observed that it’s significantly harder. If petite, non MA represented model does get signed, typically the model has a competitive advantage, like a strong personal brand or a substantial online presence.
Submit High Quality Digitals
Digitals are the most important part of your model application to agencies. It is imperative that you take the best digitals you can.
To take strong digitals, you need natural, even lighting, a plain background, and a form fitting black outfit with heels. Capturing them on an iPhone or equivalent is good enough, but if you have a nice camera, all the better. Make sure to wear minimal makeup, and keep your hair natural. If you don’t know where to start with digitals, I have a complete guide on how to take digitals by yourself to get signed.
Here are an example of my most recent digitals.
To capture these images, I took a video on my Sony ZV-E10 camera, and then took screenshots of the frames I liked. For these digitals, I’m wearing concealer, lip balm, and I’ve curled my lashes.
Social Media
If you’re an aspiring model, your Instagram profile needs to be public. If an agent is interested in signing you, they will check your Instagram to get a sense of who you are, the hobbies you partake in, and what your natural face and body looks like.
Start posting images of your portfolio on social media, as well as any hobbies you have to show your ✨personality✨. For example, I spend a lot of time outside of work training Muay Thai, so I make sure to sprinkle in some photos and videos of my training.
Social Media is a huge part of the modeling industry. As a working model, many casting directors and clients will browse a model’s social media profile before the model gets confirmed for a booking. They want to ensure that a model’s personal brand aligns with the message that the client wants to emulate. Or perhaps more importantly, ensure that a model’s brand doesn’t contradict the client’s ethos.
When should you follow up on your application?
Just about every agency has a website portal through which they accept model applications. You should apply there first. In my experience, when an agency is interested in my application, they will respond immediately to within 2 business days.
If I haven’t heard anything from an agency, and I think I would be a good fit for their roster, I will follow up via email, where I send a short intro, my measurements, and my digitals. I have gotten signed from following up via email, and my agency responded to my follow up email within 24 hours after I sent it.
If I haven’t heard anything from the application and follow up email, I assume the agency is not interested. Good agents are on top of their emails, because that’s the main avenue through which models get casted and confirmed. I assume they see every email that passes through their inbox, and if they haven’t responded, they’re not interested in me at that time.
If you don’t hear any response, wait 4 – 6 months and reapply with new digitals. Sometimes the market has shifted and clients are looking for your look, or the agency roster has some turnover and they are looking models of your look.
Timelines
If an agency is interested in signing you, they will ask for either a video call or an in-person meeting if you are located in the same area. This meeting is for them to get a sense of who you are, how easy it would be to work with you, and your daily schedule. If they’re interested in signing you, they’ll send over a contract after the meeting.
When you’ve been offered a contract, congratulations! Read it through, and there might be a number of clauses you don’t understand. Make a note of all questions and send over a list of questions to the agent for them to clarify. Before you sign, make sure to check out my article on everything you need to know before you sign a model agency contract.
Conclusion
Getting signed is a matter of market fit, timing and a bit of luck. Despite the element of chance, there are ways to position yourself to get agency interest. Make sure you know when the right times are to apply to agencies, target agencies that are right for your profile, and make sure you take high quality digitals. Make sure your Instagram profile is public, and follow up via email to agencies that you think you would be a good fit for.
Good luck!
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