I don't class myself as a model, I am a programmer, which is quite the opposite end of the spectrum. Although it is something I enjoy while doing it, I still get quite nervous the day before a shoot. I don't see myself as being a model, and as such I have never actually perused it.
I have got quite fortunate in that it has always came to me. I got into it entirely through chance. After the first shoot, a photographer told me to send my pictures off to an agency, which accepted right away. Since then I have accepted any photo shoot that sounds interesting or fun.
I don't do it for the money, although when the right things come along the money is amazing. I do it for the interesting pictures, the experience, and that it is still something that makes me nervous. I am quite lucky in that the pictures I get would cost a lot of money for someone paying.
Having said this, I do get slightly annoyed with people who jump at any chance to call themselves a model, when they only do TFP (time for pictures) shoots, or things for friends. That doesn't make someone a model. These shoots generally don't include money, make-up/hair done, clothing chose, e.t.c. While I don't think these are the must-have ingredients to make a shoot 'proper modelling', I think if you only do the one off of these then you probably shouldn't make "I'm a model" your opening statement of anyone you meet.
The reason it annoys me is that most of these people are saying it as a way of saying 'I am good looking!' instead of 'this is my job'. It's not good to brag. It is one of those things that you need to handle things with a degree of tact. I often don't like talking about it, aside from saying that I have done a shoot. Even then I have been called 'attention seeking'.
Equally, I get annoyed at people who seem to insult any work I do, in a kind of jealous/whiny way. Yes.. there are a small few. It doesn't make me feel any worse about myself, it just makes you look immature.
Anyway. As it stands now, I shall just keep accepting agency work until they decide to kick me out. I finally got around to joining a website, which is usually the main outlet of jobs. As I've only done commercial/fashion, who don't often send photos, I don't have much of a 'portfolio', so I don't expect any more than occasionally being approached for a 'TFP' shoot.
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