By Michele Smith
Facebook – MicheleSmithMarketing
While this is actually an across the board philosophy when it comes to employees in any industry, one should always attend the office holiday party whether they want to or not. The same concept applies true for any model, supermodel and aspiring model alike. While at the end of the day, the last thing that anyone wants to do, model or not it so attend the year’s holiday party in yet another pair of heels. There is a reason why people do attend these events they will not want to, because it all boils down to opportunity. The following are a couple of tips that anyone can take into the holiday season and possibly end up with something new for the New Year.
The basic rule of thumb is that if your employer is throwing a holiday gig you need to show up period, no matter rain or shine. There is a proven statistic that employees, models or not, that people are hired/promoted more when they show up for social activities, versus the employees who show up on time around the clock and really should be up for a promotion. Models are in the same holiday boat and the reasons to go are quite simple.
Networking is key for any model starting out. A new model in the fashion industry can meet industry professionals at the appetizer table, while eating healthy as well. It is not uncommon to hear about a new gig while hanging out at the appetizer table. This is even more important when anyone is invited to his or her employer’s home. Never miss this, as this is even a more important opportunity than hanging out in a loud restaurant. Other holiday party opportunities include networking with photographers, designers, makeup artists, and truly, the more people models socialize with, the better it is for their career as they are in a social situation.
Models can also keep in mind that it is easy to eat healthy during holiday parties. This is by no means a reason to avoid a potential networking situation. By keeping everything in moderation, models can still sample some of the richer goodies and avoid splurging on the fun high-calorie beverages. A key to-do item is to eat something light before heading to the party. If one does not have time for this, always choose the healthier item on the appetizer table. This means avoiding high calorie dips and selecting a light wine. Eating beforehand for models actually increases networking time with photographers and other industry professionals
One last tip and trick is if any model can find out who is on the guest list ahead of time, they should do so. This way any model can strategically meet people with like projects and see what they have going on down the pipeline. Most importantly, this is not to say they should approach a new designer and ask them to hire them – keep in mind this is a social event. Most importantly, dress to impress, but if you are a fashion model this should already be dialed in.
