Modeling Jobs for Teens

Jobs for teen models are plentiful, but one must know where to look to find safe and profitable opportunities. During the job search process, parents and guardians should be careful to match work offers with the correct maturity level in order to avoid unpleasant, uncomfortable situations.

Teens can find great opportunities modeling for small shows in department stores and malls. Many of these shows are cast from open calls and contests, as well as through agencies. Usually, a show will consist of several looks from the store's junior lines, with a few young trend pieces thrown in for good measure. These shows are great for building a portfolio, as well as getting exposure.

Stores like Delia's, Wet Seal and PacSun always need attractive young people to model their clothing. These jobs are always booked through agencies like Ford or Elite, and pay a nice amount of money. Plus, your child may get an opportunity to grace promotional material such as posters, sale fliers and billboards. However, modeling shoots can be long and difficult, so the young model needs to be very professional and mature.

This is different than the department store modeling in that this refers to professional, high fashion modeling. Most models start walking the major shows in New York, Paris and Milan in their teens, with careers potentially running into the twenties and thirties. This isn't the case with the majority, however, who may only have a couple of seasons as high-fashion runway girls. High fashion runway looks like fun, but is stressful, tiring and is pressure-packed.

A parent or legal guardian must be involved in the process. Someone should be with the teen at all times to make certain everything is safe and comfortable. Reputable employers will ask the parent to sign contracts and releases, and will want a guardian on the scene to make sure things are okay. If a teen is signed with a major agency, they may have a representative that has legal guardianship over the minor while on location, if a parent can't or won't attend.

Watch out for Craigslist, newspaper or Internet modeling jobs. These are often a scam poised to separate parents from their hard-earned dollars. If any agency or employer ever asks for money to launch a career, run the other way--no reputable agency will ever ask for a dime from a model. A successful career in modeling is possible for a teen, but only if done right.