Don’t let all the 18-year-old fresh faces plucked from Eastern European villages fool you: there is a huge market for male models over 30-years-old and beyond.
The first step to starting your male modeling career after age 30 is creating a portfolio. You can begin by using a free website like Model Mayhem to connect with local photographers and build your portolio.
Next, you should showcase your images with high-resolution prints for a physical portfolio to show clients, and also create a website to be hired from. I’d recommend a sleek site like Pixpa to showcase your portfolio beautifully.
The next step is making sure your online presence is up-to-date and showcases your best self. Make sure you have an Instagram and Facebook modeling page at the very least. Post your professional photos, but also post everyday selfies because audiences like to see the “real you,” too.
While there are many ways to find work as a male model over 30 on your own, it can also be helpful to sign up with a modeling agency. Do a quick Google search for modeling agencies in your area and find out if they have an open call, what their submission guidelines are, and any requirements.
If you do get a chance to go meet with a modeling agent, make sure you wear form-fitting, clean clothes free of large prints and logos. Simple well-fitted jeans and a t-shirt work great. Make sure you are groomed according to your look and get a good night’s sleep before.
If you are booked on a modeling job, make sure you arrive on time and bring a book or some form of entertainment because a lot of the day could be a hurry-up-and-wait situation. As a model, you are one part of the creative process, but there are many different people on set doing different jobs to make the images/videos come together perfectly for the client. Be ready and available to shoot when the director/photographer calls you over and listen carefully to their direction.
Preparation is key to becoming a successful male model over 30, so make sure you’re mindful of your diet and are eating whole, nutritious foods and exercising regularly. Stay consistent with a skin care routine, which includes a face wash, moisturizer, eye cream, and any other products you feel called to.
Remember, there are a lot of modeling jobs out there for male models over 30, so stay consistent in your efforts and don’t get discouraged. Modeling careers are sporadic and jobs come and go randomly: some months you may book 5 jobs, and then you won’t work again for 3 months. So, keep your side-hustle or flexible survival job. That way you won’t have desperate energy when you walk into any room because your bills will be paid.
Follow me here or on my Instagram at @myles.ellison to follow my journey as a working male model over 30 in New York City.
Photo credit: Brian Jamie