High profile connections, easy pay, flexible schedules? Sign me up. Yes, you may have seen people you admire, live vicariously through (or secretly envious of) on The Gram make the promo life appear to be full of glitz and glamour.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to trade in their boring jobs to be surrounded by beautiful people, bring home free goodies, travel, and get paid $150 - $600/day on average for simply looking nice or working a booth for some of the world’s biggest and most sought after brands?
But when it comes to the job search, how does a newbie hear about, let alone land a gig as a promo model so they can get their foot in the door and turn this into a new career? Go from being overlooked to overbooked with this list of tips below to help you get started working as a promo model so you can break into this industry and get out of your dead end job jail once and for all.
There are several different types of promo model projects ranging anywhere from bars, festivals, concert halls, retail venues and even nationwide mobile marketing tours. Some assignments last just a few hours at a time while others span across a number of days, weeks, or even months depending on the contract.
Most assignments require promo models to be personable, engaging, and give out free samples or demonstrations for a new product or service. Promo models are normally briefed before starting on each assignment. You must be prepared to speak intelligently about the brand you’re representing and wear comfortable shoes since you’ll be standing on your feet. The brands and industries you represent will always vary greatly.
Example are car manufacturers (auto shows/ride and drive programs), alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverage sampling programs, apparel, cosmetic, electronic (retail/technology programs), airlines, and a wide range of others.
What you’ll need
If you’re new to how it works, finding a job as a promo model or brand ambassador can be very hard. Many people luck up by stumbling upon the opportunities from their friends, seeing a job board on their college campus, or some other type of inside connection. However, regardless of how you come across an opportunity, when you’re just starting out there are a few things you’ll likely be asked to provide.
Professional (and nonprofessional) photos
List of brands you’ve worked with previously
Explanations on how you handled many situations that often occurs in the industry
Excellent customer service skills
Since a conventional resume isn’t always required, it’s important to put your best foot forward and allow the hiring agencies to see how personable, professional, and presentable you are to represent the brand. High Profile Lifestyle mentorship program will teach you how to build a powerful and appealing resume that gets you hired and most times you’ll discover that our methods get you hired over some veterans with years of experience.
How to get started
Now that you know what to expect and have some idea of what you should be prepared to submit, you are ready to try your hand at actually getting started in the industry. Promo modeling gigs are normally handled by distributors, the brands themselves, or various talent staffing agencies.
To land your first gig, you might try your search on Craigslist in the “Marketing” and “Gigs” sections. Like with anything found on Craigslist and similar sites, be sure to do your due diligence on any opportunities you find and proceed with caution. You could also contact a talent or event staffing agency to see if there are any openings. If you go this route, you will be expected to complete their application and vetting process. Members of High Profile Lifestyle’s mentorship program have the advantage of bypassing a lot of the vetting processes required by many top talent agencies since a lot of agencies choose students from our program because of our professional and personal development training.
If you’re having trouble landing your first gig, don’t let the job search get you down. Once you have your first few under your belt, you’ll notice how your search will become easier and you’ll make more connections in the industry and learn about many more opportunities to work.
Hurdles are easier to get over when you have help. High Profile Lifestyle is a career management company and mentorship program for promotional models, spokesmodels, and brand ambassadors. Here at High Profile Lifestyle, our job is to help new talent break into the industry, learn the tools of the trade, and work their way to the top so they can get paid to travel the world and represent amazing brands along the way.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to become a promo model or how to get started in the industry, click here so you can go from being overlooked to overbooked.
Comments