Balancing Modeling & a Job

Aside from balancing modeling and school, there are many models that hold down part-time and even full-time jobs. You may be wondering how honest you should be with your employer about your other interests or if you should even say anything at all.

I can only speak for myself and my experiences, so what I’m saying here isn’t part of a rulebook or anything. In the past, I have let an employer know that I modeled and did acting on the side. They seemed pretty supportive of it but as time went on and my modeling career started to take off, I ended up having to put work on the backburner, which my company obviously did not appreciate. While they told me in the beginning that they were fine with what I did, they ended up using it against me later on. And I wasn’t even missing days of work—just the mere fact that there was something in my life that demanded my attention other than my company did not sit well with them. When it comes to the corporate world or any company you work for, they are going to want your loyalty first and foremost. Even if they claim they are cool with you having outside interests, in reality they could care less and many find it threatening to them when an employee has talents or interests that don’t benefit the company.

That being said, if you hold down a full-time job (part-time jobs are usually easier to work around), my best advice would be to not state openly that you are a model, not to your boss or your coworker—even coworkers you consider friends. Even just telling someone in general that you model comes with its own onset of stereotypes, assumptions, judgments, etc. Imagine that going on where you work! I personally do not bring my modeling career into the workplace because the last thing I want is someone from work to be in my business. The lower I fly under the radar, the better.

However, don’t get sloppy while on the job. I do my best to play by the rules and make sure that I make up hours that I’ve missed or had the PTO (paid time off) to take a day off of work. I make sure to keep my reasons for being late, taking a long lunch, or missing a day very broad/vague. You can’t let one outweigh the other or else you may come to a crossroads where you’ll have to make a choice between your job and modeling. I recognize that for me, it is not realistic to be able to live off of my modeling career alone, which is why I pursued my B.A. in college and now hold down a steady job in addition to owning and operating my own art business. In a perfect world, I’ll be able to do the art business from home and not need a full-time corporate job, which would open me up to pursue modeling and travel the way I would like. Till that day comes and I’m in the right position to take advantage of such an opportunity, I play by my company’s rules. When a shoot or go-see comes up, I do my best to do it on my lunch hour. There are ways around these things that just come from experience as well as trial and error.

Sometimes things are just better left unsaid. It is up to you individually to decide if you should tell your employer about your modeling career or not. Make a list of the pros and cons and just make sure you can perfect the balancing act.