model rice bowl

☝14:59☝

-my rice bowl situation-

There's a saying in Chinese

'爭飯碗' / '搶飯碗'

Directly translated it means to 'fight for rice bowl' 

IRL situation translation:

rice bowl = job

my job interview struggles aren't the most common.

during my job interviews

unlike most,

I'm not getting judge on my education,

my qualifications,

my experience,

my certificates,

my expertise.

I'm getting judged based on my looks.

and of course I'm not complaining,

I knew what I signed on to entering this business.

I'm nobody important,

so what I can say or do is equally

unimportant.

Especially during my job interviews.

hang on, i need to stop calling them job interviews

as the official name is 'castings'

☝15:05☝

-attaining rice bowl percentage dwindling in front of me....-

ಥ_ಥ

too many mouths,

not enough bowls.

and

we're all pretty fucking hungry.

similar to actors who go on auditions but i feel models get it worse.

i think it's way more superficial than acting auditions.

because unless it's a casting for a TVC (TV commercial)

we don't really need to act.

and even when we do, the acting is so over the top.

it's pretend to enjoy this burger

or

pretend to ride this roller coaster which is a casting chair.

so there really isn't much skill to it...

as long as you're willing to put yourself out there,

you'll survive the traumatising, embarrassing TVC casting.

if they don't like your face you won't get it,

but hey, 

at least someone

somewhere

watched your tape and had a good laugh at how AWFUL your pretend eating was.

we have zero qualifications for what we do.

there is no degree in posing.

no certificate for smiling.

we get judged based on our smiles,

our posing,

our skin,

our height,

our DNA.

in a way,

i think that when i don't book a job,

my parents/ancestors may be feeling the blame.

'IT WAS BECAUSE OF US THAT YOU DIDN'T BOOK IT HONEY!'

'It's okay, you'll book the next one.'

'We still love you.'

no matter how many episodes of ANTM you've watched,

I honestly believe 

that personality plays a very minor role in castings.

come on,

how much personality can you share in 5 minutes 

without coming across overly confident, conceited and mildly self centred? 

"ME! ME! Talk to me, see how easy going I am!!!!

Book me! Book me! I'm all personality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

If they like what they see,

if they approve of your DNA

you get the job, the campaign, the tvc, the money.

If they don't,

maybe next time.

but probably not at the same company,

at least

until they've changed whoever is in charge.

or

until you've become moderately famous.

or

if you're lucky,

maybe all you have to do is dye your hair.

Smile for that bowl, baby.