» Model City: The waiting game
Sandra Omo examines why so many models previously waited on tables
Why are so many models waiters? This has become such a norm that whenever I see a successful model, I ask myself: “Was he or she ever a waiter?” And the answer is always ‘yes’. Yes in the early days when he or she was waiting for a breakthrough. It’s not just models who know what it is like to be waiters, as actors and dancers and other forms of entertainers take to waiting for the time being before they get their breakthrough.
I know countless models, and I keep meeting more, who are into waiting in one bar or restaurant or the other. For me it’s easy to tell if the person putting my drink or food on the table is into what I do or not. I see it in the way they walk and talk, and even smile. The intention to impress, which is very important in modelling, is always there. For a normal diner, it’s just another polite waiter, but I know it’s another model waiting for a breakthrough.
As I mentioned earlier, I know so many models who are waiters. Even those who were not into waiting before they ventured into modelling have taken up waiting as their usual part-time job. And the thing is, I have found it common among models to work in bars and nightclubs rather than restaurants. And I think the reason for this is because of the informal attitude, coupled with the fast atmosphere associated with bars and nightclubs. I have had conversations with models who are waiters numerous times, and have come to understand that they all do this job for the same reasons. Having done it myself, I know it all comes down to the flexibility associated with working in the hospitality industry. Yes, I have worked as a waiter. In fact, I started working in bars when I was still at uni.
“There is no way for you to do a nine-to-five job and still go after modelling – it’s impossible”
When I graduated, I got a full-time job in my line of study. After one month of misery where I missed every audition and casting I was booked for, I quit the job and knew the only job I could do and still have time to pursue my modelling career was waiting! It is as simple as that. There is no way for you to do a nine-to-five job and still go after modelling – it’s impossible. People who have tried it have had to give up for one reason or another. It always comes down to what you like most. For me, it was clearly modelling.
Holding a part-time job as a waiter gave me the opportunity to earn, and do what I wanted at the same time. Whenever I had a job or a casting call all I needed to do was call work and cancel my shift – simple. There were no ties or binding contracts, and I definitely had nothing to lose even when I quit jobs so I could travel for modelling jobs, because there were always numerous jobs available when I got back. I could pick up a job and drop it whenever I wanted without my modelling having to suffer in anyway. Now this was what I needed until I got my breakthrough, and it is exactly what countless models working as waiters out there need. So the next time you are in a bar or restaurant, the waiter serving may not just be another waiter, but an aspiring model who is smart enough to do this so that she can pay their bills while still pursuing their breakthrough.
