The average fashion model:

The average female fashion model is 5 feet 8 ins tall and a size 10. She will have a "good personality, good communication skills, a good smile and teeth" and be photogenic, says Rebecca Morgan of the Morgan Agency. If you want to work abroad, an extra inch in height would be a decided advantage. Of course, the average rule is broken by the occasional exceptionally-beautiful but vertically-challenged female.

The agent:

Most aspiring models try to get on the books of a reputable agency. The agency will advise on grooming and those all-important photos for your portfolio as well as arranging "go-sees" (auditions). Derek Daniels of Assets, in Dublin, advises aspiring models, looking for an agency, to check out the editorial credits in the top magazines and to check which agencies the top hairdressers use.

The rewards:

All of the agencies are coy about raising people's expectations and say there is no such thing as average earnings for a model. The sky's the limit for the handful of supermodels who trot the globe and a number of other less-well-known models made a very good living but many aspiring models will find themselves in need of a second career to pay the bills.