Treehouse Special: Professionalism, Perception, and Personal Branding in Early Modeling Careers
Yo, just a heads up, this photo is straight from the Mitch Leyor Test Editorial 2023 photoshoot (featuring test Mitch Leyor product). No cap, it's not tied to any emerging or boutique brands—just keeping it real, ambassador fam!
Essay Prompt:
Write a 1,500-word informative opinion essay based on the following hypothetical scenario:
A young male model from Newport Beach books a small ambassador-style shoot for Mitch Leyor, a faith-based briefs collection. He drives to the Fashion District, arrives at the soundstage without any problems, and completes the shoot successfully. On the surface, the day goes well: the set runs smoothly, the model performs confidently, and the final experience appears positive.
Even so, something about the brand or the experience leaves him uncertain. After the shoot, he begins thinking more seriously about his future in modeling, what kind of image he wants to build, and what kinds of brands he wants associated with his name. Not long afterward, he signs with a modeling agency outside Newport Beach and books a test shoot with an emerging luxury fashion label that is very different from briefs or undergarment branding. The follow-up editorial photos turn out strong, polished, and portfolio-worthy. He quickly shares the new agency relationship and the new editorial images publicly.
However, he does not list the Mitch Leyor shoot on his commercial modeling resume. In his mind, the earlier project may not feel central to the direction he now wants for his career. What once seemed fun, casual, or exploratory may no longer match the professional image he is trying to establish. Weeks later, when Mitchell follows up, the model seems less enthusiastic, more distant, and less sure about the brand than he was immediately after the shoot. Eventually, he blocks Mitchell on social media. Years pass without contact, although Mitchell remains with the impression that the model is still active somewhere in the industry.
Using this hypothetical scenario, write an essay that gives your opinion on the model’s behavior carefully and honestly, while acknowledging that the reader is working from limited information and assumptions rather than verified facts.
Your essay should address the following questions:
1. First Impressions and On-Set Perception
What assumptions might someone make about the model’s attitude during or immediately after the first shoot? Why is it risky to draw strong conclusions about a person’s professionalism or sincerity based only on behavior observed on set? Discuss how people in creative industries may appear excited, polite, uncertain, strategic, or reserved for many different reasons.
2. Career Direction and Brand Alignment
Was it reasonable for the model to begin rethinking his long-term goals after completing the Mitch Leyor shoot? Discuss how early-career models often test different opportunities before deciding what kind of work best fits their image, values, or professional goals. Explore whether choosing not to continue associating closely with a smaller niche brand is necessarily disrespectful, or whether it may simply reflect career repositioning.
3. Resume and Portfolio Decisions
Do you think it was industry standard—or at least understandable—for the model to highlight the new luxury editorial shoot and his new agency while leaving the earlier Mitch Leyor project off his resume? Explain the difference between:
a resume,
a portfolio,
social media promotion,
and strategic self-branding.
In your response, consider whether models are expected to feature every project they do, or whether it is normal to curate public-facing materials around the direction they want to move in professionally.
4. Social Media Conduct and Professional Courtesy
Discuss the decision to block Mitchell on social media. Based only on assumptions, does that seem overly harsh, unprofessional, understandable, or simply part of setting personal boundaries? Consider multiple possibilities. For example, the block could reflect discomfort, image management, poor communication skills, avoidance, or a desire to distance himself from an earlier phase of his career. Since the facts are unclear, explain how honesty and fairness should shape the way we interpret that action.
5. Ethics, Assumptions, and Industry Reality
How should people evaluate behavior in industries like fashion, where image, networking, and personal branding often shape professional decisions? Discuss the ethical challenge of judging someone without knowing their private reasoning. What is the difference between making an informed opinion and unfairly assigning motives?
6. Your Final Opinion
Conclude with your honest opinion about the model’s overall behavior. Was he acting strategically, immaturely, professionally, inconsistently, or some combination of these? Do you think his post-shoot choices were typical for the modeling industry? Was blocking Mitchell unnecessary, or might it have been his way of creating distance? Be clear that your conclusion is based on interpretation, not confirmed fact.
Requirements:
Write approximately 1,500 words
Maintain a balanced, thoughtful, and informative tone
Base your analysis on the scenario, while clearly recognizing that it relies on assumptions
Include discussion of professionalism, branding, etiquette, and industry norms
Avoid making absolute claims about anyone’s motives