Many people are drawn to a career in modelling because of the perceived glamour and potential for fame.

Not Jeffrey Rose. He chose to become a fashion model because of an innate passion for creativity and an enduring level of patience which he says are critical in his line of work.

More than that, however, Rose said modelling holds a deeper purpose for him, as it reperesents the personification of his talents.

“Our hidden talents become alive as they shine forth and in doing so we discover ourselves to be greater than we ever imagined. I am not concerned with accolades and recognition from others. I strive for personal satisfaction and a sense of purpose and meaning, which is derived from my work,” Rose shared with the Jamaica Observer.

Rose, now 30, sees his career as an opportunity to play. He recalls having had to work 60 to 70 hours consistently for weeks on end, and whilst tiredness and fatigue are part of the process, the opportunity to create far outweighed turning up to a nine-to-five job.

“If you love what you do, you will wake up in the mornings with a passion to pursue your dreams. Basically, time stands still when you are pursuing your passion, and you are energised and full of life,” he said.

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you are not getting paid once you gain a great deal from your work. I like being creative and once I am on a shoot or even doing a fitting for one of my clients, I get the opportunity to display and reveal my hidden talents. I get so absorbed into my work, so much so that I become unaware of any distractions and I am always looking for new ways to improve upon what I do,” he added.

Rose, who has been involved in the fashion and modelling industry for close to four years, had a brief stint with Saint International, and has been featured in several advertising campaigns and music videos with a number of dancehall artistes including Spice, Ishawna and Sabrina the Diva.

He said preparing onseself is the best thing you can do in order to achieve the goals you set out to.

“It is like anything in life and in any career. If you were to apply for a position in an art gallery, you would have to have knowledge and a love for art, and if you were to apply for a hair dressing position, you would not go to your interview with bad hair,” Rose said.

“Looking the part is also very important, but also having the right attitude will go a long way to ensure you get noticed by the right people,” Rose added.

That attitude, Rose added, is exemplified by resilience and persistence for, as he puts it, if you really want to be a model and don’t think you can, try anyway because you just never know.

“You might find that you will be able to turn into one of the best hair models, even if you went in thinking that you could be a catwalk model,” he said.