Ten Rules of Professionalism

Consistently I hear from cammers how frustrated they are that people don’t look at sex work as work. How can we change hearts and minds while also taking our career to the next level?

By being professional.

When cammers are unprofessional and treat their jobs like a hobby, it confirms the perception that it’s not a real job. By showing competence day in and day out, we not only reap the benefits of a better career, we also help change incorrect views of the industry as a whole.

Read on for ten rules of professionalism which go hand and hand with success.

1. Do what you say you’re going to do. Your word is your bond. When you tell press, employers, or fans that you will do something do it. A professional has no excuses, they do what they say they will do when they said they will do it.
2. Respond to emails and DMs in a timely matter. Checking your inbox or DMs once every two weeks will have you looking like a flake. Be consistent – that means looking at correspondence at least twice (preferably more) during the work week. You can’t run a business by never being in the “office.”
3. Respond even if it’s hard. Let’s say you don’t want to work with another model. Don’t ghost them, pull on your big girl/guy britches and tell them kindly you are not interested. Leaving people hanging is a sure sign of an amateur and could come back to haunt you in the future.
4. Never burn bridges. Even if you are irritated with someone, do your best to take the high road. You never know how they will factor into your career later on down the line. Professionals swallow their egos. They’re not doormats, but they don’t let anger get the best of them destroying relationships that could help them.
5. Proof-read. Nothing is more unprofessional than having typos and poor grammar in correspondence and on websites. If you’re not good at catching errors of your own, find a trusted friend who will look over things for you.
6. Make sure all logos and photos are in focus. No more blurry content – this truly separates the amateurs from professionals.
7. Treat everyone as if they are “someone.” You never know who will help you in the future. Today’s secretary is tomorrow’s head of studio.
8. Leave the personal problems at home. No one wants to hear your drama – save it for your friends, therapist, or people you are truly close with in the business. Create the vision of someone who can handle their life because if you can’t, why would someone trust hiring you?
9. Don’t talk negatively behind others’ backs. Even if you are correct in speaking ill of someone it will only make you look like a jerk, and it could come back to bite you.
10. Work hard and don’t complain. Things don’t happen overnight, keeping your nose to the grindstone and being positive about the experience will bring positive outcomes.

Make these ten rules your mantra.

Camming is an incredibly competitive field and time and again it’s those that treat it like a business that come out ahead. That means being a professional!

Main photo credit: iStock.com/Iryna Drozd
First photo credit: iStock.com/seamartini

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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.