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Nothing lasts forever, nmodel. Having gone through .. ..ays andmagazine covers, where do alll1eretired

beauties go?

Citra Isramij Pedju dreamed of beinga fashion model from when shewas a little girl, saying that shealways liked to walk like a catwalk

model and pose in front of the camera.Her dream came true in 2007 when she

was chosen as the finalist ofWajah Femina(Face of Femina), beauty contest organizedby women's magazine Femina, followedby her participation in the Puteri Indone-

Isia beauty pageant a year later where shefinished in the top 10.

After that, she received many offers,from modeling to being an emcee. But nowat the age of 26, she has started to leave themodeling world by taking a full-time job asan account manager at an IT company inJakarta.

"I like modeling, but I realize that thiscareer does not last forever. So I only takeit as a side-job;' said Citra, who graduatedfrom Bandung-based Padjajaran University(UNPAD), majoring in economics.

"I got my current job when I was hiredto host an event held by this IT company.They asked me to work for them andI thought, why not?" Citra went on.

Many say that here in Indonesia she isnot actually too old to be a professionalmodel, but Citra has her say about this."There is an age limit if you want to workand have a professional career in a com-pany;' she said.

She decided to take the account manag-er job because it fit her field of study, sayingthat she also wantedto learn how to workin an organization.

Money is also one of the reasons. "Thisis for my long-term plan. Here [workingin the office, I receive a steady monthlyincome, while as a model, you cannot tell;'Citrasaid.

"In modeling, it really depends on howmany jobs you get. The more jobs you get,the more you earn."

Getting a formal education, therefore,was important, Citra said.

"Education is number one. You cannotjust rely on the physical thing, which is themain criteria as a model;' she explained.

"Being a model does not last forever.If you are not a model anymore, what willyou do? Do you want to finish your career[as a model] and end up earning nothing?"

Former fashion model Ita Adnan, whograced local magazines and runwaysduring the 1980s and early 1990s, agrees.

She advises young models to be cautiousabout their future and to prepare them-selves for life on the realistic assumptionthat they will not be strutting their stuff onthe runway for decades.

"Still, formal education is important. Youneed to get a formal education as your assetwhen you are not in the [modeling] careeranymore," Ita said.

Another former model who runs talentand modeling agency Zema Management,Arzetti Bilbina, said, "I always tell my stu-dents to go to school and get as gooda degree as you can."

Arzetti, who holds a university degreein economics, is still pretty much engagedin the modeling world, passing and sharingher fruitful 22-year modeling experiencewith the younger generation.

Modeling might be a short-term career,but the experiences that models gain whilethey are in the business will be useful fortheir future.

"Amodeling career leads to manyopportunities because it widens your net-work and teaches you to be disciplined," .said Ita. _

"Those are a model's life investment.So, you'd better make the most of your timewhile you are a model,"

She added that a model should be able tomanage her or his time well and do some-thing useful in his or her spare time.

"Amodel's career does not last long.When I was still a full-time model,I told myself that I had to have somethingapart from the modeling career," said Ita,

, who holds-a diploma degree in Japaneseliterature.

"My parents allowed me to take part inmany fashion shows on the condition thatI had to finish my studies and I kept thatpromise."

After she retired as a full-time model,Ita had a chance to study fashion in Tokyoand when she came back home, she was of-fered work as a public relations assistant atprominent batik manufacturer Danar Hadi.

She also still keeps in touch with fashionas she has had the chance to work asa fashion stylist in some lifestyle magazinesand tabloids as well as a promotionsmanager for a jewelry company.

She has also used her knowledgeandexperience in fashion and beauty to writefour books - on makeup, weddings, beauty

tips and styling tips.Even though Citra, Ita and Arzetti are no

longer full-time models, they sometimesstill appear on magazines and runways.

"Yes, I still get offers to show offdesigner gear in fashion shows, but it's justfor fun;' said Ita.

For Citra, since she has nine-to-fivework from Monday to Friday, she only doesmodeling on the weekends. _

She prefers taking photo session offersI for beauty sections, for instance, instead of

fashion shows."Doing a photo session it's not so

time-consuming. It usually takes onlytwo to three hours. for a photo shoot,while for a fashion show, I have to standby a whole day for fitting and rehearsal;'Citra added.

JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

Models in 2012 Indonesia Fashion Week.