Beauty Pageant Tips for Young Women

Taking part in a beauty pageant is hard work, but can be a fun and exciting experience. Contestants need to have support, confidence and training to win.

Women who want to take part in pageants must be hard working, confident, poised, well-read and eloquent. Today, there are pageants for everyone - teenagers, pre-teens, toddlers, seniors and married persons. For any female to be successful in a pageant, she should follow the pageant rules, have a good support system and get training to build her confidence up before the pageant.

Follow the Pageant Rules

Every contestant who wants to enter a pageant should carefully read the pageant rules. There may be age limits or stipulations about marriage that allow or deny permission to enter a pageant. It is also important to confirm the guidelines for each segment, appearances, prizes and reasons for dismissal. By following the rules, a contestant can gain the maximum number of points for each segment and avoid any embarrassing situations.

A Good Support Team - Chaperone, Stylists, Seamstress

A contestant needs to have a good team working to assist her with getting ready for a pageant. The chaperone, stylist, seamstress and designer have to work cohesively for the contestant to win. Some of these persons may charge a fee for assisting but contestants can also seek the help of family members or friends who have previously taken part in pageants.

• Chaperone: The chaperone is the person who works the most with the contestant. He or she offers advice and tips, edits speeches and recommends other professionals who can work on the team. According to Camille Merry, a former pageant contestant and the coordinator of the Miss Teen Diva Pageant in the British Virgin Islands, chaperones do play an important role but should not be given full authority to make all the decisions when it comes to design and talent. Contestants should always enter a show with some ideas for presentations and segments.
• Hair & Make-up: A competent hairstylist and a make-up artist who can work under pressure is necessary for appearances and more importantly on the night of the show. These persons should know the contestant's face, skin and hair so that they are prepared to work swiftly and efficiently.
• Seamstress: Even if costumes, outfits and gowns are pre-ordered, there is a chance that some alteration will be needed. A good seamstress can alter or if needed sew an outfit.

Contestants Need to Practice Speaking, Walking and Answering Questions

• Speech: A beauty queen needs to be eloquent, poised and intelligent. A participant can attend the local Toastmasters for tips on public speaking and also take every opportunity to speak in public - at church, at meetings to get comfortable in front of crowds. Speeches should be concise and follow the pageant guidelines.
• Walking: Walking in a pageant is different to modeling on the runway. In a pageant, a young lady must know the basic stance, stride and the turns. This takes a lot of training and practice so that on the night of the pageant, the contestant is graceful. According to Amy Post in her Suite 101 article, "How to Win a Beauty Pageant: Tips to Help Contestants Get the Crown", a poor pageant walk could cause loss of points. Therefore, she advises that contestants seek the assistance of past winners.
• Answering Questions: Every participant in a pageant must be able to answer questions and be interviewed. Contestants are encouraged to have their chaperone conduct mock interviews to increase the level of comfort and reduce nervousness.

Advice from a Pageant Winner

Raemona Maloney is the first ever Miss Teen Diva 2007, 1st Runner-Up in the Miss New Testament Church of God Pageant and she is the reigning Miss East End/Long Look. To ladies wanting to enter a pageant, she offers that "when it comes to pageants, you have to be yourself, but if there is room for improvement allow it to happen. Remember you're not just in it to win it, but also to make a difference in you, your community and country."

Contestants in a beauty pageant should focus on themselves from their inner being to the outer appearance. Chaperones and the rest of the support system help to encourage and build a young woman's confidence and skills. While following the pageant guidelines, working with her support team and undergoing the necessary training, a contestant is better prepared to take part in a pageant and to possibly win.