The modeling industry is not as financially secured as many assume, says Ghanaian model Araba Sey.

Speaking during a recent interview in Nigeria, she dismissed the notion that professionals in the industry are financially stable because they often wonder when the next pay cheque will come from.

“Modelling is not like being in an office where you work and then you know that at the end of the month you get your salary. You get money as and when contracts come your way,” explained Sey.

“And it’s not something that comes on a daily basis, when you are lucky it falls through.”

She also spoke about the challenges of persons in the industry face.

“At times you’ll be struggling with finances and all that so it’s one struggle, one challenge. To add to this, sometimes when you want to do something and you meet certain people who could be of help to you, unluckily for you, they might end up wanting to take advantage of you or want to have something to do with you before they assist you,” explained Sey.

“When you also seem too desperate or really want help with your career, they take advantage of the fact that this is what you really want and maybe they are also looking for pleasure. So, you end up having to do away with it or sacrifice and do it.”

She shared the need for models to build their brand so as to leverage their image.

“one has to do with building your brand. You know when you are building your brand you need to put in more money, like doing photo shoots, traveling and networking, all has to do with money.”

Sey has worked with leading brands such as GTP, Stanbic Bank, Nizoral Shampoo, Nigeria’s Superbold Magazine amongst others.

She is a youth activist and a philanthropist.