Hello everyone!
I am actually an ex-employee for a modeling agency with a certain grey colour name card and I have a few things to say about this company that I worked in as a model scouter for models for 7 weeks.
Before I start sharing my experience, I would like to thank all those who have given me their name and number when I scouted them. It is really appreciated as it is seriously VERY VERY hard work to keep approaching people to ask for their name and contact. We are just normal people trying to earn some decent money and I hope you are not offended by our approaches.
Anyway, you’re probably wondering if companies like these are actually scams to make you spend money and you don’t actually get to become a model right? I’m here to set the record regarding this straight and also highlight how agencies like my ex-company actually exploits their employees to the maximum with low salaries and long and tough working hours. People always talk about how my ex-company is a scam but let me tell you, the employees are scammed more than any one who has been scouted!
To begin, I must say that companies like my ex-company does do a few advertisements for reputable clients like M1, Starhub, HP, etc etc. Nevertheless, as most of you would know, you have to make a portfolio which cost around S$300 at the cheapest. Now, many of you would say that having to spend money would make this company a scam but the portfolio is really required to apply for jobs (you don’t apply for jobs with passport size photo right?). Nevertheless, the fact that you have to pay makes the company sort of scammish although if you do get an assignment, you will probably get the money back. Note that there is no guarantee that you will get an assignment and it is at your own risk. In other words, I wouldn’t call it a scam, but more of a calculated investment which you must first of all have sufficient money to pay for. Still, only some lucky or really good looking people get to do ads with my ex-company. How lucky do you think you are?
Now put yourself in our shoes. As scouters, it is seriously hard work. Imagine standing in Orchard Road in hot and humid Singapore 6 days a week! Yes! 6 day week! And we only get a measly pay of S$900 a month, provided we manage to scout the required number of contacts each day (if not they cut our pay). It is not like we signed up for this, as when we applied for this job, they promised us a god job with good experience and decent pay. As it is, the employees themselves are SCAMMED! We then sign a contract where we are bonded. I was lucky as my contract is only for a few weeks as I am just a student. It is not the case for my former colleagues who have long term contracts and cannot get out of them unless they pay a sum of money in their release clause which is a lot. I wonder why Ministry of Manpower allows such rules to be applied on lower management people because this type of rules is only for higher management people. I will now tell you why we employees have been scammed and why doing this job is not as easy as it seems.
First of all, we have to approach people on the streets and we have to lie to them! I’m very sorry to those I have lied to when I tell them there are no fees or products or training to pay for. Although this is technically correct, I did not say anything about a portfolio and the price to do a portfolio. We are more or less lying but we have to it as it is our job. We are trying to earn a living and if we do not get enough contacts, our salary is cut. It goes against our principles of not lying and we feel that we have sinned, but we can’t go against it or we will lose money. It is mentally torturing to have to tell people on the streets that there is nothing to pay for when there is the portfolio to do. It feels as if we are sinning but we have to do it as we have a contract and we need to fill our daily quota. In fact, our bosses tell us to tell people that we only scout less than 10 people a day when we actually have to scout 60 people. We have to commit the sin of lying although we do not want to do so.
Secondly, PLEASE DO NOT get the impression that more names and contacts on our list mean more money OK? That is a stupid, half true myth (will elaborate more below on our so-called “commission”
