Six years ago Jordan Robbins was an ordinary high school student at Saltus.

These days she’s found success modelling for a host of well known brands like Air Canada, Sears and Winners — and graced the pages of magazines like Canadian Living.

Born and raised in Bermuda, Ms Robbins said a career in modelling never crossed her mind until moving to Canada to study at the University of Toronto.

The 24-year-old said: “Back in high school I knew there were some people doing modelling, but I always wanted to act and did lots of musical theatre at Saltus and took my GCSEs in drama.

“It wasn’t until I came to university and was told I could model that I started considering it.”

Ms Robbins started getting scouted on the streets by a few different agencies, but wasn’t sure if any of them were for real or not.

However, after hearing some good things about model manager Chantale Nadeau, she decided to get in touch to develop her talent, build a portfolio and get interviews with agencies in the city.

She was 19-years-old when she got her first gig modelling, however, it proved stressful trying to manage that along with her schooling.

“I was in a drama programme at U of T and the course was really attendance based,” she explained. “With modelling you have to be on call all the time. You might get an e-mail the night before about a casting or job and it’s hard to be in class and make it to all these jobs, but I did the best I could for those few years.”

Things got much easier after she completed her degree in June 2012 — and now she can focus all her attention on modelling and acting.

“Obviously in this field you need to be in good shape so now I balance my time with working out and going on all the jobs,” she said.

“I have been doing it full time and taking acting classes and trying to do a few TV commercials for clothing and engagement diamond commercials.”

Ms Robbins was able to fly to Cuba to shoot a commercial for a German clothing company. She also modelled in an Air Canada campaign a year a half ago in Montreal.

One of her biggest accomplishments was being pictured on the cover of fashion magazine Dress to Kill, which she described as a “pretty big deal”.

She hadn’t done many big projects before that, so to be chosen as the cover model for the magazine’s first edition was great exposure.

Since then the publication “has blown up a lot more” and stars like model Coco Rocha and actress Heather Morris have graced the cover, but Ms Robbins still remembers the surreal moment she first saw her face on the glossy front page.

“It was cool because my face was right on the cover and you had hundreds of people walking around carrying it under their arm and I was like ‘That’s me!’,” she said. “It never gets old. It’s still a cool feeling.”

Modelling has proved to be a great way to meet people and has also forced the young beauty out of her comfort zone at times.

She said: “It’s unique in the sense that every day you are doing different jobs and constantly meeting people and it’s a really great way to grow and expand because you are always working in new scenarios.

“It also teaches you to have a positive attitude. With casting calls it’s like a job interview every day but there are 50 other girls there and when you book the job it’s a really gratifying experience because there was so much competition.”

Another big career moment came last year when she was chosen to travel to the US for New York Bridal Fashion Week and walk in shows for designer Romona Keveza. “She’s actually pretty big in the fashion world and doesn’t just do bridal, she does very beautiful ball gowns and there’s a lot of celebrities wearing her dresses on the Red Carpet,” Ms Robbins said.

Although modelling has a lot to do with how you look, your personality is also a big part in securing jobs.

Being pleasant, professional and outgoing are all easy ways to make a good first impression. You also have to avoid complaining.

Sometimes she said she might have to shoot a summer scene wearing shorts and a tank top when it’s actually freezing outside, but as a model you just take each challenge as it comes.

The job has taught her to be strong and confident in her own skin.

Ms Robbins said: “You are really out of your comfort zone all the time and it’s easy not to feel confident because you are being criticised a lot on your appearance or your skin, hair, height and body, but you have to learn how to be comfortable through that.

“You have to have a strong sense of self because it’s easy to let comments get to you or start comparing yourself to people who got a job, when you didn’t.

“It’s easy as women to compare ourselves anyway, but it’s important to be positive and do the best you can and trust that if something doesn’t happen it wasn’t meant to be for you.”

One way she has managed to survive in the industry is through believing there are better things ahead for her.

She ultimately wants to get into acting and find an acting agent. “Maybe I will eventually have to move to New York or Los Angeles to do that, but for now I think I will take in all Toronto has to offer,” she added.