We’ve talked a lot about how to become a promotional model/brand ambassador on our blog, but we haven’t gone into much detail on what it takes to become a temporary staffing account manager. Some of us in the head office work with our events staff onsite, and many times we get questioned on how we achieved a career in the Tigris head office. How do you turn a part-time promotional modeling or event staffing position into something more? Or, how do you turn your sheer love of events into an amazing full time job? Let us share how we turned our passions into a career (so you can turn your passions into one as well!)

So, You Want To Become A Temporary Staffing Account Manager?

Our temporary staffing account managers at Tigris head office are divided into a couple of roles: the National Account Manager and Regional Account Manager.  As we expand, we are sure the volume of these roles will multiply or potentially break out into some other duties… but first thing’s first. What does an account manager do? Well, they are a part of Tigris’ core team, primarily responsible for turnkey planning and staffing events, compiling reports and delivering payroll information to our bookkeeper. Further, they manage relationships with our clients with routine and regular communication. In some cases they may also assist with prospecting new clients, are consistently and proactively ensuring existing client’s receive superior customer service, and renewing accounts. Our account managers are involved in managing all aspects of campaigns in accordance with the objectives and goals of our client’s to make sure our team is on point and on track to achieve them.

WOAH, wait a second. That sounds like a lot of responsibility.  How do you go from working as a brand ambassador or events staff to this important position? To begin with, education is extremely important. Although there are no courses specializing in account management per se, there are many degrees and diplomas you can obtain that will prepare you for this type of position. For example, our Regional Account Manager Evangelia went to Ryerson University to obtain her degree in Marketing and Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management. Our company CEO, Serena also obtained her degree from Ryerson University, but specialized in Journalism. While a little unrelated to the industry at hand, these programs teach the versatile skills necessary for the experiential marketing and temporary staffing industry like communication, writing, time management, creativity and more. Both Serena and Evangelia had 4-5 years experience in the industry before coming on board in a management capacity so the front-line experience helps significantly as well.

And that’s not all! Due to the speed of technology, there are new programs developed daily that we can utilize to our advantage (there are endless benefits to lifelong learning!). That’s why our CEO Serena secured a 5 year universal membership with a company that specializes in hands on training for small businesses. To date she has earned 6 certificates since 2012. To name a few, these include Advanced Internet Marketing, Dynamic Digital Marketing and Change Management.

Our Marketing and HR Assistant, Nicole, achieved her degree in Radio and Television at Ryerson but through the Ontario Job Grant, will be taking the same courses Serena has from January to May of 2015. By the end of the program, she will have earned a Digital Marketing and Sales Certification valued at over $20,000 retail but will be worth far more for Tigris based on the skills she will be able to leverage for the business. With this hands on training, Nicole will learn skills, tools and techniques to enhance Tigris’ marketing efforts, lead generation and sales.

Below are a few bullet points of responsibilities and characteristics of our temporary staffing account managers:
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
* Strong computer skills.
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with team members and clients.
* Ability to work independently, manage work flow and meet deadlines.
* Self-motivated, proactive and a passion for excellence.
* Outstanding customer service skills.
* Ability to respond to frequent demands from multiple customers (locally and nationally)

A Day in the Life of a Tigris Temporary Staffing Account Manager

A typical day for an account manager involves collecting availability from and scheduling staff for events, collecting information from clients for the protocols they need to develop for our team, generating feedback forms, compiling information from staff to report back to their clients and participating in post-event calls/meetings. When our CEO is out of the office, our account managers may may also contribute to quotations and sales proposals.

“I love my job because of the wonderful people I get to work with. There’s always variety; no day is similar to the next! There is always something different going on in the office. Every day varies depending on the clients; we may be staffing for trade shows, or promotions across Canada that can last up to several months!” – Allison Fernandes, National Account Manager.

Unlike Evangelia, Allison did not have direct experience in the industry before coming on board with Tigris. She leverages skills from her experience working as a volunteer coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society and Unionville Home Society. Her education includes a BA in Sociology from McMaster as well as a fundraising and volunteer management diploma from George Brown. We love the different skill set she brings to the office and she has adjusted seamlessly to our team.

Now that you know how talented and educated our temporary staffing account managers are, why not give us a call to see what we can do for you? Call us today for a FREE quote at 647-286-9392 for our event planning and temporary staffing services across Canada.