What Is Your Chief of Staff Career Path?
Key Takeaways at a Glance
There is no single Chief of Staff career roadmap. Just as Chiefs of Staff come from a broad range of professional backgrounds, the role itself varies significantly between organizations and industries.
The CoS position can be a launchpad into the C-suite or entrepreneurship. About two-thirds of former Chiefs of Staff get promoted into higher-level positions, and many also start their own successful businesses.
Former Chiefs of Staff are highly valued due to their broad leadership skills. Their close relationships with executives, project management skills, and cross-functional abilities give them a unique perspective on how an org operates.
The Chief of Staff role has experienced growing popularity over the years, becoming a vital bridge between the C-suite and the rest of an organization. However, there can still be confusion surrounding the role, and one of the most common questions is what a Chief of Staff’s career path looks like beyond the CoS role.
Many other careers in the modern corporate world have clearer pathways than the Chief of Staff position, as there are several different paths to and from this role. For example, a CoS can have a background in operations, project management, or another area entirely. Some have experience with corporate development or business administration, while others come from roles in strategy or communications.
There’s no single, clear roadmap for becoming a Chief of Staff, and there isn’t a universal offramp to new roles either. Some use their CoS experience to fill higher leadership roles within the C-suite, while others stick as Chiefs of Staff for the long run. Meanwhile, some eventually transition to entrepreneurship, using their broad expertise to start their own businesses.
For current and aspiring Chiefs of Staff, it’s important to know your options, both heading into and out of the role.
Why Don’t Chiefs of Staff Have Clearer Career Pathways?
Most positions in modern businesses have defined responsibilities and clear-cut paths for advancement. However, the Chief of Staff is a highly adaptable role that serves as the CEO’s right hand and the connective tissue of the organization.
Today’s Chief of Staff juggles a wide range of potential responsibilities, overseeing special projects, coordinating cross-functional work, and leading strategic initiatives. They also support the executive team by serving as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the senior executives.
The typical CoS duties fluctuate quite a bit depending on the size and type of organization. Some Chiefs of Staff are primarily concerned with day-to-day operations, while others have a more big-picture, long-term perspective. While the lack of a one-size-fits-all CoS job description can be frustrating at times, the position’s flexibility and jack-of-all-trades nature produce a variety of career progression opportunities.
How Do People Become Chiefs of Staff?
Backgrounds and Specializations
Much as the Chief of Staff job description and duties vary from org to org, the first step to becoming a CoS can look very different from person to person. The role draws in people from many backgrounds, as Chiefs of Staff often enter the position with professional experience in strategy, operations, management, external comms, and more.
Internal vs. External Hire
Regardless of their background, Chiefs of Staff are very frequently hired from within. According to research by McKinsey & Company, almost two-thirds of new Chiefs of Staff were appointed from other roles within the organization. At large companies with 50,000+ employees, that number jumps to 80%.
Years of Experience
While experience levels vary considerably among Chiefs of Staff, they usually enter the role in the early-to-middle stages of their careers. Most commonly, a new CoS has 5-10 years of prior professional experience, and plenty of them have between 10 and 20 years under their belts. Less than one-quarter of all Chiefs of Staff have either less than five years or more than 20 years of experience.
Education
There’s a little less variance in formal education, but still some differentiation. Research by the Chief of Staff Association indicates that the vast majority of Chiefs of Staff at businesses have at least an undergraduate degree (78%), and most also have a Master’s (73%). However, only about 6% have a doctorate.
Previous Roles
The top three most common previous roles for a new Chief of Staff are directors, managers, and assistants (including executive assistants). There really isn’t an “ideal candidate” for the CoS role; as long as they have strategic thinking capabilities and a willingness to tackle complex projects, their previous role might not matter too much.
Where Do People Go After the Chief of Staff Role?
Movin’ On Up!
McKinsey’s research also has interesting things to say about which roles former Chiefs of Staff take on next. Roughly two-thirds of them move into higher-ranking positions, often as members of the leadership team, while about 18% transition into lateral positions.
Interestingly, Chiefs of Staff often move up multiple levels from their previous positions; for example, former department heads might move all the way up to a senior VP role after their stint as a CoS. Whether they stay in their same org or switch companies, Chiefs of Staff have developed the essential skills to become true business leaders in their next roles.
Starting Their Own Companies
Clara Ma, the founder and CEO of Ask a Chief of Staff, recently discussed this topic on LinkedIn. She says that the most common next step after CoS might actually be entrepreneurship, because the CoS role “gives you a front-row seat to leadership, strategy, and execution, making it the perfect training ground for future founders.”
Career CoS
Plenty of other Chiefs of Staff thrive as flexible generalists and decide to remain as a CoS for the long run. In fact, McKinsey says about 10% of Chiefs of Staff move directly into another CoS position after their first tenure, and some also return to the role later in life.
Specializing in a Functional Area
Ma also points out that quite a few Chiefs of Staff end up falling in love with a specific aspect of their role and pursuing that function for their next position. For instance, if a CoS discovers a passion for senior operations, finance, or a strategy role, they have a strong foundation to pursue those positions.
Why Are Former Chiefs of Staff So Sought-After?
The Chief of Staff is in the room when a company’s big decisions are made, acting as a strategic advisor to senior leadership. They learn how to communicate, allocate resources, and manage crises from the very best, setting themselves up for senior executive roles like Chief Operating Officer (COO).
After all, someone with meaningful experience in executive support knows what it takes to become a senior leader, and they’ve already proven that they can be trusted with sensitive information. Furthermore, the Chief of Staff has a ton of visibility in the C-suite, both with the executive they directly support and the rest of the leadership team. If an opening comes up that fits the Chief of Staff’s skill set, decision-makers are unlikely to overlook the strong candidate right in front of them.
Even though they bring leadership experience into these roles, former Chiefs of Staff still provide a fresh perspective to the C-suite. Building relationships across the org and solving cross-functional problems gives a CoS a broad overview of how the company really works, knowledge that’s worth its weight in gold to senior executives.
Put simply, the Chief of Staff is a results-driver, a skill that transfers very nicely to the uppermost rungs on the corporate ladder. With the right professional development, former Chiefs of Staff can transition into a wide variety of senior roles or become highly effective business owners.
Do Chiefs of Staff Switch Industries or Stick With What They Know?
Much like Chiefs of Staff are generalists within their roles, they’re often jacks of all trades when it comes to their industries as well. Nearly one-third of all incoming Chiefs of Staff change industries for the role; say, from finance to real estate or technology to healthcare.
Interestingly, that isn’t really the case for Chiefs of Staff leaving the job. Just 16% of former Chiefs of Staff move on to roles in different industries, indicating that the expertise gained in the CoS role provides a wealth of opportunities within the same industry or organization.
Potential Speed Bumps on the Chief of Staff Career Path
Of course, there are some challenges for former Chiefs of Staff. One common issue for a CoS entering a leadership role is the fact that the Chief of Staff frequently operates without direct control over teams, so there can be a bit of a learning curve moving into a position with lots of direct reports.
Because the Chief of Staff job description varies from company to company and industry to industry, it can be difficult to define your next steps. When you consider that many people struggle to define the CoS role to begin with, that probably shouldn’t be too surprising! That said, those who embrace the wide-reaching complexity of the Chief of Staff position often emerge from the role with broadly applicable leadership abilities.
Define Your Chief of Staff Career Pathway
Chief of Staff jobs provide a great jumping-off point into the C-suite or entrepreneurship because they teach strong leadership skills and emotional intelligence for those willing to learn. Many great Chiefs of Staff also stay in the role long-term, making a real impact across their organizations.
As a former Chief of Staff who became an entrepreneur myself, I’m certainly familiar with the ins and outs of the career roadmap. There are a lot of forks in that road, and sometimes it helps to have a knowledgeable, neutral person to talk to about it. If that sounds like you, feel free to schedule a brief clarity call with me. We can discuss your options and long-term career goals, determining the perfect fit for you in your next role.
About The Author
Emily Sander is a C-suite executive turned leadership coach. Her corporate career spanned Fortune 500 companies and scrappy start-ups. She is an ICF-certified leadership coach and the author of two books, An Insider’s Perspective on the Chief of Staff and Hacking Executive Leadership.
Emily works with early to senior executives to step into effective leadership with one-on-one coaching. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach.