Chief of staff - Career path
My spouse with a MBA / HR / Analytics background was offered a Chief of Staff role under the EVP of a cloud / technology company. We are debating pros and cons. It's an immediate career progression with an opportunity to network. However, there are no obvious (to us) career paths for the CoS role. Spouse is on H1B and that's an added factor (because STEM). Looking for insights, advise, examples etc. Me: TC 400k, YOE 8yrs Spouse: TC 100k, YOE 3 yrs I'm posting because spouse is not on blind.
Your spouse should take it! It'll set her for life. CoS roles have very high visibility and most of the times the exit path is the person gets to become the GM or Business Unit Leader of a new market or vertical. Business Operations, Product Strategy, Corp Dev all open up. But also know that if the EVP is one of the very busy ones, your spouse will be very busy too! On call all time.
Thanks. My company CoS for VP is trying to branch out and the exit roles are not this promising.
Chief of Staff roles are for people with massive skills built over a decade or more. These roles are more about people skills rather than technical / functional skills (because you're supposed to have built these already). Your main job is to help your executive (boss) move things through the internal politics and work flow of the organization. Either your wife is being set up to fail, or this executive and company suck.
Thanks...Being setup for failure was one of our first instincts as well. But she is too junior to be burnt that way.
With the little experience your wife has, I’m surprised she’s been offered this role. That being said, it’s a great opportunity for her to be near senior leadership. If she’s a rock star and stands out, her proximity to an EVP could catapult her career. Then again, If you’re too close to the sun, you can get seriously burned. I’d take the opportunity in a heartbeat and I have 15 years of experience. With 3 yoe, she has far more to gain from this opportunity than to lose.
Thanks for this.
Agree with a lot that has been said your are the right hand person. If you succeed or demonstrate success a lot of doors open due to the breadth of understanding you have in the business. The only concern I would have is if she is willing to put in long hours as the demands will be intense.
I agree. WLB is something we haven't discussed yet.
I love that despite having no female pronouns, it was assumed this person was a woman bc she makes less
He responds "she" to one of the comments, but still you make an interesting point (up to his revealing response)
This is interesting indeed. I left out the pronouns on purpose and the wife and I were amused at how the first few comments decided it was a 'she'.
Based on wife experience it sounds like more of a glorified ea. She doesn't have the firepower/prestige to make things happen. She'll be more of a project manager. Not bad, but not really a chief of staff.
Actually, you hit the nail on the head. This is our biggest concern.
I was thinking the same. That sounds more like a project manager or glorified executive assistant. The few CS I met were all 15 yoe and well rounded in business and tech. You can't almost not say who is the VP from the CS. From network perspective it sounds great though if she has that skills.
There are CoS roles and then there are CoS roles...if she has little experience i would hazard a guess that this is nothing more than a glorified executive assistant role...managing the executive's schedule, doing other random tasks for him, etc. The CoS where you are being groomed to lead a business unit or some other role with significant P&L responsibilities require significant experience....
Agree...lack of experience is the one that's making this a tricky proposition.
Don’t take it unless this is for the CEO. Your career depends on your boss. If he leaves she is toasted. This happened to many CoS I know.
Next step of Chief of Staff will be VP level. If she’s someone who takes initiative and result-oriented, she will be quickly recognized and given lots opportunities. If she is not, this might not be a good move for her.
IMHO, your wife is too junior for this role.
Too Junior to take advantage of the role? Too Junior to deliver? Too Junior to have been offered the role? The last one is a good thing right?
What is the right experience level to interview for this role?