Positioning Yourself as a Chief of Staff
How do you stand out when thousands of people are applying for the same Chief of Staff role? And what if you've never held the title before?
In this episode, Scott Amenta sits down with Chief of Staff Network President, Thomas Guthrie, former GM, Rahul Desai, and Head of Growth, Lauren Werner to break down what it actually takes to land a Chief of Staff role in today's market. The team covers what principals are really looking for (hint: it goes far beyond "someone really smart"), how to position non-CoS experience without stretching the truth, and why the best candidates treat the interview as a two-way evaluation.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The five traits that make a standout CoS candidate, and why you need to check every box
- How to tie your experience to commercial outcomes, even if you've never carried a revenue number
- Why cold outreach to principals beats the resume pile almost every time, and how to do it well
- The cover letter exercise that instantly reveals whether a role is the right fit
- What questions to ask in the interview to protect yourself from the "tractor beam" of a great founder
- How to use the CoS Leveling Framework to make sure you're interviewing at the right level
- Whether the Chief of Staff role is even the right next step for you
Ready to go deeper?
Chief of Staff Fundamentals is our self-paced email course covering 15 lessons on everything from building your principal relationship to leveraging AI in the role.
Whether you're exploring the CoS path or in your first 100 days, Fundamentals gives you the playbook to hit the ground running. Enroll in Fundamentals
Chief of Staff Launchpad is our six-week cohort program for current and aspiring chiefs of staff who want hands-on coaching, live sessions with experienced CoS leaders, and a peer network to grow with. If you're serious about accelerating in the role, Launchpad is the next step. Join the next Launchpad cohort.
Chief of Staff Network
Learn more about the Chief of Staff Network membership, courses, and resources at chiefofstaff.network.
