A chief of staff is a high-ranking and high-paying position that requires an expert level of managerial and operational acumen. Chief of staff professionals are mostly found in public companies and government, and with an average age of 52, it is a position that requires decades of executive-level experience.
As the right hand of the CEO, you have a very dynamic job with tasks ranging from staff management to developing strategy and overseeing operations. To succeed you must have a large variety of skills and a strong management educational background.
This guide will specify the expected requirements and job descriptions of 3 chief of staff positions, as well as provide relevant tips to help your resume stand out.
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This high-ranking position is multidimensional and requires a vast amount of experience. Your tasks may include coordinating projects and events, supervising operations, and serving as the liaison between the staff and CEO, amongst others. To thrive in this position, your organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills must be impeccable. The staff must respect you and the CEO must have a huge amount of trust in you.
Educationally, a degree in business management or a related field is preferred. An MBA in the same is a huge plus. Because of the seniority of the position, recruiters will be expecting to see up to 10 years of previous experience in an executive position where you were in charge of operations and staff.
A Chief of Staff is a very high-ranking leadership position. You are essentially in charge of how the company’s staff operate and what they achieve. To be successful you must have a lot of leadership experience. To highlight this to recruiters, use leader or managerial keywords. This applicant uses keywords like ‘Directed’, ’Spearheaded’, and ‘Led’.
To thrive in a senior-level role like the Chief of Staff role, you need to show leadership and initiative. What better way to show that than by pointing out promotions in previous jobs. It shows recruiters that you excelled as a leader and were an exemplary employee who continues to be committed to their professional growth.
A CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) is in charge of performing managerial and administrative tasks that are otherwise time-consuming for the CEO. You may oversee operations in admin-related departments including sales, HR, finance, etc. Apart from overseeing, you will be an integral part of the strategizing process and will be the middleman between the departments and the CEO.
Recruiters will be looking to see experience performing a variety of administrative tasks as well as an educational background in business administration or a similar field. Take a look at this successful resume.
This role is specialized for administrative tasks so your skill section should likewise reflect administrative tools. This applicant’s resume skills section includes administrative tools like Microsoft Office.
Notice how this applicant highlights their ability to manage large and important projects, e.g. establishing ‘four accountability systems to measure operational accountabilities’. Notice also how they highlight how successful these projects have been at reducing costs, increasing revenue, or increasing efficiency. Accomplishments like these show recruiters that you have strong organizational skills, which is crucial to a CAO role.
A Chief Business Officer (CBO) works under a CEO and is in charge of the company’s operations, strategy, and external relationships. Tasks under your purview may include nurturing relevant partnerships, developing growth strategies with the CEO, overseeing the implementation of approved strategies, allocating resources, etc. Because of the range of tasks and people you are responsible for, you must have impeccable organizational skills and even better communication skills.
This is a very high-ranking position, so recruiters will expect to see an advanced degree. An MBA or similar master’s degree or Ph.D. will be preferred. You will also be expected to have a wealth of experience (preferably 10+ years), especially in an executive-level position. Have a look at this recruiter-approved CBO resume.
This position is multifaceted with many responsibilities. The skills section is a good place to clearly list your experience and skill in the many tasks under your purview. This applicant has a good extensive list of techniques they are experienced in.
With the level of experience required for this position, you are bound to have a range of accomplishments in your experience section. If you would like to highlight a particularly impressive accomplishment, put it into the introduction section of your resume so it is the first thing recruiters read.
As a hiring manager who has recruited top talent for Chief of Staff roles at companies like Amazon, Google, and McKinsey, I know what it takes to create a standout resume. In this article, we'll share expert tips and examples to help you craft a compelling Chief of Staff resume that will catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers alike.
As a Chief of Staff, you'll be expected to lead cross-functional projects and initiatives. Showcase your experience in these areas by providing specific examples:
Avoid generic statements that don't provide context or results:
A resume summary for a Chief of Staff role is optional, but it can be a valuable addition if you want to provide context or highlight key details that may not be immediately apparent in the rest of your resume. As a high-level executive, a summary can showcase your most relevant qualifications and experiences that align with the Chief of Staff position you're targeting. However, be careful not to simply repeat information that's already covered in other sections of your resume.
When crafting your summary, focus on your objective accomplishments and use metrics to quantify your impact whenever possible. Avoid using generic soft skills or corporate buzzwords like "proven track record" or "results-driven." Instead, let your achievements speak for themselves. Keep your summary concise, ideally no more than a paragraph, and tailor it to the specific Chief of Staff role and company you're applying to.
The work experience section is the most crucial part of your chief of staff resume. It's where you highlight your relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. To make this section stand out, focus on quantifiable achievements and showcase your leadership abilities. Use strong action verbs and industry-specific terminology to demonstrate your expertise. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when writing your work experience section:
A chief of staff position is first and foremost a leadership position. Using action verbs that emphasize your leadership experience is a direct way to indicate your capabilities in this field.
This list of action verbs is focused on the managerial and operational tasks of the position as well as the communication tasks that you can expect for a chief of staff. Using the right action verbs is an easy way to spotlight yourself and help showcase your most relevant skills in a few words.
For more related action verbs, visit Teamwork Action Verbs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When looking at the skills section of a chief of staff’s resume, recruiters will need to see organizational and leadership skills. It is a multifaceted position, and the skills list should extensively reflect the numerous tasks under the purview of a CoS.
Here is a list of recruiter-approved skills you would expect to see in a chief of staff’s resume. Add those that you are experienced with to your resume to impress recruiters and secure an interview.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Chief of Staff job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
