3 Career Personas Every Chief of Staff Should Know: How to Level Up, Look Outward, and Lay the Groundwork
In October, we hosted an incredible Nova Chat with career strategist Jena Viviano Dunay, where we explored one of the most common questions Chiefs of Staff face: What’s next for my career?
No matter your title or tenure, most operators and Chiefs of Staff will cycle through three distinct career personas:
1. Leveling up inside a company you love
2. Looking for your next opportunity elsewhere
3. Laying the groundwork before you need to
Each stage looks different, but the path forward always starts the same way — by getting intentional about your brand, your value, and your relationships.
Let's dig into key insights from this Nova Chat.
#1 Leveling Up: Grow Where You Are
You already have a brand, whether you’ve cultivated it or not. Start by taking an honest inventory of how you’re perceived from three vantage points:
• Upward: your leaders
• Sideways: your peers
• Downward: your direct reports or partners
Ask yourself: What four words would each group use to describe my work?
Where those words align with your aspirations, amplify them. Where they don’t, design specific actions to shift perception over the next quarter.
Visibility doesn’t mean being loud. It means making your impact legible. Try a lightweight, recurring update that surfaces your team’s progress and outcomes to the leaders shaping promotions and opportunities. Matter-of-fact status notes, data points, and recognition of other teams’ contributions go a long way.
From there, reverse-engineer your next role. If your goal is to move from EA to Chief of Staff, map the gap: What must you be known for to become the obvious choice? Every role either makes money, saves money, or makes someone’s life easier. Gather projects that show you’ve done all three, and make sure the right people know it.
Build relationships with those who can sponsor your move. Schedule periodic touchpoints to share progress and stay top-of-mind as the person already operating at the next level.
#2 Looking Externally: Move with Confidence and Clarity
Resist the urge to sprint to your résumé. Confidence comes first; clarity comes second; documents come third.
The candidates who land offers aren’t the ones who check every box—they’re theones who communicate a clear, credible brand that helps hiring teams see them solving real problems.
Get specific about what you want and why: the industries, business models, leadership styles, and environments where you do your best work. Only then should you shape your résumé and LinkedIn profile around that clarity.
Your résumé works when you apply. Your LinkedIn works while you sleep. Keep it substantive and current, but spend most of your energy in conversations.
Treat your search like a project, not a numbers game. Create a short list of target companies, research them deeply, and build a contact map of people who can open doors or offer insight. Don’t just apply online—reach out. Networking isn’t a side activity; it’s the engine.
When interviews turn into offers, negotiate live—on the phone or over Zoom—so your tone and reasoning are clear. Express excitement, share your market-based range, ask if they can move in that direction, and pause. Beyond compensation, negotiate like the operator you are: one lever at a time, with a clear rationale and an easy path to “yes.”
#3 Laying the Groundwork: Build Before You Need It
You’re already ahead. The best time to network is when you don’t have an ask. Make light, consistent touchpoints a habit: quick check-ins, shared articles, or a simple “how can I help?”
Keep a quarterly rhythm for your materials:
• Update your LinkedIn headline and About section
• Note recent outcomes
• Maintain a simple “Wins” folder with metrics, praise, and project summaries
This eliminates the blank-page scramble later and sharpens how you describe your work today.
Your brand is the promise you make.
Your track record is the proof.
Your relationships are the distribution.
Strengthen any one, and opportunities grow. Strengthen all three, and they compound.
Closing Thoughts
Every career move starts with awareness of where you are, where you’re going, and what value you bring. Whether you’re leveling up, looking externally, or laying the groundwork, the key is to stay proactive, visible, and intentional about your growth.
If you missed our Nova Chat with Jena Viviano Dunay, based on the feedback from attendees who joined us live, we're confident when we say that you'll want to watch the full session:
“Everything – so much great advice. My head is spinning in a great way.”
“Expert, relevant content delivered by pros.”
“I loved how laid-back and genuinely authentic the conversation felt. It wasn’t scripted, which made it easy to connect and learn.”
"Maggie's sincerity and engagement with Jena. She is authentic, and this is the second guest who brings the same authenticity and honesty I now associate with Nova Chief of Staff."
Watch the full session and explore more chats at the link below.
Nova Chat Strategic Career Moves for Chiefs of Staff | Hosted by Maggie Olson and Guest, Jena Dunay