Have you ever wondered what your friends actually do for work? We’re not talking about the description in their LinkedIn bio, but what they actually do in their 9-5. As part of our mission to bring you more girl boss content, we’re investigating job titles to get the low-down on exactly what they really entail. Curious to know what being an account executive even means? Wondering what a VP in finance does in the afternoon? We’re creating more transparency around different jobs, and the salaries and duties that come with them, to help you figure out what you’re interested in. Today, read how a Chief of Staff living in El Segundo spends her workday.
Age: 32
City: El Segundo
Industry: Information Technology
Job Title: Chief of Staff
Years of experience: 10
Salary: $100,000
What does your job title mean? What does your job entail?
As a chief of staff, I play many different roles while supporting senior executives such as VPs, the Chief Architect, CTO, CIO, and Chief Digital Officers. I write communications, prepare presentations, manage specific department budgets & make recommendations to maintain a healthy organization. If there is a large transformation project or any process changes happening within the organization, it is often my duty to project manage and ensure that leadership knows about risks, issues or any concerns on the ground. Since I am not necessarily a “techie” it is also my responsibility to keep up-to-date on the latest industry process trends such as design thinking, SAFE agile, etc. and to help come up with recommendations on how to implement them into the organization where necessary.
When do you wake up?
I don’t have an ideal morning routine but wake up around 6am consistently and work out twice a week. The other days I get up, meditate, write or scroll on my phone until it’s time to go. I take about 20 mins to get ready and time that perfectly before my first 8am meeting to be in the office.
At 9am I am…
Usually catching up on emails, working on presentations, following up on action items, sitting in on a meeting with my boss or working on a presentation.
At 11am I am…
It’s not uncommon for me to have a noon deadline (and have a working lunch) for a presentation that’s due same day or next day. The presentations I prep vary anywhere from department operation reviews to CEO briefings on the IT Strategy.
What does lunch normally look like for you?
More often than not, I have working lunches. I have subscribed to Thistle to try to keep my meals healthy and fast but many times I skip lunch and work right through because that’s when most of the people I need to meet with are free.
At 1pm I am… 
Often revising feedback that I got on a presentation while also attending a project status meeting.
At 3pm I am… 
Having a coffee break! We have two coffee shops that are right by the office so if I’m not hosting a meeting or have a pressing deadline I am probably walking with a co-worker to get rejuvenated for my next round of meetings or presentation reviews.
At 5pm I am… 
5-7pm is usually when the most work gets done, because everyone is free. There are a lot of working sessions that happen around this time: editing/revising/discussing. This is also the time when I hear about new action items, presentations, communications, projects that I will need to get involved in for the next days/weeks/months.
How does a workday end for you? What time do you normally leave work?
It really varies depending on what’s happening at the time. It can be as early as 5 but as late as 8 or 9.
What do you do after work?
After work I like to decompress for a few hours and take a break from work-related stuff. If it’s planned in advance enough, I am able to go for dinner with friends or coworkers. I’ll check back into work right before bed ~11pm (oftentimes I have forgotten to do something like schedule a meeting).
What time do you go to bed? 
I go to bed around 1130pm, meditate and reflect on my day.
Is there anything about your job you’d like people to know?
You don’t have to be a technical person to play a role in the technology industry. The day I described above varies–there are times when I am sprinting and have a lot of work/long hours and deliverables and there are other times where there is down time, sometimes for days at a time, with the freedom to work on other things.