Leland+ for Career Coaching

Home for Ambition #9 — Weekly Live Show [5/13/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, by Leland, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

The Perfect Tech Resume

Most tech resumes don't get rejected — they get ignored. They read like job descriptions instead of proof of impact, and they disappear into the ATS before a human ever sees them. Join me for a hands-on session where we'll break down what actually makes a resume land interviews — from bullet structure to formatting to the cuts most candidates are afraid to make. With experience at Microsoft, Slack, Salesforce, Ramp, and Atlassian — and having helped clients land 100+ offers at Google, Meta, Adobe, and more — I've reviewed hundreds of resumes and seen the same fixable mistakes over and over. Every bullet should pass one test: does it show what you did and what changed because of it? If not, it goes. We'll cover the formula that works, rewrite weak bullets live, and walk through real before-and-after examples. Whether you're actively job searching or building your materials for the next move, you'll leave with a clear framework for turning your resume into a one-page highlight reel that gets replies.

MBA Scorecard: Rank Every Program to Find Your Fit

A personalized Excel scorecard for ranking every top MBA program that autopopulates based on key criteria you should evaluate in narrowing down your list to your top-choice programs. Weight only the factors that matter to you (e.g., specific career funnels, geography, cost, culture, academics), and score each program out of 100, and see your rankings update live. This includes a filled-out example as well so you can see what a final product looks like. Delete anything that isn't useful, and keep the rest so this search is custom-tailored to you.

Build Your Personal Brand & Thought Leadership System with Claude + Notion [5/20/2026] (Recording)

Personal branding is your ticket to excelling in the AI age. Most professionals know they should be creating content yet almost none of us do it consistently. Not because we lack ideas, but because we have no system to enable consistency. In this session, we'll build one. Using the network analysis from last week, we'll use Claude to generate a content calendar built around your actual expertise, then turn each idea into multiple formats: a LinkedIn post, a story hook, a networking pitch, and more. Everything lives in a pre-built Notion template you duplicate at the start of the session, so you spend the full session generating content, not building infrastructure. Outcome for attendees: A content calendar tailored to their specific network audience and a reusable Claude + Notion workflow they can run every month independently Session pre-requisites: Claude account & Notion account — free is fine 🙂

Help I'm in the Wrong Job: The Unwritten Rules of Making a Career Pivot

At some point in their careers, most people find themselves wondering where the career path they chose in their 20s is what they want to do for the next few decades. Career pivots are common - especially in a world where technology keeps shifting the job market. But how do you make a career pivot? In this session, we'll explore ways to start moving your career in a new direction -- long before you quit your job. We will have time for prepared topics as well as Q&A - so bring your questions. About Jeff Sigel: Jeff Sigel is an executive and career coach with 20+ years of marketing experience. He has held leadership roles in top Food manufacturing, retail, and restaurant companies - including as VP of Marketing and VP of Corporate Strategy & Business Intelligence. He has made a career pivot of his own into coaching and training emerging leaders.

Home for Ambition #4 — Weekly Live Show [4/8/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, by Leland, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

Guide to Getting a Job at a Startup

From my first-hand experience and tons of soul-searching, learn how to get a job at a startup.

Big 10 to MBB + Big Tech: Positioning Yourself to Get Offers

This guide was written by a former Bain & Company Associate Consultant, now in a Strategy and Operations role at LinkedIn, who went through the full MBB recruiting process out of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. It covers everything that actually matters when you are trying to break into a top consulting firm or land a Big Tech strategy role from a non-target school. Inside you will find a no-nonsense breakdown of how MBB firms actually differ, what a competitive application looks like, how to build a resume that passes the ten-second scan, and the networking approach that moves the needle versus the one that wastes your time. The guide goes deep on case interview preparation, including the pyramid framework approach and what interviewers are genuinely evaluating in the room, and covers the behavioral and fit interview with the same level of honesty. The final chapter covers what transfers from consulting to Big Tech, how that recruiting process works, and how to negotiate an offer once you have one. This is not generic advice. It is based on having gone through the process recently, having sat on the other side of the table at Bain, and having made the transition to Big Tech firsthand.

Real MBB + Big Tech Resume: Bain AC to LinkedIn Strategy & Operations

This is a real resume from someone who successfully recruited into Bain & Company out of a Big 10 non-target school and subsequently landed a Strategy and Operations role at LinkedIn. It is not a template or a fabricated example. It is the exact resume used to secure these offers, formatted and structured the way MBB recruiters expect to see. Use it to understand how to frame internships and experiences with quantifiable impact, how to structure bullet points that signal analytical ability, how to present a non-linear background in a way that reads as an asset rather than a liability, and what a clean, one-page consulting resume actually looks like in practice. Whether you are preparing your application for MBB firms or targeting Big Tech strategy roles, this resource gives you a concrete, real-world benchmark to pressure test your own resume against.

SWE Recruiting Quick Start

A practical companion to “How Engineers Avoid Burnout During Recruiting Cycles,” this quick start guide helps you turn insights into action—structuring your search, preparing impactful examples, and managing your time and energy throughout the recruiting process.

Home for Ambition #10 — Weekly Live Show [6/3/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, by Leland, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

Chief of Staff Interview Prep (With Cases)

This Chief of Staff interview prep content includes formatting, potential questions, and practice cases.

How to Position Yourself for Promotion: What Leaders Actually Evaluate [6/2/2026] (Recording)

Many professionals assume strong performance alone leads to promotion. In reality, promotion decisions are usually based on a broader set of factors leaders evaluate when determining who is ready for the next level. In this workshop, we’ll break down how promotion decisions are often made and introduce a practical framework you can use to assess and strengthen your own positioning. Drawing from over 12 years in corporate professional services, executive search, and talent development leadership, including leading promotion review processes, sitting in on promotion and performance discussions, and advising on promotion decisions, I’ll share practical insights into what leaders actually look for when evaluating readiness for advancement. In this session, you’ll learn: - The key factors leaders evaluate when determining promotion readiness - Why strong performers still get passed over for promotion - How to assess your own positioning across results, leadership behaviors, and organizational confidence - Practical ways to strengthen your visibility, leadership presence, and readiness for the next level - How to identify the highest-impact areas to focus on for career growth You’ll leave with a clear framework to evaluate your promotion readiness, identify potential gaps, and approach your career growth more strategically and intentionally. This session is designed for professionals who are preparing for increased responsibility, navigating career growth, or looking to position themselves more effectively for future advancement.

How to Position Yourself for Promotion: What Leaders Actually Evaluate [6/2/2026] (Recording)

Many professionals assume strong performance alone leads to promotion. In reality, promotion decisions are usually based on a broader set of factors leaders evaluate when determining who is ready for the next level. In this workshop, we’ll break down how promotion decisions are often made and introduce a practical framework you can use to assess and strengthen your own positioning. Drawing from over 12 years in corporate professional services, executive search, and talent development leadership, including leading promotion review processes, sitting in on promotion and performance discussions, and advising on promotion decisions, I’ll share practical insights into what leaders actually look for when evaluating readiness for advancement. In this session, you’ll learn: - The key factors leaders evaluate when determining promotion readiness - Why strong performers still get passed over for promotion - How to assess your own positioning across results, leadership behaviors, and organizational confidence - Practical ways to strengthen your visibility, leadership presence, and readiness for the next level - How to identify the highest-impact areas to focus on for career growth You’ll leave with a clear framework to evaluate your promotion readiness, identify potential gaps, and approach your career growth more strategically and intentionally. This session is designed for professionals who are preparing for increased responsibility, navigating career growth, or looking to position themselves more effectively for future advancement.

Professional CV - two Masters and three Doctorates + work experience!

For anyone looking for a clean, simple, thorough CV template! Includes my background of multiple undergraduate degrees, two Master's degrees, and three Doctorate degrees, along with research bibliography and work experience. Translatable for those entering MBA, Masters, PhD, medical school, dental school, physician's assistant and more.

MBA Self-Discovery Workbook: Unlock Your Narrative & Write Freely

This is a reflection-focused, 13-section workbook for MBA applicants to uncover and build your story before embarking on the complex, layered process of writing your essays. This resource is informed from my time in Stanford GSB's Interpersonal Dynamics (Touchy Feely), my time helping dozens of other GSB classmates find their voice as the Managing Editor for Stanford GSB's Paper (Nondisclosure), and in helping over 500 MBA applicants self-reflect in a way that feels genuine, personal and clarifying. I wrote this resource with just enough structure (but not too much), and with a practical eye towards covering the ground you'll need for your MBA apps. You'll go deep, but every question has a purpose. I also use this with everyone I work with, and it's something we'll cover at the very beginning of our process. My hope is that this resource, in addition to being a big help, feels like we're in conversation. The goal is just to get to know you a little better, one step at a time, in a way that feels natural, even enjoyable. Even if you're the only one who ever sees it, I've tried to write this in a way that I'd speak about this kind of thing with you. Because I think humans are the best way to help other humans see themselves a little deeper. And trust me, plenty of "coaches" could use more of that too ;) This workbook will cover your background, motivations, short and long-term goals, values, behavioral stories, and more. A PDF is attached here, but there's also a downloadable Word file I recommend using to make things much easier for you to fill out as you go. This took me about 20-30 hours of time to put together, and I suggest putting at least 5-10 into filling this out. Some go at it all at once, but most do it in a few sittings. Long walks are good to interperse between writing sessions, and I actually recommend you reflect and go back to this to update your answers several times throughout your MBA process. Save new versions as you go and you'll be able to see your application pixellate over this monthslong process. If you're reapplying, I'd push you to compare what you end up with here with what you submitted last time. The differences may be revealing. I hope ends up a real tool for you, and that it helps you find answers you might not have found otherwise. It also will give you a glimpse into what coaching together feels like. Don't hesitate to reach out if you feel like sharing this. Working on your writing and applications together is a natural byproduct of the kind of reflection you'll be doing here, and it's my favorite thing to help someone with. Happy writing :) -Ben

Customizable Cover Letter Template for Consulting Jobs

This is a generic cover letter template that can be customized to fit any consulting job opportunity you are exploring.

Resume Best Practices: Tips to Take Your CV From Meh to Magnifico!

After 15+ years of reviewing more applicant resumes than I care to count as a recruiter/hiring manager/talent leader at McKinsey and Bain, these are the core tips I coach my clients to always consider when crafting their CV.

How to Lead the Room with Executive Presence

Executive presence is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot in leadership conversations. You've probably heard it. You may have even been told you need more of it. But here's the problem: most people can't tell you what it actually means. It's not charisma. It's not being the loudest person in the room. It's not even being the most polished. Executive presence is the ability to make people feel — in your presence — that things are under control, that someone capable is leading, and that their time and attention is being respected. It's a signal. And like any signal, it can be developed, sharpened, and directed. This guide is built around three pillars that I've seen transform how executives show up: Clarity, Credibility, and Confidence. They're related — and yes, they overlap. But they each do distinct work, and understanding the difference matters.

Hedge Fund Case Study

This real-world case study presentation was used successfully to secure a job offer at a credit-focused hedge fund. It demonstrates how to structure analysis, present investment ideas, and communicate insights effectively.