Leland+ Content Library

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Applications

Are you gearing up to apply to MBA programs and want to ensure your application stands out? Join me, Emily, for an insightful session on the 7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Applications. With an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and 10 years of professional MBA coaching experience, I've guided hundreds of applicants through the intricate admissions process. This event will provide an overview of several key aspects of the application process, and equip you with knowledge of what to being doing NOW to set yourself up for success in Round 1 applications. Whether you're considering a traditional full-time MBA, a part-time MBA, or any other format, this session will equip you with the knowledge to avoid common pitfalls and maximize your chance of success. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot. I look forward to helping you navigate your MBA journey with confidence!

Path to PhD | How to Make the Most of Your Summer Research Program

How can you make the most of your summer research program as you build your profile for your PhD journey? No matter where you are on your path — whether you have extensive research experience and a clear direction, are just starting out, or are returning to school after time away — this session is for you. While this event is geared toward students in STEM fields, participants from all backgrounds are welcome. In this session, I’ll discuss strategies and concrete steps you can take to maximize your summer research experience as you build a standout PhD application. You’ll Learn: - How to approach your summer program strategically and identify the goals that matter most - Best practices before, during, and after your summer program - How to turn any experience into a competitive advantage With a background in higher education leadership and extensive experience guiding students through the PhD application process, I’ll be drawing from nearly a decade of experience directing the Stanford Summer Research Program, along with my current work as an educational consultant and coach.

The $10K Conversation: Negotiation Strategies That Actually Work

In this live workshop, we’ll break down exactly how to negotiate your salary and job offer confidently, professionally, and strategically. Whether you’re applying to graduate internships, early-career roles, or experienced professional positions, this session will teach you how to advocate for yourself and potentially increase your compensation by thousands. We’ll cover: - The biggest salary negotiation mistakes candidates make - What recruiters actually expect during negotiations - How to research your market value - What to say (and what NOT to say) - Scripts for emails and live conversations - How to negotiate beyond salary: PTO, bonuses, flexibility, and more This session is designed to be practical, interactive, and confidence-building — especially for professionals who were never taught how to navigate these conversations. Come ready to learn the strategies behind the conversation that could change your earning trajectory for years to come.

LinkedIn Launchpad: Profile to Profit [5/12/2026] (Recording)

Is your LinkedIn profile a forgotten resume or a powerful asset? In today's competitive job market, your professional brand is more crucial than ever. Join us for this free, dynamic workshop to learn the insider strategies for maximizing your visibility. We'll reveal the secrets to transforming your profile from overlooked to outstanding by focusing on the three pillars of success: Discoverability: Master the strategic keywords recruiters search for to ensure your profile ranks high. Impact: Learn how to craft a magnetic headline and an "About" section that turns profile views into opportunities. Networking: Acquire techniques for building a genuine professional network that expands your career reach. Whether you're job searching, looking to advance, or aiming to establish yourself as an industry expert, this workshop will give you the practical, actionable steps you need to leverage LinkedIn to its fullest potential. Elevate your professional presence and open doors to new opportunities!

Resume Revolution: The ATS-Proof Blueprint [6/9/2026] (Recording)

Is your resume disappearing into the application black hole? Up to 75% of resumes are filtered by software before a human ever sees them. Join this free, dynamic workshop to gain the insider strategies you need to beat the system. Leveraging my background as a recruiter and sourcer, I'll teach you how to stop listing duties and start showcasing metrics-based achievements that grab a hiring manager's attention. This workshop is for you if you want to: - Master keywords to score highly with the ATS. - Pass the recruiter's 6-second review test. - Transform your experience into quantifiable impact. Stop submitting resumes and start submitting applications that convert to interviews!

AI Skills Week Kickoff + Which AI Tool Should I Use? (Recording)

With new AI tools launching constantly, it can be difficult to know which ones are actually useful and which are just adding noise to your workflow. This session is designed for professionals, builders, and curious learners who want a practical framework for choosing the right AI tools based on their goals and use cases. You’ll learn how to evaluate tools across different categories, understand where specific tools perform best, and build a more intentional approach to integrating AI into your work. Attending live gives you the opportunity to ask questions about your own workflows, challenges, and tool stack in real time. The speaker works closely with individuals and teams adopting AI and will share the patterns they see across successful implementations, along with how they think through tool selection in practice. If you want a clearer approach to navigating the growing AI landscape, it’s worth joining live.

AMA: Prepare NOW for Admissions This Fall - MFE & STEM Master's [6/5/2026] (Recording)

Thinking about an MFE, MSCS, Data Science, Analytics, or other STEM master’s program? Join this AMA for honest advice on admissions, competitiveness, recruiting, career outcomes, and whether a program is actually worth it. We’ll cover: - School selection - Resume & profile positioning - Career changer applications - Essays & materials - Networking as part of your strategy Bring your questions — especially if you’re targeting Financial Engineering, quant finance, AI/ML, or technical career pivots.

Get 10x More Out of Claude by Organizing Your Context [6/15/2026] (Recording)

Many people use AI tools like Claude every day without realizing how much output quality depends on the context they provide. This workshop is for professionals, students, and builders who want to use Claude more effectively by organizing information in a way that leads to stronger, more reliable results. You’ll learn how to structure context for better responses, avoid the common prompting mistakes that create weak outputs, and build workflows that make AI substantially more useful in real work. Join live to see how an experienced AI coach approaches context organization and the patterns they see across effective AI users. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions in real time and learn practical frameworks typically shared in hands-on coaching and workflow sessions.

Summer Sprint: Jumpstart Your PE Recruiting Prep [6/11/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you will leave knowing how to structure your PE recruiting timeline before fall cycles accelerate, what sourcing and deal experience interviewers actually weight when screening candidates, and how to position your background for firms at different stages and strategies. These are the patterns that consistently separate candidates who get to final rounds from those who stall early. Attending live means you can ask directly about your specific profile and hear how those details change the advice, context a recording cannot give you. The coach works with PE candidates daily and will share the same frameworks they use when evaluating where a candidate actually stands and what needs to move first.

From Idea to Product with AI Agents [6/11/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know how to move from a raw product idea to a working prototype using AI agents, without a traditional engineering team. We'll cover how to scope an agent-driven build, which tools actually hold up in production, and how to think about iteration when the system is doing the work for you. Attending live means you can describe your specific idea or constraint and hear how to approach it directly, which is context a recording cannot give you. The coach works on AI-powered product development daily, and this session is a chance to see how that thinking applies in real time.

Med School Application Strategy AMA: Stop Guessing & Secure Your Acceptance [6/7/2026] (Recording)

When you're building a medical school application, generic advice doesn’t cut it. Your path is unique, and so are your hurdles. You’ve likely spent hours agonizing over conflicting opinions online: Is my MCAT score balanced? Does this clinical experience sound meaningful? How do I address that one bad semester without sounding defensive? The truth? Every minute you spend guessing is a minute you could spend strategically strengthening your application. This live, unfiltered Ask Me Anything (AMA) session is your direct line to an expert medical school admissions strategist. We'll discuss strategies tailored to your situation in real-time and answer your burning questions about what admissions committees actually care about when deciding between applicants.

5 Best Practices for Writing an Excellent MBA Essay [6/3/2026] (Recording)

Great MBA essays don’t just sound polished, they make admissions readers remember you long after they finish reading. This session is for applicants who want a clearer understanding of what separates average essays from truly compelling ones. You’ll learn five core best practices for building a strong narrative, writing with more clarity and specificity, and aligning your essays with what top MBA programs are actually looking for. Join live to ask questions about your own essays and hear practical guidance from an expert MBA coach with dual degrees from M7 programs. The speaker has worked closely with applicants on crafting standout applications and will share the patterns they see across successful essays and common mistakes. Expect actionable insights and feedback similar to what’s covered in 1:1 admissions coaching conversations.

The Interview Edge: Proven techniques for answering challenging questions. [6/12/2026] (Recording)

“Finally, an interview workshop that teaches you how to think not just what to say.” Strong interviews are not about memorizing perfect answers. They are about communicating judgment, leadership, and impact in a way that feels clear, structured, and authentic under pressure. In this workshop, I'll share practical frameworks and real-world strategies for answering behavioral, situational, and high-pressure interview questions with confidence and precision. Drawing from my experience as both a hiring manager and strategic operator across organizations including Samsung, Deloitte, eBay, Homejoy and Serviz, as well as years coaching working professionals and MBA candidates, the session bridges the gap between what candidates think interviewers want and how hiring decisions are actually made. Participants will learn how to: • Structure compelling behavioral answers using proven frameworks • Navigate hypothetical and situational questions without sounding scripted • Communicate leadership, ownership, and measurable impact effectively • Handle difficult follow-up questions and think clearly under pressure • Translate complex experiences into concise, persuasive interview stories • Improve executive presence, clarity, and confidence during interviews • Understand what hiring managers and interviewers are actually evaluating beneath the surface The workshop also explores common interview pitfalls that weaken otherwise strong candidates: over-explaining, weak framing, lack of specificity, and failing to communicate strategic thinking or decision-making process. Attendees consistently describe the workshop as one of the most practical and immediately actionable interview sessions they have attended. RSVP today. Space is limited.

Avoid Messy Algebra on the GMAT: Mixtures and Weighted Averages [6/4/2026] (Recording)

GIVEAWAY DURING THE EVENT: Join live for the chance to win a free GMAT Bootcamp seat! Mixture and weighted average questions on the GMAT often look calculation-heavy, but top scorers know how to solve them with far less algebra than most test takers use. This session is for MBA applicants who want faster, cleaner ways to approach these common quant problems. You’ll learn how to recognize efficient setups, avoid the messy calculations that waste time, and apply strategies that improve both speed and accuracy on test day. Join live to work through problems step by step and ask questions about your own GMAT prep. The speaker is an expert GMAT tutor who scored a 790 and regularly helps candidates simplify difficult quant concepts. They’ll share the patterns they see across high scorers and the kinds of shortcuts and frameworks typically covered in focused 1:1 prep sessions.

Ten things you can do today to launch your MBA application journey. [6/10/2026] (Recording)

The MBA application journey can feel overwhelming—but it doesn't have to start that way. The secret isn't finding a shortcut; it's knowing exactly where to begin. Whether you're 6 months out or just starting to explore your options, there are concrete, high-impact actions you can take right now to build momentum and set yourself up for success. This workshop breaks down ten practical steps you can take today to launch your MBA application journey with clarity and confidence. From strengthening your academic and test profile to crafting your narrative, identifying the right schools, and preparing the people in your corner, you'll leave with a clear action plan—not just inspiration. By the end of this session, you will be able to: * Identify the immediate steps that will have the greatest impact on your candidacy, no matter where you are in the process. * Strengthen your academic and test profile by addressing gaps proactively and positioning yourself for success. * Showcase career progression and leadership through an accomplishment-based resume and targeted professional achievements. * Begin crafting your story by clarifying your motivations, values, and post-MBA goals. * Secure powerful recommendations by selecting and preparing the right advocates early. * Demonstrate authentic school fit through research-driven insights that align your goals with each program's unique offerings.

AMA: M7 MBA Admissions and MBB Recruiting [6/9/2026] (Recording)

Want to break into an M7 MBA program and land an offer from MBB? Join Alec Emmert, a Wharton MBA, former McKinsey consultant, and former McKinsey interviewer, for an open, judgment-free coaching session on MBA admissions, consulting recruiting, and career reinvention. Alec was admitted to Wharton at 35 with a 2.85 undergraduate GPA and later joined McKinsey after being rejected in a previous application cycle. In this session, he’ll share the lessons, strategies, and hard-earned insights that helped him overcome nontraditional odds and answer your questions directly. Bring anything you want to ask about MBA applications, M7 positioning, consulting interviews, networking, overcoming weak spots, or building a compelling story.

Why MBA, Why Now, Why [X] Program: Answers that Define Your App [6/11/2026] (Recording)

Few questions matter more in MBA admissions than why you want an MBA, why this is the right moment, and why a particular program is the right fit. Yet many applicants answer them superficially. This session will explore how to develop thoughtful, credible, and differentiated responses to these foundational questions, and why the quality of those answers often determines the strength of the entire application. Attendees will leave with a framework for articulating a sharper and more persuasive admissions narrative.

Home for Ambition #11 — Weekly Live Show [6/10/2026] (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.