Leland+ Content Library

AI Job Market Noise, Networking Strategies & Referrals

Examines challenges posed by imprecise AI job listings and teaches targeted networking practices, referral system insights, and rapport-building with insiders, plus an assignment to initiate connections and refine messaging.

Mastering AI Networking & Referrals

Guide to building meaningful relationships in the AI ecosystem, overcoming hiring noise, and securing referrals through thoughtful engagement and value-add interactions.

October Series Session 7: Negotiating Confidently

This session teaches you to treat salary negotiation as a normal business conversation about your value.

Which AI job is the right fit for me?

Reading to understand roles and impact on things like work-life balance, focus time vs. meetings, and more. Includes a research assignment and table laying out different aspects of each job.

Navigating AI Salary Data & Market Trends

Walkthrough of key salary datasets and trends, explaining what drives compensation differences and how candidates can evaluate offers and align career goals with compensation realities.

Forward-Deployed Engineers & AI Services-Led Growth

Explores the FDE role in detail: client-facing integration, technical implementation, rapid prototyping, and serving as a bridge between engineering and GTM, supported by insights from a16z and industry examples. Assignment encourages role research and personal reflection.

Building Your AI Portfolio & Outside-In Projects

Detailed strategies for engineers, designers, marketers, and data scientists to craft projects showing value aligned with target companies. Includes best practices for packaging and sharing work and an action-oriented assignment.

Creating Impactful Pre-Job Projects

Walkthrough of building and presenting portfolio pieces that resonate with AI employers, featuring tips on storytelling, technical demonstration, and networking through project sharing.

No one owes you a referral. Earn it

Learn the biggest networking mistakes and how to build trust with MBB consultants without seeming fake or desperate.

Here’s what really works in networking

Understand when location matters for referrals and when it doesn't. Learn to stay flexible and build connections across different offices.

Crafting Your Brand - Deck

This guide details a 6-part framework for your professional story, including your background, strengths, and vision.

Introduction to the AI Company Landscape & Assignment

This will introduce the AI jobs landscape and also share reading to help you dive deeper to understand the entire AI market. There is an assignment to research three companies of interest to better understand what companies in this space do.

Walk through of AI Company Landscape with Live Examples

In this live guided walkthrough, we'll walk through Bessemer's AI market map to understand the entire landscape of how these AI companies operate together, and talk about different considerations in taking jobs in different parts of the AI stack.

Introduction to Roles in AI — How It Differs from Traditional Tech

This reading introduces you to key roles like research engineer, forward deployed engineers, and different GTM jobs at AI companies. It includes an assignment designed to teach you how to better understand these roles.

Creating A Career Plan - Deck

This guide outlines how to build a career plan around 6 key elements, including target roles, companies, and weekly goals.

Using Al to Job Search - Deck

This guide shows how AI can tailor your resume, generate interview scripts, and draft networking follow-ups.

The Career Accelerator: A Playbook for Your Job Search

This playbook is for job seekers looking to replace scattered applications with a structured, step-by-step system to find their next role. Students will learn to define their career direction, create a strategic search plan, organize their applications, and negotiate a higher salary to secure the offer they deserve.

Negotiating Confidently - Deck

This guide provides a 4-step plan and proven scripts for stating your salary target, receiving an offer, and making a counter-offer.

Managing A Job Search - Deck

This guide shows you how to organize your search with targeted lists and track the status of every application, contact, and task.

Reaching Your Network - Deck

This guide details a 3-step system for effective outreach and explains exactly how and when to request a referral.