Leland+ Content Library

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.

Chicago Booth Interview Series

Chicago Booth interviews are your chance to bring your application to life—and strong preparation can make all the difference. This interview series is designed to help you approach Booth interviews with confidence, clarity, and a compelling personal narrative. Whether you’re preparing for your first interview or refining your approach, you’ll leave with practical strategies and greater confidence.

Hedge Fund Hiring Part 2: Live Resume Reviews

In Part 2 of this two-part hedge fund hiring series, you’ll move from theory to execution with live, actionable feedback on what hedge funds actually look for on a resume. Led by Ash C., a professional hedge fund coach who has helped 100+ candidates break into discretionary, quant, and systematic funds, this session will focus on turning your background into a buy-side-ready profile. Drawing on her experience coaching 90+ Carnegie Mellon MFE students into firms like Citadel, Point72, AQR, Squarepoint, and Balyasny—and working directly with hiring managers as Associate Director of Career Services—Ash will review real resumes, highlight common gaps, and share concrete improvements that increase interview conversion.

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

How to Stand Out When So Many Use Claude / ChatGPT for Essays [5/27/2026] (Recording)

As AI tools become more widespread in the admissions process, differentiation matters more than ever. This session will explore how applicants can rise above increasingly polished but increasingly generic essays by developing sharper self-awareness, stronger personal narratives, and more nuanced positioning. Attendees will learn what admissions committees notice immediately in AI-assisted applications and how to ensure their story remains distinctive, memorable, and authentically their own.

2026-2027 Wharton MBA Essay Guide

A prompt-by-prompt breakdown of all Wharton essays, with specific tips on what to do and what to avoid. This guide will help take your application from good to attention-grabbing!

2026-2027 Wharton MBA Essay Brainstorm Exercise

A fill-in-the-blank workbook that walks you through all Wharton essays. Brainstorm tables, story selection guidance, and ready-to-use outlines take you from blank page to first draft.

REAL Babson MBA Interview Sequences

Multiple Babson mock interview sequences, based on real questions clients reported in interviews. Use these sequences to practice and ensure you convert your Babson interview into an admit.

Networking Messages That Get Replies from Consultants

9 proven networking templates engineered to help you land coffee chats, referrals, and interviews at top consulting firms. This document is part of a 9-part Consulting Interview Resource Kit. The Networking Email Template Pack is the fourth resource in the kit.

REAL Sample Wharton MBA Essays

Multiple real, successful applicant essay sets covering all Wharton prompts. See exactly how admits structured winning answers before you write your own.

How I Founded, Scaled and Exited my Brand Last Year

Cashmere is the Founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie, a cosmetics company she built into a globally distributed brand before being acquired by West Lane Capital Partners. Sold in nearly 2000 locations worldwide and backed by more than $15M in venture capital, Beauty Bakerie grew into San Diego’s fastest-growing private company from 2015 to 2017 and developed a strong, multi-platform social media presence with over 1M followers. The brand earned recognition from publications including Allure, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, Essence, Elle, Oprah, and BuzzFeed. As a founder who led vision, branding, product development, and overall strategy, Cashmere has firsthand experience navigating fundraising, hyper-growth, market expansion, and the acquisition process. In this session, she will share key lessons from scaling a consumer brand, building a team, developing products, working with retailers, and preparing for exit. Attendees will gain insight into what drives brand value, how to manage rapid growth, and the strategic decisions that shaped Beauty Bakerie’s trajectory from inception to acquisition.

Product Management Week Kickoff March 2026

Product management is one of the most competitive and opaque career paths in tech—and breaking in requires more than just saying you’re “passionate about product.” This kickoff session is for aspiring PMs who want clarity on how to position themselves for competitive roles and stand out in interviews. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling PM narrative, what hiring managers actually look for in resumes and case interviews, and the common patterns panelists see across candidates who successfully land sought-after PM roles.

Deciding Where to Apply to Law School

Choosing where to apply to law school is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make—and Leland coach Machmud M. is here to help you approach it strategically. In this session, he’ll break down the factors that actually influence your career trajectory, from employment outcomes and geographic placement to culture, curricular strengths, and long-term fit. You’ll learn how to separate signal from noise, evaluate programs through the lens of your personal goals, and build a school list that maximizes both opportunity and alignment. If you want to make confident, well-informed application decisions, this workshop is a must-attend.

Your Team Is Already Using AI, Here's How To Make It Safe to Scale

AI adoption is happening inside your organization—whether you’ve formally planned for it or not. The real question is: how do you guide that usage in a way that’s safe, strategic, and scalable? In this workshop, Julie S.—a corporate AI training and enablement coach who has helped mid market companies, PE/VC firms, and executives build practical and sustainable AI integration strategies—will walk you through how to create guardrails that enable your teams to use AI responsibly With a background supporting individuals and leaders through complex pivots, identity shifts, and rapid technological change, Julie will share practical steps for evaluating risk, training your team, setting expectations, and building a thoughtful AI strategy from the ground up. Whether your organization is just experimenting with AI tools or experiencing rapid adoption, you’ll leave with actionable frameworks to make AI usage safe, effective, and aligned with your values.

Deferred MBA M7 Series: Kellogg

Thinking about a deferred MBA and wondering what it takes to get into a top program like Kellogg? Join Andrew Dale, a former Kellogg Admissions Officer and Supercoach on Leland, as he walks you through what makes a strong application, how to tell a compelling story, and what Kellogg specifically looks for in deferred candidates. Bring your questions about essays, recommenders, interviews, and strategy—Andrew will help position you for success.

Ace MBA Interviews & Essays: Strategies for Why an MBA/Now/This School

Are you struggling to clearly answer “Why an MBA?”, “Why now?”, and “Why this school?” in both interviews and written applications? These three questions are the backbone of every strong MBA candidacy. In this focused 60-minute session, you’ll learn exactly how to approach them with clarity, specificity, and confidence. We’ll break down what admissions committees are really looking for, why these questions matter, and the most common mistakes applicants make. You’ll see detailed examples drawn directly from successful applicant materials, along with in-depth analysis of what makes each example strong or weak. We’ll cover how to link your background, needs, and goals to the right program features, how to avoid generic phrasing, and how to bring authenticity and structure into your responses. Throughout the session, I’ll highlight specific dos and don’ts and walk you through the progression from vague answers to compelling, school-ready responses. You’ll also see how your approach should differ between essays and interviews so your answers feel natural and appropriate in each format. We will close with a Q&A where you can ask about these three questions, your approach, or anything that wasn’t fully clear in the presentation. By the end, you’ll have a sharper understanding of what makes a strong response, how to integrate school-specific research, and how to communicate your story in a way that resonates in both interviews and written applications.

Demystifying IB Technical Interviews

Join top Leland investment banking coaches for a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of what IB technical interviews really test—and how to prepare for them effectively. They’ll walk through the core concepts, frameworks, and problem-solving approaches that top firms expect candidates to master, plus the mistakes that quietly kill otherwise strong interviews. You’ll leave with a sharper understanding of technical expectations and a practical roadmap to boost your readiness and confidence.

Pathways to Successful Consulting Recruiting

​Join us for a consulting recruiting workshop led by Leland coach Ian G, an ex-BCG + Stern Alum who aced all 8 of his strategy consulting interviews and has now gone on to help 500+ candidates land their dream consulting job. In this session, Ian will lay out the entire preparation pathway for how you can set yourself up for success when applying to consulting firms.

Top-Ranked Free Master’s in … Belgium and the Netherlands

Think KU Leuven, University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, and TU Delft. These top-ranked institutions represent just the tip of what the Low Countries offer: world-class master's degrees with tuition from zero to a few thousand Euros annually, far below North American alternatives. Behind these prestigious names are remarkable opportunities to pursue advanced degrees delivering exceptional return on investment while building careers in Europe's most internationally connected economies. Belgium and the Netherlands host dozens of top-ranked institutions offering over 200 English-taught master's programs spanning business, engineering, sciences, and humanities. Post-study work permits allow one to three years for job searching, with straightforward paths to permanent residence for skilled graduates. What if this high-quality, budget-friendly pathway to European career success is exactly your calling?