Leland+ Content Library

Why you keep dying in the first round: international interview positioning [8/12/2026] (Recording)

Most international candidates don’t fail first-round interviews because they lack experience: they fail because they’re badly translated. In the first round, you usually have only a few minutes to make your value legible, and if your story is too long, too generic, or too cautious, the room never gets a clear signal about why you’re a strong fit. In this livestream, I’ll break down how international candidates can position themselves more effectively in interviews, especially when moving across countries, cultures, or business environments. We’ll look at how to tighten your self-introduction, lead with the right proof points, and answer “tell me about yourself” in a way that actually opens doors. I’ll also cover the common traps that make strong candidates disappear early: overexplaining, permission-seeking, and failing to connect their background to the role in front of them. By the end of the session, you’ll understand how to: 1. Structure a first-round interview answer so your value lands quickly 2. Position yourself as a credible candidate in international settings 3. Avoid the most common communication mistakes that weaken your signal 4. Translate your background into something relevant, concise, and compelling 5. Build more confidence in how you present yourself under pressure This session is ideal for international professionals, multilingual candidates, and anyone interviewing across markets who wants to stop sounding impressive in theory and start sounding hireable in the room. Perfect for: International candidates, job seekers, and professionals interviewing across markets Focus: Interview positioning, first-round interviews, self-introductions, and international career storytelling Outcome: Leave with a clearer, sharper way to introduce yourself and explain why you belong in the room

Interview Insider: Decode the Hiring Manager [7/14/2026] (Recording)

You prepared for a Q&A session. The hiring manager is looking for a business solution. That gap is why great candidates get rejected without feedback, and it's the focus of Interview Insider: Decode the Hiring Manager. Here's what we'll cover: - The Feedback Void: Why great candidates get rejected, and what's actually happening behind the scenes. - The Hiring Manager Mindset: You're speaking to two audiences. The recruiter is the gatekeeper, focused on mitigating risk. The hiring manager is the decision maker, focused on solving a specific team pain point. Both need to see measurable impact. - Impactful Storytelling: The STAR method, but architected for impact. Keep the Situation to 10% of your answer. Use owner verbs like Architected, Engineered, Negotiated, Scaled. Every Result must include a number, because if there's no metric, there's no result. - Decoding "Hidden" Questions: What "Tell me about a time you failed" and "Why are you leaving your current role" are actually asking, and how to answer the question behind the question. - The Offer Call: The Triple Win negotiation strategy across financial, lifestyle, and growth. How to use market data instead of "I want," and the golden rule for handling any offer. - Q&A: Bring your specific interview hurdles. Come ready with your toughest interview questions for the Q&A.

How to Nail the Case Interview: Structure, Strategy & Confidence [9/22/2026] (Recording)

Case interviews can feel intimidating, but they become much easier when you know how to structure your thinking and communicate it clearly. In this live session, I’ll break down how to approach a case interview from start to finish — including how to clarify the problem, create a strong framework, prioritize what matters, work through ambiguity, and present a confident recommendation. We’ll cover: * How to quickly structure an ambiguous case * What interviewers are actually evaluating * How to think out loud without rambling * How to make assumptions and prioritize effectively * Common mistakes that weaken otherwise strong answers * How to deliver a clear, executive-level recommendation * Tips for practicing without memorizing frameworks Whether you have a case interview coming up or simply want to become a stronger structured thinker, you’ll leave with a repeatable approach you can use in your next interview.

How I got into a dual program at Harvard and MIT [9/7/2026] (Recording)

How did I manage to be admitted into two of the best schools in the country - and into a dual degree program where I am attending both? Join me before MBA week kickoff for a session where I break down exactly what I did to be admitted to Harvard, MIT, and other M7 / top schools.

Top 5 AI Prompts Every MBA Applicant Should Master [7/11/2026] (Recording)

While you cannot use AI to write your essays (the adcom can tell!), in this session we will look at how to use AI as a smart diagnostic tool to strengthen your application materials. You will walk away with five specific prompts that help you audit your own work, strip out generic phrasing, and highlight the true impact of your achievements. While AI is excellent for identifying gaps and pressure testing your narrative consistency, it cannot replace the nuanced positioning that comes from human strategy. This session will show you how to use technology to clean up the baseline copy so you can then focus your energy on the deep personalization required for top tier programs.

Applying to College in 2026? Here’s What You Should Be Doing Each Month [8/10/2026] (Recording)

In this session, former admissions director, Loubna Bouamane, will walk students and parents through the real college admissions timeline from May through December — including what actually matters each month if you're aiming for competitive U.S. universities. We’ll cover: How to build a balanced college list strategically When students should start essays (and why waiting until September is risky) How extracurriculars and summer activities should be positioned What admissions officers notice early in the review process Common mistakes students make over the summer Testing timelines, recommendation strategy, and application planning How to avoid creating an application that feels overly polished or AI-generated This session is especially helpful for: Rising seniors applying in Fall 2026 International students navigating the U.S. admissions process Families targeting selective colleges and universities Students feeling overwhelmed or behind

Home for Ambition #14 — Weekly Live Show [7/1/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, hosted by Leland CEO, John Koelliker, 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.

Build an AI Job Search Engine Live: 50 Tailored Applications a Week Without Spam [10/10/2026] (Recording)

Mass-applying doesn't work, and tailoring every application by hand takes all your time. This session shows you a middle path. I'll walk through the job search system I built and use myself, live on screen: Saved searches that surface new roles automatically, so you stop refreshing job boards A way to score each posting, so your time goes to roles you can actually land Application packets: a tailored resume summary, a cover letter draft and screening answers, in minutes A pipeline with automatic follow-up reminders, so no application goes quiet without a nudge You'll leave with the framework to build your own version, with or without code. Best for: active job seekers applying to 10+ roles a month, especially in tech, SaaS and AI.

GMAT Quant Workshop 3 of 4 — Algebra: Equations, Exponents & Roots [9/15/2026] (Recording)

The GMAT doesn't reward algebra for its own sake — it rewards clean setups and fast, accurate manipulation. Equations, exponents, roots: rules you already know, applied under pressure and in disguise. Bring paper. You'll attempt real exam-style algebra problems live — equations, exponent rules, roots — then we'll solve each one together, step by step, so the mechanics turn automatic. Part 3 of a 4-part September series — drop into one session or attend all four: Sep 1 — Number Properties Sep 8 — Word Problems & Percents Sep 15 — Algebra & Equations Sep 22 — Rates, Work & Distance All sessions Tuesdays, 8:00 PM ET, 60 minutes.

Breaking into Product Management [10/1/2026] (Recording)

Thinking about a career in product management? Join Brandon Asay, a former Senior Product Manager at Amazon, for a live session on what it actually takes to break in and thrive as a PM. Brandon spent two years at Amazon, ranking as a top 10% Product Manager each year, before moving into a GM role at a Series A startup. He's since founded Homebaked, a platform for home bakers to launch and grow their own microbakeries. In this session, Brandon will cover how you should prepare for PM recruiting and interviews and what really makes a candidate standout. Come with your questions.

MBA Application Teardown: Transform Your Short Answers [7/30/2026] (Recording)

Most applicants underestimate their MBA short answers. Admissions committees do not. This session is part of a three-part MBA Application Teardown series, where I take real, anonymized application materials, tear them down the way an admissions reader would, and rebuild them into something sharper and more memorable, live and in front of you. In this session we turn to the part of the application most people underestimate: the short answers and small boxes that applicants rush and admissions officers read closely. Across the three sessions, we rebuild the pieces that carry the most weight: your goals essay, your short answers, and your resume. Attend all three to see how a complete application comes together as one coherent story, or drop into the single session you need most. In this teardown, you will watch throwaway short answers become quietly powerful: • See why the answers you dash off at the end carry far more weight than their word count suggests. • Watch a generic, list-like answer become specific, intentional, and memorable. • Learn how short answers either reinforce your narrative or quietly contradict it. • Recognize the small tells that mark a rushed applicant, and how to remove them. These are the questions applicants treat as filler and admissions readers treat as evidence. A single weak short answer rarely sinks an application, but a pattern of them tells a reader you did not take the details seriously. Rebuilt with intention, the same boxes become some of the most efficient places in the entire application to prove who you are, and they are easy to miss in your own work precisely because they feel minor. I have guided more than 100 applicants into every M7 program, across the top 20 in the U.S., and into leading international programs, including INSEAD, London Business School, IESE, Esade, Oxford, Cambridge, NUS, and more. Make the shortest pieces of your application carry real weight. Register now to claim your spot in the live teardown.

Self-Learning Agents: What PMs Should Actually Worry About [7/23/2026] (Recording)

Self-learning agents are rapidly shifting what’s possible in product development, and product managers who understand this shift will be far better positioned to lead what comes next. This session is for PMs and aspiring PMs who want to understand what self-learning agents actually mean for product strategy, execution, and long-term career relevance. You’ll learn where these systems are creating real disruption, what risks and opportunities product leaders should pay attention to, and how the PM role may evolve as AI becomes more autonomous. Join live to hear from an expert in AI and product management, a former Senior PM and Head of AI Services at Google. The speaker will share firsthand perspectives on how leading product teams are thinking about AI, what PMs should prioritize today, and which mindset shifts will matter most in the years ahead. Expect strategic insights and practical takeaways you can apply immediately to your product thinking.

Identifying LSAT Logical Flaws: What Matters & What Doesn’t [8/11/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you'll know how to distinguish the logical flaws that actually cost points from the ones test-takers routinely overthink. We'll focus on the flaw types that appear most frequently in Logical Reasoning, how to recognize them quickly under timed conditions, and why certain wrong answer choices are designed to exploit the same misreading the flaw depends on. Attending live means you can bring a specific question type or stimulus you've been stuck on and hear how to think through it in real time, not just watch someone work a clean example. The coach works with LSAT students regularly and will share the patterns that separate confident, accurate flaw identification from the hesitation that tends to slow scores down.

Top GRE Tips: Arithmetic and Sentence Equivalence Problems [7/9/2026] (Recording)

Some of the fastest score gains on the GRE come from mastering the question types that appear again and again. This session is for test takers who want to strengthen both their quantitative and verbal performance by improving their approach to arithmetic and sentence equivalence problems. You’ll learn proven strategies for solving common question types efficiently, avoiding costly mistakes, and building the skills needed to perform consistently on test day. Join live to hear from a GRE expert who has helped more than 50 students score 325+. The speaker will break down the patterns behind challenging arithmetic and sentence equivalence questions, share practical shortcuts, and demonstrate the techniques that top scorers use to maximize accuracy and speed. Expect actionable tips you can immediately apply to your GRE preparation.

🎥Ace MBA Video Assessments: Stand Out Without Sounding Scripted [8/6/2026] (Recording)

As AI makes written MBA essays easier to polish and harder to assess at face value, video assessments are becoming one of the clearest ways for admissions committees to hear directly from the applicant behind the application. In a 60- to 90-second response, schools can evaluate what even the strongest essay cannot fully prove: how you think in real time, communicate under pressure, explain your decisions, show self-awareness, and present yourself as a future classmate, teammate, and leader. More top MBA programs are now using video essays, Kira-style assessments, timed recorded questions, or video interviews as part of the admissions process, including Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, INSEAD, IESE, IE Business School, London Business School, and others. In this live session, we will break down how to prepare strategically for MBA video assessments without sounding memorized, generic, or overly rehearsed. You will learn how to: * Understand what admissions committees are really testing * Build a flexible answer bank for common video questions * Structure strong responses under time pressure * Communicate with clarity, confidence, and authenticity on camera * Prepare for introductions, career goals, leadership stories, teamwork challenges, values, school fit, contribution, and unexpected behavioral prompts We will also walk through examples of how to turn scattered thoughts into focused, memorable answers. You will leave with a practical preparation system you can use before submission: a story bank, answer structures, a practice plan, and a clearer understanding of how to show personality, judgment, and communication skills when the camera turns on.

Elite LSAT Case Studies: 154 -> 180, 160 -> 178, and 168 -> 179 [7/23/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you will see exactly how three real test-takers diagnosed and closed significant score gaps on the LSAT, including how each identified their highest-leverage weaknesses, restructured their study approach mid-prep, and built the consistency needed to perform in the 170s. You will leave with a concrete framework for auditing your own prep the way a high-scoring candidate would. Attending live means you can ask how these case studies apply to your current score range and get a direct answer in context, not a general one. The coach works with LSAT students across score bands every day, and this session is a rare look at the diagnostic patterns and turning points that actually drive score transformation at the elite level.

Top Mistakes That Sink Law School Applications [9/9/2026] (Recording)

A strong law school application can be undermined by mistakes that are often completely avoidable. From weak essays and unclear positioning to poor school selection and overlooked details, small missteps can make a major difference in a competitive admissions process. This session is for aspiring law students who want to identify and avoid the mistakes that can weaken an otherwise strong application. You'll learn the most common pitfalls, how to spot them in your own materials, and what to do instead. Join live to hear from a Stanford Law School graduate who understands what it takes to build a compelling law school application. The speaker will break down the mistakes applicants make most often and share practical strategies for strengthening your essays, application narrative, and overall admissions strategy. Leave with a clearer understanding of how to avoid costly errors before you hit submit.

Sustainability Careers Overview (public vs private sector) [9/16/2026] (Recording)

I will talk about what it is like working in sustainability at a green tech startup, a large corporation, and the public sector. This livestream is meant to educate people on the politics of sustainability, where you can have the biggest impact, and the pros and cons of each type of work.

One Week to R1: The 3 Essay Mistakes I Flagged as a Booth Admissions Fellow [9/9/2026] (Recording)

Booth's Round 1 deadline is September 15 and most other R1 deadlines land the same week. The essays I read still have the same three problems. I spent a year as an Admissions Fellow at Chicago Booth reading applications, running 60-minute interviews, and writing the evaluation that went to the committee, so I saw what moved a file forward and what got skimmed. In 30 minutes I'll cover three mistakes. The essay that re-argues the resume. The why-this-school answer anyone could have Googled. The story with no cost in it. Each one with before-and-after language you can apply the same night. Bring a paragraph you're stuck on. I'll take as many as I can in the last 10 minutes. If you're aiming at Round 2, everything here still applies. You just have more time to use it.

Inside the Interview Room: Live MBB Case [9/3/2026] (Recording)

Live MBB case, worked start to finish, in real time. I'll walk through a full case the way it actually shows up in a McKinsey, Bain, or BCG first round: structuring the problem, sizing the market, and landing a recommendation under time pressure. You'll see how to build a framework from scratch instead of forcing a memorized one, how to handle the math without losing the thread of the business problem, and how to close with a clear "so what." By the end you'll have a repeatable structure you can use in your own interviews, not just notes on one case. Ex-McKinsey (Johannesburg, New York, San Francisco), Harvard MBA. I coach case prep for MBB-bound candidates on Leland.