Leland+ Content Library

October Series - Managing a Job Search (Session 4)

Stop moving in the wrong direction! It’s easy to confuse being busy with making progress. Not all activity is created equal. Many job seekers spend hours applying blindly or scrolling through job boards. But this kind of busywork often leads to burnout and disappointment. The real trap is measuring effort instead of results. (Read that again). What matters is focusing on high-impact activities and tracking meaningful metrics. If you don’t, you risk throwing darts in the wrong direction and wondering why you’re not hitting the board. While you might get lucky with sheer volume and the law of averages, it’s ultimately the quality and direction of your activity that truly counts.

Comprehensive Guide to Letters of Recommendation

​Letters of recommendation can make or break a graduate school application—but too often, applicants underestimate their importance or don’t know how to manage the process strategically. In this session, we’ll cover everything you need to know: whom to ask, when to ask, how to prepare your recommenders, and how to ensure your letters complement and strengthen the rest of your application. ​You’ll also learn how to approach potential recommenders with confidence, provide the right context and materials, and avoid common pitfalls. With clear guidance from Jennifer P., a Harvard master’s graduate and experienced coach, you’ll walk away with a roadmap to securing strong, authentic recommendations that highlight your strengths and align with your overall story.

Comprehensive Guide to Letters of Recommendation

​Letters of recommendation can make or break a graduate school application—but too often, applicants underestimate their importance or don’t know how to manage the process strategically. In this session, we’ll cover everything you need to know: whom to ask, when to ask, how to prepare your recommenders, and how to ensure your letters complement and strengthen the rest of your application. ​You’ll also learn how to approach potential recommenders with confidence, provide the right context and materials, and avoid common pitfalls. With clear guidance from Jennifer P., a Harvard master’s graduate and experienced coach, you’ll walk away with a roadmap to securing strong, authentic recommendations that highlight your strengths and align with your overall story.

Prepare Now: Acing Your Dental School Interviews

Your dental school interview isn’t just a conversation—it’s your opportunity to bring your application to life. This is where passion, purpose, and personality set you apart. The right preparation can be the difference between a polite interview and a powerful impression. In this session, you’ll learn how to craft memorable answers, tell your story with confidence, and think on your feet when the pressure’s on. We’ll break down what interviewers are really listening for and how to show up as a future clinician they can already envision in their program. If you’re ready to turn interview invites into acceptance calls, this is where it starts.

AMA: M7 MBA Admissions and MBB Recruiting [6/16/2026] (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.

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.

Top Leland Coach Reviews MBA Coaching Process with New Oxford Admit

In this session, Leland coach Ben L. sits down with his former client, Greg R., to unpack how Greg built a standout MBA application and navigated the admissions process with confidence. You’ll hear firsthand what worked, what didn’t, and how strategic coaching helped transform his story into an acceptance at a top program. ​Through their conversation, you’ll gain actionable insights on crafting a compelling narrative, approaching essays and interviews, and avoiding the common mistakes that trip up even the strongest candidates. Whether you’re just starting your MBA journey or putting finishing touches on your applications, this event will give you the tools and inspiration to nail the process yourself.

AMA: M7 MBA Admissions and MBB Recruiting [6/30/2026] (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.

How to Create a Competitive PhD Application

Applying to PhD programs is about more than strong grades and test scores—it’s about demonstrating research potential, academic fit, and a clear vision for your scholarly path. In this session, Leland coach and former AdComs Director at Princeton and Penn, Melissa A. will break down exactly what makes an applicant stand out in a highly selective process. ​Whether you’re applying this cycle or planning ahead, you’ll leave with a clear strategy for building a strong, cohesive, and competitive PhD application.

MBA Recruiting Resume Guide

This resume guide is your strategic blueprint for standing out in the highly competitive MBA admissions process. Designed with input from top business schools and recruiters, it walks you through proven formatting, language, and content strategies that highlight your leadership, impact, and potential—ensuring your resume rises to the top of the pile. Whether you're just starting or refining a final draft, this guide will help you craft a one-page resume that speaks the language of top MBA programs.

How to Land a Job as an AI/ML Engineer

​Breaking into artificial intelligence and machine learning can feel daunting—but with the right approach, you can position yourself for success in one of tech’s fastest-growing fields. In this session, David H. (AI/ML recruiter for Meta & Intuit), Felipe S. (Columbia IT Masters, Expert in Clustering Models & Neural Networks), and Deepa K. (Current Director of AI Solutions, Former Senior ML @ Affinity) will teach you what top employers look for in AI/ML engineering candidates, how to build the right technical and project experience, and how to stand out in a competitive hiring landscape. ​We’ll cover practical strategies for showcasing your skills, networking effectively, and preparing for technical interviews at leading AI-focused companies. Whether you’re a student exploring your options or a professional pivoting into AI, you’ll walk away with a clear roadmap to land your first—or next—AI/ML engineering role.

Build a Winning Product Management Application Strategy

Landing a product management role takes more than submitting applications. The strongest candidates approach the process with a clear strategy for positioning their experience, telling their story, and standing out in a highly competitive market. This session is for aspiring PMs who want to sharpen their application strategy and improve their chances of landing interviews. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling resume, communicate product thinking effectively, and highlight the experiences that matter most to hiring teams.

Mock McKinsey Behavioral Interview (PEI)

Christina B. and Jeremy S. are two of Leland’s top management consulting coaches, and they’re teaming up to help you master McKinsey’s unique behavioral interview style called Personal Experience Interview (or PEI). Often underestimated, the PEI is one of the most pivotal parts of the consulting interview process. If you can tackle the PEI, you can likely ace any behavioral interview from any firm. ​Jeremy will interview Christina live. Learn what exceptional PEI performance really looks like from a former McKinsey hiring manager whose coaching helped 85% of candidates land MBB offers last cycle. We recommend this event whether you’ve kicked off your consulting interview prep process, or you're still deciding if consulting is for you.

McKinsey PEI Mock Interview

Christina B. and Jeremy S. are two of Leland’s top management consulting coaches, and they’re teaming up to help you master McKinsey’s unique behavioral interview style called Personal Experience Interview (or PEI). Often underestimated, the PEI is one of the most pivotal parts of the consulting interview process. If you can tackle the PEI, you can likely ace any behavioral interview from any firm. ​Jeremy will interview Christina live. Learn what exceptional PEI performance really looks like from a former McKinsey hiring manager whose coaching helped 85% of candidates land MBB offers last cycle. We recommend this event whether you’ve kicked off your consulting interview prep process, or you're still deciding if consulting is for you.

How to Strengthen Your Deferred MBA Story Before the Deadline

Deferred MBA programs look for candidates with clear potential, thoughtful career vision, and evidence of leadership early in their careers. If you’re planning to apply this cycle, the months before the deadline are when strong applicants refine their goals, sharpen their narrative, and ensure their experiences clearly support why an MBA makes sense for them. In this session, you’ll learn how to clarify your long-term story, highlight leadership and impact effectively, and strengthen the core themes that run through your essays and application materials.

What Top Law School Applicants Do Differently

Top law school applicants don’t just have strong stats — they approach the entire application process strategically. In this panel, experienced admissions coaches will break down what separates competitive candidates from the rest, from LSAT preparation and school selection to personal statements and interviews. You’ll learn how successful applicants build a clear narrative, avoid common mistakes, and position themselves effectively for top programs. Whether you’re early in the process or preparing to apply soon, this session will give you a sharper understanding of how to stand out.

Where Should I Apply?

Choosing where to apply to medical school is a strategic decision that can significantly impact your chances of acceptance. In this session, you’ll learn how to build a balanced school list based on your GPA, MCAT, state residency, mission fit, and competitiveness, and how to evaluate programs beyond rankings alone. We’ll cover how to categorize reach, target, and safety schools and avoid common list-building mistakes. Whether you’re early in the process or finalizing your applications, you’ll leave with a clear framework to apply strategically and confidently.

Roadmap to R1: A Step-by-Step Plan to Apply Without Losing Your Mind

Applying to MBA programs isn't just about checking boxes, it's about telling your story, managing MANY moving parts, and doing it all while keeping your head above water! In this 40-minute presentation, admissions coach and former CBS Admissions Officer Kelsey Kephart will walk through the essential phases of the MBA application journey; what to tackle when, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to build momentum without burning out. The second part will be an Ask Me Anything (AMA) style session where you can ask questions!

How to Stand Out in the Schwarzman Scholars Application

After this session, you will know how to position your leadership narrative for the Schwarzman Scholars rubric, structure your essays to reflect the program's focus on global impact and cross-cultural collaboration, and avoid the framing mistakes that consistently weaken otherwise strong applications. These are patterns that surface repeatedly when reviewing what separates admitted candidates from those who fall short.

Home for Ambition #1: Staying Ahead in a Changing World [3/18/2026] (Recording)

In this first episode of Home for Ambition, we’re diving into one of the biggest questions facing ambitious people right now: what’s actually changing in the world of work, learning, and opportunity, and what should you do about it? We’ll unpack where AI is truly creating leverage, which skills are becoming more valuable, what people are wasting too much time on, and how to stay ahead as the rules keep shifting. — Home for Ambition is a show from Leland for ambitious people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity get rewritten. Each episode tackles a few important questions shaping careers, education, AI, and the future of opportunity, then breaks down what’s changing, what’s overhyped, what matters, and what to do about it.