Leland+ Content Library

Leaving an Impression: Telling a Compelling Story for the McKinsey PEI

The McKinsey Personal Experience Interview is designed to uncover how you lead, handle conflict, and drive impact, and your storytelling makes all the difference. This session will teach you how to craft clear, compelling PEI stories that demonstrate ownership, resilience, and results while staying authentic and concise. You’ll learn how interviewers evaluate responses, how to structure stories for maximum impact, and how to avoid common pitfalls that weaken otherwise strong experiences.

What Sets Great Cases Apart: Insights from an Ex-Mckinsey Interviewer

Great consulting candidates don’t just solve cases—they stand out in how they think, communicate, and lead the conversation. This workshop is designed to break down what truly separates strong case interviews from exceptional ones, drawing on insights from a former McKinsey interviewer. In this session, you’ll learn how interviewers evaluate structure, problem-solving approach, synthesis, and communication under pressure. We’ll cover common mistakes candidates make, what top consulting firms consistently look for, and how to elevate your case performance across interview rounds. Whether you’re building your foundation or fine-tuning for final-round interviews, you’ll leave with practical strategies and a clearer interviewer’s perspective.

Navigating an AI Career: from Google to Microsoft to AI startups

Curious what it’s really like to build a career in AI—and how to stand out in one of tech’s fastest-growing fields? In this session, Michael A., who previously worked at McKinsey, Google, and Microsoft, and who now works with AI startups, will share insights from his own journey across big tech and emerging companies. You’ll learn how to identify the right roles in AI, what skills and experiences matter most to hiring teams, and how to position yourself for long-term success in this evolving space.

AI at Work: 5 Ways to Save an Hour a Day

Feeling overwhelmed by AI but not sure where to start? This hands-on workshop shows you exactly how to use AI for real work—today. This session is for professionals who want to work smarter, not harder, using free AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude. Outcomes: You’ll leave with a clear framework for prompting AI effectively, five ready-to-use examples for real work, and customized prompts to fit your own role. Learning Objectives: *Understand how AI fits into everyday workflows *Identify 3+ tasks AI can do faster and better *Practice a repeatable method for effective prompting

How to Ace the Wharton TBD (From an Ex-Admissions Fellow)

​The Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) is unlike any other MBA interview—a fast-paced, collaborative exercise designed to test how you think, communicate, and lead in a group setting. ​In this session, Brian B., a Wharton MBA graduate (with honors) and former Admissions Fellow who helped run Wharton’s TBDs, will share insider insight into what the admissions team is really looking for. Having coached dozens of MBA candidates, Brian will walk you through how to prepare effectively, contribute with confidence, and stand out as both a strong teammate and leader.

How to Ace the Wharton TBD (From an Ex-Admissions Fellow)

The Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) is unlike any other MBA interview—a fast-paced, collaborative exercise designed to test how you think, communicate, and lead in a group setting. ​In this session, Brian B., a Wharton MBA graduate (with honors) and former Admissions Fellow who helped run Wharton’s TBDs, will share insider insight into what the admissions team is really looking for. Having coached dozens of MBA candidates, Brian will walk you through how to prepare effectively, contribute with confidence, and stand out as both a strong teammate and leader. ​Whether you’ve received your Wharton invite or are planning ahead, you’ll leave this session with actionable frameworks and strategies to excel in the TBD.

MBA Application Teardown: Transform Your “Why MBA / Why Now” Essay [7/16/2026] (Recording)

Struggling with your Why MBA, Why Now essay? You are not alone. This session is the opening 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. We begin with the essay at the center of every application: the goals essay that answers why you want an MBA and why now. 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 a generic goals essay become a specific, compelling one: • See how an essay that feels deeply personal to the writer reads as generic to an admissions officer, and exactly why. • Learn the difference between stating your ambition and making it credible and memorable. • Watch vague career goals sharpen into a clear, believable through-line of why an MBA and why now. • See how the rebuilt essay becomes the spine that every other part of your application must reinforce. This is the essay everything else hangs on. Once your goals essay is sharp, your resume, short answers, recommendations, and interviews all have a center of gravity to point toward. Getting it right is challenging because you cannot read your own goals the way a stranger will. Watching it happen to someone else's essay is a great way to see your own clearly. 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. Get the essays that everything else depends on admission-ready. Register now to claim your spot in the live teardown.

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

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.

Starting Your Round 2 MBA Applications Now? Here's Your Game Plan [10/26/2026] (Recording)

Planning to apply to MBA programs in Round 2 but haven't started your applications yet? You're not alone, and there's still time to put together a competitive application if you approach the process strategically. With most Round 2 deadlines approaching in January, this session will walk you through everything you need to know to get started, prioritize your efforts, and avoid common mistakes. Led by a former MBA Admissions Director, this workshop will provide a practical roadmap for navigating the application process, from evaluating your profile and selecting schools to developing your career goals, essays, resume, and recommendations. What we'll cover - Round 2 reality check: What admissions committees expect and whether you still have enough time. - Building your school list: How to select programs based on your profile, career goals, and competitiveness. - Developing your application strategy: How to connect your background, accomplishments, and post-MBA goals into a cohesive narrative. - Preparing your application materials: What you need for your resume, essays, recommendations, and standardized tests. - Your week-by-week timeline: How to organize your work between now and January. - Common mistakes: What to avoid when preparing applications under tight deadlines. Who should attend? Prospective MBA applicants targeting Round 2 deadlines in January 2027, particularly those who are just getting started or feeling behind. Key takeaway: You'll leave with a clear application roadmap, a prioritized to-do list, and a better understanding of what it takes to submit a competitive Round 2 application.

Elevate Your Common App: Craft a Powerful Activities List

Are you applying to college and nervous about how to talk about your activities? Join Isamar, a former Stanford Admissions Officer, for this live workshop focused on helping you highlight your story through your activities list. This workshop will help you craft a powerful Common App activities list that showcases your unique interests and accomplishments beyond superficial activity descriptions. Learn 3 strategies to ensure that your application makes a compelling impression on admissions committees, captures your essence, and maximizes your chances of standing out in the admissions process. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your application! Who is leading the workshop? As a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Stanford, Isamar personally reviewed over 7,000 applications. As an admissions consultant, she coached students to gain admission to universities like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, UVA, Pomona, and more. She has supported both US and international students, as well as first-gen students. Isamar’s personalized, empathetic, and strategic approach ensures that your unique strengths and experiences shine through in your application. Her goal is for you to feel that you are applying as your best self, no matter where you’re applying. Isamar is a proud first-generation college graduate with a BA and EdM from Harvard, and an MBA from Oxford.

MBA Submit & Speak Part 2: The Interview Questions You Know Are Coming [9/17/2026] (Recording)

The MBA interview invitation is out of your hands. Preparing for the first questions they ask is not. This is the second session of the MBA Submit & Speak series. Your application is in, and the waiting has started, which makes this the best preparation window you will get. We take the handful of questions that open almost every MBA interview and work through what a strong answer to each one actually has to do. Across the three sessions, we move from the last days before you submit to the interview that follows. Attend all three to go from deadline to interview with one continuous plan, or drop into the single session you need most. In this session, we work through the questions every interviewer asks: • Walk me through your resume, and why the three-minute answer so often turns into six minutes of chronology. • Why an MBA and why now, spoken out loud, which is a different task from the same question on the page. • Why this school, in a year when every applicant has read the same website and repeats the same phrases. • Why you, and how to answer it without either shrinking or overselling. These are guaranteed questions, and that is exactly what makes a mediocre answer expensive. Your interviewer has heard hundreds of versions and is listening for the one that sounds like a person rather than a rehearsed applicant. Because you know these are coming, you can prepare them properly, and this session shows you what properly looks like. 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. Be ready for the questions you can see coming. Register now to claim your spot.

An Example of a Latham & Watkins Cover Letter for Emerging Companies Practice

This cover letter connects a background in entrepreneurship and clean energy to a firm's forward-looking practice in emerging companies.

An Example of a Kirkland & Ellis Cover Letter for their Energy Practice

Learn how to translate sustainable entrepreneurship and renewable energy experience into a compelling narrative for a top law firm's corporate practice.

How to Build an AI Job Search Agent [5/11/2026] (Recording)

FREE BOOTCAMP SEAT GIVEAWAY ($999 VALUE). In this session, you will learn how to build a custom AI agent that automates the most time-consuming parts of your job search. We will cover how to set up an agent that tracks and prioritizes relevant job postings, drafts tailored outreach messages, and flags application deadlines without manual effort on your part. You will leave with a working framework you can deploy immediately, not just a conceptual overview. Lee works with job seekers on AI-assisted search strategies regularly, and the patterns they have identified across successful candidates reflect thinking that is hard to replicate by watching a recording alone.

Study & Work in Europe Kickoff: What It Takes To Be an Expat

Moving to Europe for school or work can open incredible opportunities, but breaking into a new country and international job market comes with its own challenges. This kickoff session is for students and professionals considering a move to Europe who want a clearer picture of what it actually takes to make the transition. You'll learn how to navigate international recruiting, position yourself for opportunities abroad, and prepare for the practical realities of studying and working in a new country. Join live to hear from a panel of experts who have studied and worked across Europe and know what it takes to build a career internationally. They'll share firsthand lessons, recruiting strategies, and practical advice for making the move successfully. Whether you're exploring Europe for the first time or actively planning your next step abroad, this session will give you a strong foundation for the week ahead.

Inside the Mind of an MBA Admissions Committee [6/1/2026] (Recording)

What actually happens when your application is reviewed? This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how admissions committees evaluate candidates, compare profiles, and make difficult decisions among highly qualified applicants. Attendees will gain insight into what drives admissions decisions beyond surface-level credentials and learn how to frame their candidacy in a way that resonates with the evaluators behind the process.

Crafting an MBA Essay That Actually Stands Out [5/12/2026] (Recording)

FREE LELAND + FOR 1 MONTH FOR ALL LIVE ATTENDEES. Strong MBA essays aren’t just well-written, they clearly communicate who you are and why you belong at a program. This session is for applicants who want to move beyond generic advice and craft essays that genuinely stand out. You’ll learn how to develop a focused personal narrative, avoid common mistakes that dilute your story, and align your essays with what admissions readers are actually looking for. Join live to hear from MBA admissions experts and ask questions about your own essay ideas. The panelists regularly work with applicants on essay development and will share the patterns they see across successful submissions. Expect practical feedback and insights similar to what’s covered in 1:1 coaching conversations.

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.

Inside the Mind of an MBA Admissions Committee [7/14/2026] (Recording)

What actually happens when your application is reviewed? This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how admissions committees evaluate candidates, compare profiles, and make difficult decisions among highly qualified applicants. Attendees will gain insight into what drives admissions decisions beyond surface-level credentials and learn how to frame their candidacy in a way that resonates with the evaluators behind the process.