about.

I help people craft stories that move their careers, and MBA applications forward.

Hello! My name is Leah Derus and I’m a Fulbright recipient with a Bachelor’s in Psychology from La Sorbonne, a Master’s in Innovation Management from La Scola Superiore Sant’Anna, and an MBA from MIT Sloan. I spent the first part of my career in recruiting and marketing, but the best part of my career working with early and mid-career professionals. I’m also a published author (does self-publishing count?….I gueessss so). You can find my MBA & EMBA Application Guide series as a digital download in the mbaSTORY.builders store or in paperback at Amazon.

Through mbaSTORY.builders (formerly fxMBAconsulting), I’ve worked with countless MBA and Executive MBA applicants over the years, helping them gain acceptance to top business schools like MIT Sloan (and Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton bien sur). How? By crafting MBA application material (resume, essays, recommendations, and interview material) that conveys a coherent, desirable, and unique story to the admissions committee.

Outside the MBA application cycle, I work with career-orientated clients at resumeSTORY.builders, I leverage the same toolkit and exacting standards to help my clients write their own tickets in the job market. Over the years I’ve found that by taking the time to rethink a career plan or job search, rewrite a resume, polish up a cover letter, or learn to convey poise and executive presence in interviews, clients’ goals become their reality.