As a busy government employee, Jason Pelletier was looking for educational opportunities that would fit into and complement his professional schedule. He discovered MIT Sloan Executive Education, where he earned an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership.
“The courses, curriculum, and leaders at MIT were incredibly refreshing,” says Pelletier, who is Chief of Staff for Human Resources Operations Center (HROC) for the United States Immigration and Citizenship Service (USCIS). “Working in government, we stay pretty well insulated and don’t interface as much as executives in other industries. I’m only able to sneak away for a couple days at a time. MIT provided a way to access top of the line, disruptive, cutting-edge content in a way that fits my nonstop schedule.”
Pelletier was committed to making the most of his time and to operationalizing his learnings. “After I completed each course, I transcribed all my handwritten notes, about 10-15 pages, into digital notes, then I inserted them into a calendar reminder and set it as a recurring, quarterly event. When I get the calendar reminders, I close my door and walk back through all of my notes and supplement them with current events. It’s an opportunity for a self-check and a way to hold myself accountable to what I’ve learned and how I’m bringing that to bear on my work.”
"In the classroom, you’re connecting with absolute monsters of industry. These peers are themselves amazing resources and add so much value to what is already a world class experience."
Pelletier completed four courses to earn his Certificate. When asked what he found most valuable, the government executive and former U.S. Army officer said that each course had its “golden apple.” And each program offered tangible, immediately applicable takeaways.
“Neuroscience for Leadership recalibrated my entire personal and professional disposition. Within a month I changed a dozen different aspects of my life. I changed my nutrition, picked up guitar, changed my sleep cycle. I’m so glad I took this course first; it set me up well to get my house in order and better understand the science of leading yourself before leading others.”
Next, Pelletier enrolled in Building Game-Changing Organizations: Aligning Purpose, Performance, and People. “What blew me away about Doug Ready’s course was his all-star lineup of brilliant and inspirational guest speakers—captains of industry and commerce. That was amazing exposure.”
“Pivot to Jared Curhan and Negotiation for Executives—the most exacting, intelligent curriculum I have seen in my life. He packed a semester’s worth of PhD-level content into two days. I loved the pace and the intellectual intensity, and the skills were directly applicable.”
Pelletier completed his certificate with a fourth course, Leading People at Work: Strategies for Talent Analytics, taught by Emilio Castilla. “This course was perfectly timed for me. I had recently hired the very first two corporate recruiters for the agency, individuals who must fearlessly recruit and develop talent. This course put a practical structure to measuring effectiveness. Professor Castilla has worked with numerous companies and has real skin in the game—talent analytics is more than theoretical for him. I also want to mention that his accessibility was amazing. He was always excited to help and engage with participants and was genuinely passionate about what he was presenting.”
Pelletier defines himself as a “true believer” of MIT Sloan Executive Education, not only for the curriculum but also the unparalleled business leaders that travel to MIT from around the world.
“In the classroom, you’re connecting with absolute monsters of industry. These peers are themselves amazing resources and add so much value to what is already a world class experience.”