Pod2Excel

Students — would you like to have a fireside chat with Amazon Web Services (AWS) leaders and hiring managers? Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently hiring and it's a great time to connect.

Join us today at 5:00pm EST as we welcome Kate Fagan & Dalin McCully for our Day 2 session with Amazon Web Services (AWS) 🥳

Propel2Excel is hosting a powerful fireside chat with Amazon professionals who bring: - Years of industry experience - Real insight into the roles students aspire to - Honest career journeys (the wins and the challenges) - Actionable advice you can use immediately - Mentorship/Advocacy to get in the door Join us today at 5:00pm EST as we welcome Gabe Bidot to start off our Day 1 session 🥳

Grinding harder isn’t always the answer. Grinding smarter is. Shahryar Raza doesn’t believe he would’ve reached the top 4% on LeetCode, in 2023, if he stayed locked in his room 24/7 and to reach whatever goals you have, you shouldn’t either. That path leads to burnout, resentment, and eventually quitting. Consistency comes from balance. Stepping outside. Resetting your mind. Giving yourself space to actually enjoy the process. Sustainable progress beats short-term intensity every single time. 🎙️ Clip from episode 2 of Pod2Excel, presented by Propel2Excel and hosted by Imani Greenidge. These are real conversations with the people who opened doors and the ones who walked through them. Full episode out now check it out: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ezDp3i9S Spotify Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e_sDNzyd #Pod2Excel #SustainableSuccess #AvoidBurnout #LeetCode #CareerGrowth #MentalHealth #ConsistencyOverIntensity #Propel2Excel #NonProfit #earlycareers

We’ve overhyped GPA and school prestige for too long. That mindset worked in a different era but not in this one. Today, the hardest part isn’t being “perfect.” It’s getting a shot. And once you get that shot, land that interview, the labels don’t matter anymore. It’s just you, how you think, how you communicate, how you show up and how you solve problems. Everything else is noise. Prestige might open doors. But preparation keeps them open. 🎙️ Clip from episode 2 of Pod2Excel with Shahryar Raza: Real conversations with the people who opened doors and the ones who walked through them. Full episode out now check it out: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ezDp3i9S Spotify Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e_sDNzyd #Pod2Excel #CareerReality #AccessOverPrestige #TechCareers #Hiring #ProfessionalGrowth

Sometimes it looks like: - Constantly undermining someone in meetings - Taking credit while giving no recognition - Weaponizing authority instead of using leadership - Calling it “pressure,” “high standards,” or “just business” - Gatekeeping to save your role Here’s the truth: - Real leaders don’t intimidate. - Secure people don’t need to belittle. - Healthy cultures don’t tolerate quiet cruelty. And if you’ve been blocked, silenced, or overlooked and you're like 'why, how': It was never about your capability. It was about someone else’s fear of it.

One of the clearest modern examples of environment shaping excellence comes from outside traditional career spaces. Kai Cenat and AMP pioneered the idea of living and building together as a group of like-minded, highly ambitious individuals, not as a gimmick, but as a strategy. By sharing a space, AMP created daily accountability, constant creative pressure, and a culture where growth became the default. When everyone around you is training, building, and executing, complacency doesn’t survive. Standards rise. Output compounds. Opportunities follow. This isn’t a new concept because colleges have applied it for centuries through dorms and cohort-based learning during students’ most formative years. What AMP showed is that the same principle works well beyond school when applied intentionally. At Propel2Excel, we believe access isn’t just about resumes or credentials but about proximity. Proximity to driven peers, mentors, and environments that force you to show up at your best. Talent grows faster when it’s surrounded by hunger. In this Clip from Episode 2 of Pod2Excel, presented by Propel2Excel & hosted by Imani Greenidge, Sébastien N. Francois talks more about making this move at an earlier stage in his career. These are real conversations with the people who opened doors and the ones who walked through them. Full episode out now check it out: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ezDp3i9S Spotify Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e_sDNzyd #Pod2Excel #SustainableSuccess #AvoidBurnout #LeetCode #CareerGrowth #MentalHealth #ConsistencyOverIntensity

🎙️ Episode 2 of Pod2Excel is LIVE 😎 This week, we’re joined by Shahryar Raza — Software Engineer at Google, former top 4% LeetCode (2023), and proud Propel2Excel alum. Shahryar sat down with host Imani Greenidge and Founder Sébastien N. Francois to break down what it really takes to break into Big Tech — especially as a non-CS major. This episode was built as a playbook for students and early-career professionals navigating today’s brutal job market. What you’ll learn: • How Shahryar Raza approached Big Tech interviews strategically • The truth behind reaching top 4% on LeetCode • Why networking often matters more than GPA or school name • How staying “interview-ready” changes everything • How to grind without burning out If you’re a student, career switcher, unemployed, or feeling like you’re “behind” — this episode is for you. 🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify. #Pod2Excel #Propel2Excel #BigTech #TechCareers #Networking #CareerCoaching #P2E #SoftwareEngineering