Career Podcasts

Podcasts are a thing. They’re everywhere. I tried to resist it, I tried to fight it, but I lost (or did I actually win…?). One summer, I wanted something new to listen to while processing invoices. My fun and funky Spotify playlists had gone stale, and I felt like I had not been expanding my brain and realm of experience as of late. Enter podcasts. Suddenly I now have so many different engaging podcast options – comedies, TV show analyses, news, quiz shows, science stories – that I could hardly ever get bored. I now am in the habit of having one queued up for during my runs, when I’m doing dishes, or when tidying up my apartment.

I went through multiple career and professional development podcasts, and here are the two I most enjoyed:

How Did You Get into That?

This podcast features interesting interviews with professionals about their paths to get to where they are today. The titles are very descriptive, so it is easy to scroll through the selection and pick topics that interest you. I particularly enjoyed How to Be a Professional Organizer, as I am always looking for strategies to best clean up and get focused. Moreover, there are multiple topics that are applicable to WPI students’ interest in technology, and just in starting your career or preparing yourself for success in general.

Episodes I Enjoyed: 136-How to Be a Professional Organizer; 095-How to Use a Do Over in Your Career; 090-How to Procrastinate on Purpose; 074-How to Create a Successful App; 053-Creating a Startup in Healthcare

How to Be Awesome at Your Job

I think perhaps of all the podcasts I tested out, this one is going to stay in my subscriptions. In addition to this show being current (still producing episodes) I enjoyed the host’s skill at getting down to the nitty-gritty of someone’s path to success. There are great tips in most episodes about networking skills and how to chart your professional course a few steps past where you currently are.

Episodes I Enjoyed: 221: Becoming a Great Conversationalist with Celeste Headlee; 212: How Introverts Flourish at Work with Morra Aarons-Mele; 203: Cultivating Sponsors, Developing Fearlessness, and Living Brilliantly with Simon Bailey; 202: Discovering the Work You’re Built to Do with Don Hutcheson; 184: Building Your Network Before You Need It with Dr. Ivan Misner

Give podcasts a try to expand your professional skills as part of your everyday routine!