The 5 best podcasts for young professionals
by Stephanie Eckelkamp
Sure, it’s great to have an IRL mentor who can answer career questions and lend guidance in tricky situations. But sometimes we need more. No single person has all the answers to your workplace questions. And sometimes, you don’t even know what questions you should be asking in the first place! That’s where podcasts come in.
Whether you’re on your commute, running errands, or out walking your dog, you can get insightful tips from the best in the biz on negotiating salary, starting a side hustle, optimizing productivity, managing stress and overwhelm, tactfully navigating office politics, asking for help, fighting perfectionism, and more. Oh, and if you’re more on the entrepreneurial side, there’s plenty of inspiration for diving headfirst into starting your own business from people who have done it and defied the odds (like the founder and CEO of Bumble).
Here are five podcasts we can’t stop listening to right now, all packed with actionable tips to help you thrive at work—or take the leap to find work you love.
1. Career Talk: Learn — Grow — Thrive
Hosted by senior talent acquisition consultant Stephanie Dennis, Career Talk is one of the best resources for all-around career advice. Episodes are typically under 20 minutes and encompass topics like how to turn around low performance, careers you can get without a degree, transitioning back to the office after WFH, how to deal with bullies and sexism in the workplace, cold connecting with people on LinkedIn, dealing with difficult customers, and more. Seriously, just scroll through her episode list and something is bound to be relevant to your current situation!
Who should listen? Literally any young professional with a job or looking for a job.
2. Harvard Business Review Women at Work
Harvard Business Review is one of the most trusted resources for advice on strategy, innovation, and leadership from the world’s best business and management experts—so you can trust that what they produce is top quality. Their Women at Work podcast is no different. It looks at the struggles and successes of women working in corporate America, and topics include things like how to negotiate strategically, boost productivity, and give feedback.
If you listen to one episode, listen to We Answer Questions from Early Career Listeners, in which hosts Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Emily Caulfield address questions like: What should I do if I’m left out of important meetings? How do I balance assertiveness and persuasion? Should I talk to my boss about infertility? How do I set myself up now if I want to be CEO someday?
Who should listen? Anyone looking for solid advice from other badass women on how to climb the ladder in corporate America.
3. How I Built This with Guy Raz
NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz is just plain entertaining. Quirky and inquisitive host Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies like Whole Foods, Bumble, Spanx, Health-Ade Kombucha, We Work, SoulCycle, RXBar, Rent the Runway, and more by interviewing the trailblazing founders who built them. Often, their journey wasn’t a straight shot to success either—half the fun of this podcast is listening to the trials, tribulations, and strage twists of fate that these innovators and idealists experienced along the way, and that often made their companies all the more successful.
Who should listen? Anyone who dreams big, has an entrepreneurial spirit, and wants to learn about what worked—and what didn’t—from hugely successful founders and CEOs.
4. Beyond The To-Do List
If you find yourself struggling to juggle your personal and professional obligations, and also maintain a social life, then Beyond The To-Do List is for you. Host Erik Fisher, whose day job is Director of Social Media Education at Agorapulse, talks with guests like Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, about how to implement practical productivity strategies in your personal and professional life. Episodes are jam-packed with tips and explore all aspects of productivity, including the importance of implementing a routine, and how to prioritize your most important activities, increase mindfulness, avoid overthinking, and fight perfectionism. If you're prone to the “Sunday scaries,” this podcast will help quell that feeling of dread and leave you inspired to strategically tackle your busy schedule.
Who should listen? Anyone who generally feels overwhelmed, struggles with deadlines, or deals with anxiety and needs actionable strategies to ramp up productivity.
5. Side Hustle School
Not a huge fan of your current job? Need a creative outlet that harnesses a hidden talent? Just want a backup plan and some extra cash if sh*t hits the fan? We got you. Side Hustle School doesn’t tell you how to succeed at your current job, but rather, it encourages you to try something new and generate some extra cash in the process. On the podcast, host and successful author Chris Guillebeau, interviews ordinary people who have all started a hustle by using skills they already have, and without quitting their day job. Episodes provide everything from basic advice if you’re just starting out (check out Create a New Source of Income Without Quitting Your Day Job) to tips for more experienced freelancers and side hustlers. The best part? These episodes are short and sweet—all under 10 minutes!
Who should listen? Anyone looking for actionable tips and inspiration on how to start their own side hustle or grow an existing one.