Podcasts: A great way to multi-task

Any Serial fans out there? (If yes, did you see the news about Adnan?!)

I was totally riveted by the story and eagerly tuned in weekly to hear what new twists Sarah Koenig had chosen to share with us. I even listened to Slate’s Serial Spoiler podcasts for recaps and additional insights after I’d listened to the week’s episode. And while Serial was a cultural phenomenon (I was delighted when enough of my friends were listening that I could stop explaining, “no, it’s ‘Serial’ with an ‘S,’ not like cereal the breakfast food…”), I’ve actually been kind of obsessed with podcasts for a few years now. I’ll be honest – the main reason I like podcasts is that I’m a big multi-tasker. I want to be entertained while I’m running errands or doing chores, and TV isn’t an option because I just can’t look away. A podcast on the other hand provides the perfect background noise to whatever I’m working on while providing news, entertainment, gossip, or helpful tips!  (Aaaand – if I realized I’ve totally zoned out and suddenly have no idea what anyone’s talking about, that “rewind 15 seconds” feature comes in SUPER handy. Sometimes I might hit it 5 times. Shhhhh.)

I’ve been listening to The Moth and to This American Life for years, but since the incredible success of Serial it seems like more and more interesting podcasts are cropping up. I’ve added Mike Pesca’s Slate podcast The Gist to my repertoire for his humorous take on current events, but I’ve also been excited to find some great podcasts that relate to questions we get here in Career Services.

Adulthood Made Easy tackles questions recent graduates ask – like how to make a new city feel like home, how to find a mentor, and, oh my goodness everyone has a job but me, how do I find a job? 22-year-old Sam Zabell is the host, and she interviews experts to provide the answers!

Slate’s Working podcast features professions and interviews someone in the profession about what a day in that field is like.

Working kicked off big by interviewing Stephen Colbert in its first episode, but other great episodes include How Does a Stand-Up Comedian Work? and How Does a U.N. Official Work? (You might recognize this week’s commencement speaker Samantha Power in Slate’s photo below.)