Best Podcast Recommendations for the Graduating Class of 2020
After four years of lectures from insightful professors and deep conversations with your classmates and floor-mates, post-grad life may seem a little quiet -- especially for us 2020 grads who didn’t get to have in-person celebrations. Second semester sorta just fizzled out.
It doesn’t have to be a quiet transition to the real world, though. As a 2020 college graduate myself (and someone just getting into the podcast industry -- I work with Sex Talk with My Mom), I have turned to the wide world of podcasts to feel connected to a broader community of discussions and to be inspired by new ideas. And my hope is that you can too! With that in mind, I put together a list of the best podcasts for 2020 graduates.
Podcasts come in any genre you might imagine. As a recent graduate, you may be seeking advice upon entering the professional world, or you might just be looking for an entertaining listen for your (Zoom) commute — hopefully it’ll be a real commute soon. If you’re new to podcasts, it may be a little intimidating to pick the right one to listen to out of the so many available. There are now over 1,000,000 podcasts out there! When we started college in 2016, only about ⅓ of the U.S. population was listening to podcasts. Now, it’s much closer to 50%. And I’m one of them! Even if you’re a veteran podcast listener, it may be difficult to find new podcasts that will suit your taste with new ones entering the field every single day.
Lucky for you, I have curated a list of the best podcasts for you, a 2020 graduate, to listen to!
I decided to split my podcast recommendations into three categories, “for fun,” “for career,” and “sports.” For me, at least, listening to podcasts from these three categories keeps me informed and up on pop culture.
“For Fun” Podcast Recommendations
Podcast recommendations - Armchair Expert
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
In this interview-style podcast, we get the privilege of hearing from the hilarious actor Dax Shepard and his variety of guests. He also prominently features his producer/co-host, the hilarious Monica Padman. From the likes of author Malcolm Gladwell to comedian Amy Schumer, Dax asks the questions that truly allow for his guests to open up. Dax is fascinated by “the messiness of being human,” and gets deep with his guests, exposing the listener to a great amount of human truth. His first-ever episode was an interview with his wife, Kristen Bell, and it was honest, real, and a great example of the intimate nature of podcasts.
Podcast recommendations- U Up?
No, this is not a text from your casual, yet consistent hookup who would avoid making eye-contact when they saw you in the library. But... it will help you to understand such behavior. In this podcast, founder of Betches Media Jordana Abraham and comedian Jared Freid give the hard truth about modern dating. Tune in to hear about dating disasters, analyses of dating profiles, and advice to their loyal listeners. Jordana and Jared’s goal is to make some sense of the crazy dating world we’re about to encounter during our twenty-something years. Let’s do this!
Podcast recommendations- Today in True Crime
Today in True Crime by Parcast Network
You get just what you’d expect from the title of this podcast, a piece of true crime history from the very day on which you’re listening. This is quick-listen (generally 10-14 minutes), and you’ll hear about historical crimes from around the world. This podcast will heighten your self-awareness in the space-time continuum that we live in. With new episodes daily analyzing these true crimes, you’ll find yourself wondering something sinister, “what delinquency happened today in true crime history?”
Podcast recommendations- Office Ladies
Office Ladies by Earwolf & Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsley
There are two types of people in the world. Unless you’re one of those few people who passionately dislike The Office, you’re probably a huge fan. Let Pam and Angela take you through the behind-the-scenes secrets of each episode in this fan-favorite podcast. Beginning with the Pilot episode, you’ll learn that the cast and crew of this hit series was not always so sure it would be the huge success it turned out to be. In fact, they really did not think it would take off. Thankfully, it did. Best friends Jenna and Angela are more than happy to share with The Office fans a little extra tea about the show through their banterful analyses.
Donald Faison and Zach Braff of Scrubs fame
This is the ultimate Scrubs rewatch show, hosted by Zach Braff and Donald Faison, who starred at JD and Turk. It is everything fans could’ve imagined and more. The two hosts are so excited to be podcasting, especially during this pandemic when they don’t have much else to do. Because of that, they give us a lot of their time. They also take calls from fans and have guests on who were also stars of Scrubs!
“For Career” Podcast Recommendations
We may not like to hear it when our parents tell us but, we’re graduating into a not-so-ideal economic situation and job market. One thing we can do is stay on top of career trends and up-and-coming fields. These podcasts are great weekly listens that’ll help you stay informed and ready to take on your first entry-level job.
Podcast recommendations- The GaryVee Audio Experience
The GaryVee Audio Experience by Gary Vaynerchuk
Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk hosts this very raw, practical podcast, in which he shares guidance and business strategies with his listeners. This podcast is perfect for entrepreneurs or anyone trying to navigate how to better use digital media platforms. The podcast often has planned guests or listeners calling in with their burning questions for GaryVee.
Business Casual by Morning Brew
In this podcast, host Kinsey Grant gets up-close-and-personal with some business industry captains. With these guests, Kinsey answers the questions that you’d been wondering about yourself regarding business, the economy, and our changing job market. Beyond that, she takes a deeper dive into the stories behind the business headlines you’re reading. This podcast opens a window into the complicated world of business that has such a great impact on all of our lives. This podcast features some great information to help us out with adulting a bit.
Podcast recommendations- Ted Talks Daily
Now having finished college, you probably know TED Talks- the conference series designed to share novel ideas and inspire discussion. On college campuses, you may have heard about TEDx, which puts on independent TED conferences, where people can apply to speak on a topic about which they are passionate. In this podcast, experts share new information straight from their field. Each episode is around 10 minutes of stimulating, encouraging thought. You might consider incorporating this podcast into your daily listening routine!
Podcast recommendations- Token CEO
At some point in time, we’ve all dreamed of being a CEO. In this podcast, hosted by Erika Nardini, the CEO of Barstool Sports, we get a small taste of what being a CEO is like. Erika runs with the idea of being Bartool’s “token CEO” and embraces the misconceptions of her position, while still taking it seriously. She gives listeners a look at the landscape of the sports/media industries from someone at the forefront of it. This may just inspire you to take that extra step to put yourself on top!
Podcast recommendations- Scam Goddess
This may just be an anti-business podcast, but it carries weight just the same. Scam Goddess AKA Laci Mosley informs her listeners on fraud and those involved in it. Frequently hosting guests, Laci and her buds explore the latest scams while joking along the way. They also touch upon scams of history. Laci starts out each episode asking her guest, “what’s your relationship with scams?” It’s ridiculous and hilarious.
Podcast recommendations- So Money
Farnoosh Torabi hosts the So Money podcast on money strategies and business approaches, giving her input as an award-winning financial strategist. Featuring big-time business minds, podcast listeners hear stories about their paths to financial success. This is a great listen if you’re looking to expand your knowledge on finance. Let’s face it, we all should be expanding at this point in our lives!
“For Sports” Podcast Recommendations
This is a podcast about life, basketball, and everything in between. Former NBA stars, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson have risen to the role of the league's most respected voices in today’s media. The notoriously competitive hosts invite current and former NBA players to revisit old anecdotes, share experiences, and to give unfiltered perspectives on all things basketball.
Snapback Sports Pod covers all things sports. Starting in 2019, hosts Jack Settleman and Abe Granoff have met with professional athletes ranging from college all-stars to NBA and NFL talent. Their goal is to relate to the talent they interview by asking them unconventional questions that don’t necessarily focus on just the sports, but rather focus on the personal interests of the athletes beyond their sports.
Podcast recommendations- Sports?
This podcast is for the sports lover in all of us, who also loves a bit of pop culture and fast-talking friends. It’s a weekly show that includes guests from all over the entertainment world -- athletes, comedians, scientists, and more. Katie Nolan is an Emmy award winning sports journalist.
Podcast recommendations- The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny
The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny by ESPN
Looking for a fresh, funny take on football? Check out Mina’s podcast. She and her dog Lenny are huge football fans with a great grasp on, and appreciation for the game. Listen as she invites her friends to discuss the drama that is the NFL!
Lots of podcast recommendations, I know! But there are some really informative and fun ones in here that are especially great for us 2020 grads.
Bonus: iHeartRadio put together this podcast, Commencement, which brings together graduation speeches from some of our favorite celebrities. They were written especially for us, the class of 2020 (probably because they feel bad that we didn’t get a real graduation… but whatever, we can say that Hillary Clinton spoke at our graduation).
To the class of 2020 — school may be out forever, but the learning doesn’t have to stop there! Podcasts are an easy and free way to keep up with the discussions going on in the world. It’s time to get adulting, and these podcasts will put you right on track. Now, pop some champagne (happy graduation, you!) and some podcast earbuds in, and get listening!
Need to AirPod knockoffs? We got you via our blog.
Here’s to the future, EarBuddies!
This blog post was written by Margot Nissenblatt, a recent graduate of Binghamton University
