5 Podcast Recommendations for Gen Z Career Growth 🚀

What's work like for Gen Z? How can you find and keep a job? These podcasts explore.

Podcast artwork for Your Gen Z Co-Worker, Heart to Hustle, Career Contessa, The Breakout – Unleashing Personal Growth, and Your College Bound Kid

Curator:

👉🏽 Layla Palmer (she/her)

Why this theme?

👉🏽Navigating your career as a Gen Z professional can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. This playlist features five podcast episodes packed with real advice, expert insights, and firsthand experiences to help you land jobs, grow your career, and build a future that fits your goals.

Whether you're job hunting, side hustling, or climbing the corporate ladder, these episodes offer actionable tips tailored to Gen Z.

Podcast Picks

Your Gen Z Co-Worker podcast cover art

In this solo episode of Your Gen Z Co-Worker, host Emily gets real about her winding career journey — from working 14 jobs in seven industries to becoming a business owner, YouTuber, and TV personality. She breaks down three big lessons: career paths aren’t linear, being yourself is your biggest asset, and dreaming big — even when people doubt you — pays off. It’s an honest, motivating episode for anyone figuring out their next career move.

Heart to Hustle podcast cover art

In this episode of Heart to Hustle, Gen Z indie musician Gabi Gamberg, also known as Daffo, shares their journey from a creative childhood to signing with a label and pursuing music full-time. They discuss the challenges of balancing passion with the business side of the industry, the excitement of performing live, and the realities of touring. This episode fits the theme by showcasing a firsthand Gen Z perspective on building a career in the creative industry and turning passion into a profession.

Career Contessa podcast cover art

In this episode, host Lauren McGoodwin and career coach, Marnie Lemonik, share strategies for building a strong personal brand, job searching effectively, and networking successfully on LinkedIn. With Gen Z entering a rapidly evolving job market, mastering LinkedIn is crucial for standing out, making connections, and accessing new opportunities. This episode offers practical, up-to-date advice tailored to young professionals looking to build their careers in a digital-first world.

The Breakout – Unleashing Personal Growth podcast cover art

In this episode, hosts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther talk with career coach Madeline Miller about the unique challenges Gen Z and Millennials face in today’s workforce. They explore how growing up amid climate change, rapid technological advancement, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped these generations' career perspectives. Madeline shares insights on guiding young professionals to find their footing and emphasizes the need for employers to adapt to the evolving expectations of new generations.

Your College Bound Kid podcast cover art

In this episode, host Mark Stucker breaks down 15 major shifts coming to college admissions in 2025 and 2026, shedding light on how financial pressures and evolving policies will impact students. He also interviews Kathleen deLaski, founder of the Education Design Lab, to explore how higher education is adapting to meet the demands of an evolving workforce. As Gen Z prepares for careers in an unpredictable job market, understanding these admissions changes is key to making informed decisions about education and long-term career success.

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Community

💖In Podcast The Newsletter, Lauren Passell recommends You Feeling This 2. She writes: “I was so on the edge of my seat, I almost fell off. I felt the same way I do when I’m reading a great book that I never want to end.”

🎙️The Early Podcast explores life as a journey, not a destination.

😹Good Hang with Amy Poehler is a new podcast where celebrity guests share stories about their careers, mutual friends, shared enthusiasms, and most importantly, what's been making them laugh.

📚Totally Booked with Zibby recently re-launched. It’s a daily interview show hosted by author, bookstore owner, and publisher, Zibby Owens.

🚀Get your show or news featured in our Community section. Fill out this form.

Podcast news from Podnews

  • The winners of The 2025 Ambies were announced in Chicago - the fifth annual awards for excellence in audio, in a ceremony hosted by Tig Notaro ahead of Podcast Movement Evolutions.

  • The Independent Podcast Awards are open for entry; and the organizers have announced a new event — the Independent Podcast Forum, a one-day event for indie creators. The awards attracted more than 400 entries last year.

  • Apple Podcasts remains the #1 app in the US for podcast downloads for the biggest shows, according to new data from Podtrac.

Spotlight

Climbing the Walls podcast cover art

From Understood.org, Climbing the Walls is an investigative limited-series podcast that explores why women weren’t diagnosed with ADHD for so long — and how the massive uptick in diagnoses since the pandemic is changing the ways we think about ADHD.

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