It can be tough to know how to broach the big, wide world of careers with young children. It may not even seem necessary; certainly, we’re not expecting kids to know what they want to do and how to get there. However, just because parents and educators aren’t talking to kids about careers doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention to what adults are doing.
As Kimberly Howard and Stephanie Dinius wrote in an earlier CareerWise blog, 5 ways to talk with young children about work and careers, “Children are doing their best to understand and organize the world of work that they see, and at times that means they are forming ideas about who can and cannot do certain jobs based on identity characteristics such as gender, race and/or ethnicity.”
Talking to children about work in age-appropriate ways can help broaden their ideas about what careers are and spark ideas for their future. For some kids, a podcast might be an entertaining yet educational way to learn about different jobs. Here are several that we found – some even hosted by kids!
What’s a career podcast for kids that you like? Share in the comments section below!
A Real Piece of Work: The Jobs Podcast for Young People
A partnership between Junior Achievement of the Heartland and NPR, A Real Piece of Work features hosts Matt and Melissa in conversation with people from a wide variety of professions about what they do, how they got started and someone could follow in their footsteps. Episodes include “What is the Cloud?” and “Trust me, I’m a nurse.”
Dream Big Podcast
Ten-year-old host Eva Karpman and mom Olga Karpman interview world-class performers who do what they love, with the aim of inspiring kids to pursue their passions. Episodes include “The hard truth about pursuing your big dreams” and “Erik Weihenmayer on how to avoid unnecessary panic,” an interview with the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
Kids Learn Careers
Each week, kid host Kyle Northcutt asks a different person about their job so gives know what options are out there. Episodes include interview with a cattle rancher, school principal, landscaping business owner and content marketing specialist.
Kidsverse
Kidsverse is an Australian podcast created by kids, for kids. The podcast talks to people about their jobs every month, including a fun fact about the history of the job. Episodes include conversations with a researcher, film director and acupuncturist.
Solve It! for Kids
This science podcast offers a peek into the world of real-life scientists, engineers and experts as they solve problems in their everyday jobs. Kids and families are then invited to take on a challenge and solve a problem themselves. While it is not solely career focused, it does expose kids to different jobs in science. Episodes include “Why should we learn how to code anyway?” and “How do you keep astronauts alive in space?”
