Our top 11 podcast picks for summer listening

It’s that time of year again for our list of podcasts to get you through the long, lazy days of summer. In 2018 we focused on the world of IT and in 2019 we branched out to the broader world of science and general knowledge.

This year we head back to the office (which, we agree, is ironic) with our favourite podcasts that cover everything from business and technology to cybersecurity, IoT, career management and remote work. Here are 11 picks for summer listening:

Technovation with Peter High

Tech pro Peter High talks with C-suite executives and thought leaders about technology trends that are transforming business. It’s a blend of thoughtful insights and practical ideas—for example, in a discussion with P&G CIO Vittorio Cretella, High delves into P&G’s digital transformation, machine learning and the evolving role of the CIO.

Gartner ThinkCast

On ThinkCast, Gartner analysts share their research and ideas in a no-nonsense podcast on business, technology and strategy. They’ll help you think about what’s next for your organization and how it can gain a competitive advantage with topics such as Post-COVID-19: Reset Your Business Strategy.

Network Disrupted

Billed as “technology leaders making sense of network disruption,” this podcast goes beyond high-level talk of transformation and disruption and gets into the nuts and bolts of making it work. Industry veteran Andrew Wertkin talks to tech leaders about how they’ve dealt with the questions facing many IT pros, such as How Do I Upskill My Team For Digital Transformation?

Smashing Security

Cybersecurity is a serious subject—but hey—it’s summer. So, if you want lighthearted banter that’s still highly informative, check out this award-winning podcast. Computer security industry veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault chat with guests about cybercrime, hacking and online privacy. You’ll laugh in the face of danger.

CYBER

In this weekly podcast from Vice, host Ben Makuch talks to Motherboard reporters Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai and Joseph Cox about their latest stories, “and to the industry’s most famous hackers and researchers about the biggest news in cybersecurity.” Lorenzo and Joseph dig deep for the truth: on the July 9 episode, part of the story is drawn from “talking to sources in the criminal underworld.”

IoT Podcast – Internet of Things

Stacey Higginbotham is a long-time tech journalist and former senior editor at Fortune. Along with co-host Kevin Tofel, she discusses the latest news in the worlds of consumer, industrial and enterprise IoT. Aimed at a tech-savvy audience, the show features interviews with industry leaders and offers practical IoT tips and advice. Topics range from how to set up a secure IoT network (episode 261) to which video doorbell Stacey bought (episode 275).

I.T. Career Energizer

This is a podcast about “what it takes to start, develop and build a successful career in tech.” Phil Burgess interviews IT professionals, consultants and experts, who share their career experiences and insights—such as cloud career coach Broadus Palmer (yes, there’s such a thing). In Be Ready for the Next Big Tech and Stick to Your Plan, they discuss the future of careers in IT and Broadus recounts his worst-ever career moment.

How to be Awesome at Your Job

We know, we know—you are already awesome at your job. But you can be even more awesome. On this podcast, host Pete Mockaitis interviews “thought-leaders and results-getters to discover specific, actionable insights that boost work performance.” As it’s summer, we’re listening closely to episode 554: How Doing Less Results in Achieving More.

WFH Daily

Of course, summer 2020 will be remembered as the summer of working from home. WFH Daily, in episodes of 10 minutes or less each weekday, claims to “help you stay connected, productive and sane while working remotely.” The episode Working from Home with the Kids? Give Yourself a Break begins with a discussion of Play-Doh.

Yonder

This podcast has been around since 2016, aimed primarily at those who manage remote workers and distributed teams. It features interviews with leaders who’ve tackled these challenges (so, most managers could be guests at this point). And yes, they do address the current situation in episode 84: Remote Work During a Pandemic, which has tips for workers and managers transitioning to remote work for the first time.

Security Now (part of the TWiT podcast network)

Described as “the most important show you will watch all week,” Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte discuss the most important IT security topics that you need to know. Considering that a large percentage of the population is now (and for the foreseeable future) working from home, IT and network security is vital, and this podcast provides valuable insight from two leading industry experts.

Read more:

10 podcasts for IT pros
5 hot podcasts for hot summer days
8 books for your summer (pandemic) reading list

Images: Nicola Katie/iStock; mikkelwilliam/iStock