Podcast listenership a requirement for jobs?

On a grand time line, podcasting today is still in its infancy.  Looking down the road, however, can listening to podcasts become a requirement to landing a job?  Read on to find out.In order to discuss podcasting on a level playing field, I would like to first define it.  Podcasting can be either one of the following or both:

1. A medium of distribution of digital content (such as audio and video) using the Internet and other technologies such as feeds.
   

   Podcasting on iTunes

2. A new wave of content that is narrowcast (rather than broadcast) to target audiences and distributed using the method above.

As such, podcasting is leading the wave in delivering the type of content people want, but the audience of which is too minute to have a time slot in various forms of broadcast media (such as television and radio – mediums with limited time availability and limited bandwidth).  This is not to say that podcasting solely exists for the point of narrowcasting: NPR, for example, makes available all of the network’s radio episodes online as podcasts.

As podcasting gains popularity, certain content will become a “must” listen or a “must” watch.  Is it possible that sometime in the future, being on the receiving end of certain podcast-only shows can have the ability of landing a job?  I can see this happening in certain situations.  For example, certain jobs that are focused in one specific area of an industry or market, will have a podcast (or podcasts) that’s considered definitive on the subject matter.  The best way to stay up on the latest news, commentary, and analysis would be to simply tune into the podcast.

Want a more specific example?  Let’s say Mark is a technology professional who has applied for a position within Microsoft titled Head of User Experience: Mobile devices.  Let’s also say that the definitive podcast in the area of technology and mobile connectivity is CNET’s Buzz Out Loud (BOL).  During the interview, the interviewer from Microsoft inquires whether Mark listens to BOL.  His answer might have some weight with whether he will be awarded the job.

This type of selection criteria has not proven to be the case with today’s broadcast shows.  Yet it is important to keep in mind that today’s broadcast shows do little to cater to the vast amounts of minute yet all-important niches that podcasters have the ability to cater to.  Thus, as the podcasting industry matures and podcasts gain some proverbial weight to throw around, consumption of a particular podcast might become the deciding factor, that little “extra,” in landing that dream job.

So, better go out and listen to that podcast in the field you want to work in!  If it doesn’t exist, email me; we’ll talk!  (Or start a podcast yourself)!

PS: in case you’re wondering, of course I would like to replace BOL above with our own TNR podcast, but I’ll resist the urge; hats off to the BOL team for their great work over the last few years, I love that show!

I will be discussing this post on the TechNest Report podcast this Friday. So please tune in for more in-depth commentary on the subject. Show is out at 3:00pm EST every Friday! Live shows coming soon!

Image courtesy of ssattri.wordpress.com

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Posted in Business, Decisions, Podcasting, Predictions