• A Camera Operator
    Sep 10 2024

    Framing a scene to draw in the audience, dealing with screaming directors, and getting lost in an actor's performance with Pauline Edwards, a camera operator. What's it like filming a reality TV show? And what's a "swingle"?

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    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    31 mins
  • A Long-Haul Truck Driver
    Aug 27 2024

    Hauling 32,000 lbs of dead rats, strategically planning every turn and pit stop, and soaking up the highway sunrises and sunsets with Kathy and Gene Lednicky, team truck drivers. What's the chatter like on the CB radio? And what's a "lumper”?

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    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    32 mins
  • A Summer Camp Director
    Aug 13 2024

    Conjuring a world where kids can reinvent themselves, running a small town in the woods, and witnessing camp counselors falling in love with Eric Sasson, a summer camp director. What happens on the last night of camp? And why does the question "Do you have a minute?" spark anxiety?

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    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    33 mins
  • An Ice Cream Truck Driver
    Jul 30 2024

    Transforming school buses into ice cream trucks, watching kids grow up (one popsicle at a time), and struggling to keep the freezers running with Erin Bailey, an ice cream truck driver in New Jersey. What’s her best selling treat? And does she ever get sick of the ice cream truck song?

    Music credit:
    "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin
    Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    28 mins
  • An Ocean Lifeguard
    Jul 16 2024

    Learning to read the ocean, performing CPR on a dolphin, and leading daring (and sometimes foolish) rescues with Ed Vodrazka, an ocean lifeguard in California. What are the signs that someone is in trouble in the water? And how do you stay vigilant after many hours in the tower?

    Ed is the author of a couple of books about ocean lifeguards, including Stories from Sea Level: The Heroic and Humorous Adventures of California’s Ocean Lifeguards.

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    34 mins
  • A Secret Service Agent
    Jul 2 2024

    Scanning crowds for suspicious behavior, learning how to leap from moving vehicles, and investigating every threat to the president with Cindy Marble, a retired Secret Service agent. What's it like to witness history up close? And what is "left of boom"?

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    28 mins
  • A Tennis Coach
    Jun 18 2024

    Scouting for signs of greatness, bolstering players after heartbreaking losses, and fighting the "yips" with Vesa Ponkka, a veteran tennis coach. Why are tennis matches played in silence? And what's a "lucky loser”?

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    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
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    29 mins
  • A PR Crisis Manager
    Jun 4 2024

    Taking late-night phone calls from panicked clients, dueling with company lawyers over what to disclose, and rushing to preempt unfavorable stories with Chris Thomas, a PR crisis manager. What was it like to manage the media frenzy surrounding the Elizabeth Smart case? And what's the worst possible answer to a journalist's question?

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    1. What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    2. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
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    33 mins