By Olivia Janik
For The Diamondback
After a summer internship at career networking podcast, Time4Coffee, University of Maryland student Ambi Narula was inspired to create a podcast of her own.
So the senior journalism major created “On the Record with Ambi” to help students at this university learn about different careers in journalism through alumni interviews about networking and opportunities in the field.
“I’m a very entrepreneurial person, I like starting things,” Narula said. “I’m really happy that it’s off the ground and people listen to it.”
Her first episode features a conversation with Alex Pyles, the audience editor for Capital News Service and contributing editor for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Both organizations are affiliated with this university’s journalism school.
The podcast allows students to learn about professional journalists in the digital format that is necessary for this semester due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pyles said.
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“I think this semester is a good time to do this,” Pyles said. “I think we’re all feeling a bit disconnected.”
When he was a guest on the podcast, Pyles said, Narula was “well-prepared” and ready to pick his brain about his career path.
Pyles, who is also a professor in the journalism school, said he enjoyed the experience, adding that it was “fun to be able to work with students outside the confines of the classroom.”
Adrianne Flynn, the director of internships and career development at this university’s journalism school, said she likes how the podcast encourages listeners to explore networking opportunities and various internships.
“She just wants to help people,” Flynn. “She’s a Terp all the way.”
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The interviewing skills Narula learned through her journalism classes, especially feature writing, have prepared her to start her own podcast, she said, and she was inspired by the success of other podcast creators.
Although the future of “On the Record with Ambi” is uncertain, Narula said, she is taking it week by week and hopes to increase listenership.
Narula said she plans to take marketing classes at George Washington University after graduating from this university, but she would like to get involved with audio and podcasting again.
Currently, there are four episodes available, and the podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts. Narula said she hopes to continue creating for as long as possible.
