What if the problem isn’t that you’re bad at following systems—but that the systems you’re following were never designed for you in the first place? In this episode, Melissa Vining sits down with Avigail (Avy) Schondorf to challenge the idea that there is one “right” way to work, especially for neurodivergent professionals. Avy shares why individual experimentation matters more than prescriptive advice, how to identify what you actually have control over at work, and why collecting data about yourself can be one of your most powerful tools for creating a better work experience.

Inside this Episode:

• Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Why strategies that work for one person may not work for another—and why finding what works for YOU requires experimentation, not a perfect prescription.
• Taking Back Control: How to separate what you can and cannot control at work, then look for the angles, tools, and choices available within your sphere of influence.
• Managing the Manager: How to focus conversations on outcomes rather than rigid processes, advocate for the way you work best, and create more autonomy without sacrificing accountability.
• Self-Accommodations at Work: Why proactively adjusting your environment—from lighting and sound to breaks and meeting structure—can reduce unnecessary drain and help you do your best work.
• Use Your Data: How tracking patterns, outcomes, and what works for you can turn your neurodivergence into a source of information and help you advocate for the conditions you need to succeed.
• Building Confidence: Why challenging the stories you’ve been told about yourself can help you trust your own experience and stop wasting energy trying to fit someone else’s expectations.

Guest Bio:

Avigail "Avy" Schondorf is an entrepreneur and advocate for neurodivergent individuals. She hosts the AvyHD podcast, empowering neurodivergent entrepreneurs with practical insights. As CEO of Alisto, she helps ADHD entrepreneurs overcome overwhelm and achieve business success through top-down, bottom-up operational support. Recognized for her efforts in providing shame-free business strategy, Avy is celebrated for helping people stop trying to outwork a brain that doesn’t run on willpower, making impactful contributions to the neurodivergent community and beyond.

Connect with Avy:

https://avyhd.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/avy-schondorf/

https://www.youtube.com/@avy-hd

https://www.facebook.com/avi.schondorf/

Episode Timestamps:

00:34 – Meet Avigail Schondorf

01:08 – Avy’s nonlinear career journey and why a traditional 9-to-5 wasn’t sustainable

05:45 – Finding work that plays to your strengths

07:21 – ADHD, executive function, and the limits of one-size-fits-all advice

12:49 – The strengths of being neurodivergent and why iteration matters

13:20 – Why systems aren’t designed for individuals—and how to find what works for you

19:42 – Making your current job work better while keeping your options open

23:19 – Managing your manager and creating more autonomy at work

26:24 – Reducing workplace drain through self-accommodation and control

31:21 – Building confidence, challenging expectations, and trusting your own experience

35:43 – Connecting with Avy

P.S. If you’ve found this episode helpful and want to support the podcast, ⁠buy me a coffee here⁠! Your support helps me keep creating content that helps high-performing misfits find work that fits. https://buymeacoffee.com/melissavining

When applying to dozens of positions yields complete silence, it is easy to assume your background or qualifications are the problem. But behind the scenes, the widespread adoption of AI tools and automated application bots has created unprecedented noise in hiring pipelines, leaving honest, qualified candidates buried under synthetic resumes and deepfake profiles. In this episode, Melissa Vining sits down with Thor Hesselberg, founder of WorkID.ai, to demystify what is really happening on the employer’s screen. Thor pulls back the curtain on the shifting recruitment landscape, breaks down why generic, AI-generated applications fall flat with hiring teams, and shares why verifiable career histories and genuine human authenticity are becoming an applicant’s greatest edge.

Inside this Episode:

• The Cost of Cheating: How the rapid rise of AI bots and synthetic applicant profiles created chaos on both sides of the hiring table, burying authentic applicants under sheer volume.
• Verified Work Histories: Why building a portable, tamper-proof record of your employment helps serious job seekers cut through recruiter fatigue and boost interview callbacks.
• Decoding Employer Screening: What recruiters actually do when hundreds of applications flood in, and why so few candidates ever make it to the initial phone screen.
• Addressing AI Bias: How current automated screening models inherit demographic and geographic biases, and why transparent credibility metrics are needed to level the playing field.
• Authenticity as an Advantage: Why hiring managers are actively rejecting polished, robotic AI phrasing in favor of candidates who lead with problem-solving and authentic human experience.

Guest Bio:

Thor Hesselberg is the Founder of WorkID.ai, building a candidate-owned and portable professional identity for the future of hiring. With more than 25 years of experience across recruitment, technology and large organisations, he has seen first-hand how AI is changing the way candidates present themselves and how employers establish trust. WorkID.ai allows candidates to verify their professional history once, own and control their data, and carry that verified identity across employers, platforms and borders.

Connect with Thor:

https://workid.ai/profiles/thorhesselberg

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thorhesselberg/

www.workid.ai

Episode Timestamps:

00:34 – Meet Thor Hesselberg

02:22 – The rise of AI and synthetic resumes

04:20 – How automated applications hurt honest candidates

06:41 – Introducing WorkID and verified work histories

10:41 – Skills assessment vs. verified credentials

13:24 – Verifying freelance and nonlinear career paths

15:21 – Vetting employers and combating fake job posts

18:11 – What really happens during the recruiter screening process

19:37 – Unconscious bias in AI hiring tools

22:38 – Why hiring managers crave authentic communication

25:26 – Will the traditional resume become obsolete?

27:45 – Connecting with Thor and WorkID

P.S. If you’ve found this episode helpful and want to support the podcast, ⁠buy me a coffee here⁠! Your support helps me keep creating content that helps high-performing misfits find work that fits. https://buymeacoffee.com/melissavining

When you're a neurodivergent professional, searching for a new job can feel like trying to play a game where the rules were written for a completely different brain. Between unclear job descriptions, automatic rejection emails, and the overwhelming noise of a typical job search, high performers with ADHD or AuDHD often end up burned out or stuck in task paralysis. In this episode, Melissa Vining sits down with former recruiter, HR strategist, and certified ADHD coach Jeanna Malines to break down how to stop forcing yourself into neurotypical molds and start building a job search that honors how your brain actually works. Jeanna shares actionable strategies for pitching yourself as a solutions-based hire, managing rejection sensitivity, and leaning into your unique strengths.

Inside this Episode:

• Unmasking Late-Diagnosed ADHD: The realities of navigating a late-in-life diagnosis and how recognizing your brain's wiring changes how you view your career journey.
• The STAR Method & Strengths-Based Interviewing: How breaking down past accomplishments step-by-step can turn interview anxiety into clear, confident storytelling.
• The Solutions-Based Hire: Why reaching out to key decision-makers with proactive solutions beats endlessly tweaking resumes to fit generic job descriptions.
• Reframing Rejection & RSD: Practical ways to visualize worst-case scenarios, dismantle rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and understand the behind-the-scenes recruiter realities.
• Navigating the 90-Day Transition: Strategies for managing the onboarding period in a new role without falling into people-pleasing or masking habits.

Guest Bio:

Jeanna Malines is the founder of Trajecta, where she helps professionals navigate career transition, job search, and workplace development with strategy built for real brains, not generic advice. A former recruiter and HR/talent strategist with 20+ years of experience and a certified ADHD coach, Jeanna specializes in supporting ADHD and neurodivergent professionals as they clarify direction, communicate their value, advocate for themselves, and find work environments where they can actually thrive.

Connect with Jeanna:

https://www.trajecta.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanna-malines/

Episode Timestamps:

00:34 – Meet Jeanna Malines

01:20 – Jeanna’s recruiting background and ADHD journey

09:43 – What working with a certified ADHD coach looks like

13:14 – Leveraging neurodivergent strengths in a job search

16:23 – Breaking down accomplishments with the STAR method

21:11 – To disclose or not to disclose in an interview

25:08 – Using AI as an assistive tool for repetitive tasks

26:42 – Navigating the 90-day workplace transition

30:49 – Researching target companies and pitching solutions

39:17 – Overcoming rejection sensitivity and reframing "no"

44:24 – The Jobseeker's Guide to the Galaxy & ADHD Career Cost Calculator

50:56 – Jeanna’s final words of wisdom

P.S. If you’ve found this episode helpful and want to support the podcast, ⁠buy me a coffee here⁠! Your support helps me keep creating content that helps high-performing misfits find work that fits. https://buymeacoffee.com/melissavining