Unlocked Professional: AI and Future of Work

Most companies are stuck in "experimentation theater". Buying AI tools that go nowhere while their teams are exhausted by the hype. Welcome to The Unlocked Professional , where we stop playing with AI and start running it like a business operation. Hosted by Jeff Midland , we interview the visionaries from Chief AI Officers to Workforce Futurists. We give you the "Cheat Code" for staying relevant. Learn to move from being just a worker to an Architect of the future. We dive deep into Human-Centric AI, Agentic workflows, and the ADOPT method to ensure you remain irreplaceable. Stop the social grinding and start building a real strategy that works with AI, not against it.

Unlocked Professional: AI and Future of Work is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 20 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Unlocked Professional: AI and Future of Work, a business show with 20 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #19

  Why Most Leaders Are Playing Checkers With Artificial Intelligence | Kelly Monahan

  Aug 5, 202643 min

  Struggling to balance aggressive AI implementation with employee burnout and organizational wellbeing? Dr. Kelly Monahan, Managing Director at the Upwork Research Institute and former Future of Work Lead at Meta, joins Jeff to challenge how business leaders approach workforce transformation. In this episode, she breaks down why short-term cost-cutting undermines long-term innovation, how skills-based workforce planning replaces rigid job descriptions, and why maintaining humanity is essential when AI rewrites the future of work. Key Topics Aligning organizational AI strategy with human-centered workforce goals Macroeconomic pressures driving AI adoption for cost-cutting versus long-term innovation Core future skills: resilience, systems thinking, AI fluency, and adaptability Shifting from rigid job descriptions to skills-based workforce planning The impact of AI on knowledge work and potential rebalancing toward physical skills How AI democratizes expertise and reshapes traditional positional authority The leadership framework of Drift, Delirium, and Dream for organizational transformation Cross-industry AI applications for operational flexibility and customer experience Episode Timestamps 0:00 Leaders prioritizing AI strategy over workforce wellbeing 0:30 Kelly's background from Kodak layoffs to human-centered AI research 2:47 Short-term cost-cutting versus long-term value creation 5:43 Identifying core business problems before deploying AI tools 6:11 Moving from rigid job titles to competency-based skill mapping 13:04 Labor market shifts, skill re-evaluation, and identity disruption 16:22 Top five skills for future employment in an AI-driven economy 26:41 Assessing organizational readiness, AI ROI, and strategy over hype 30:42 The Drift, Delirium, and Dream framework in leadership development 33:01 How AI democratizes expertise and diminishes formal corporate authority 42:51 Final advice on personal agency and continuous learning Guest Links Website: https://www.beyondthedesk.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-monahan-ph-d-18879413 Keywords: Kelly Monahan, human-centered AI, future of work, skills-based hiring, workforce planning, Upwork Research Institute, leadership development, AI strategy, organizational culture, upskilling

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  Episode #18

  Skills-Based Hiring: How Vervoe's CEO Is Rebuilding the Interview | Omer Molad

  Jul 29, 202653 min

  Sending out resumes only to meet dead ends and radio silence? Omer Molad, Co-founder and CEO of Vervoe, joins Jeff to challenge how companies evaluate human potential entirely. In this episode, he breaks down why traditional resumes fail to predict performance, how Vervoe's audition-style simulations replace outdated screening methods, and why the future of talent acquisition belongs to skills-based hiring rather than pedigree. Key Topics The measurement problem in modern hiring Why resumes are misleading marketing documents Audition-based hiring and real-world task simulations AI-powered assessments for candidate evaluation Balancing AI proficiency with fraud detection Remote-first work culture and distributed teams Voluntary obsolescence and continuous self-reinvention Episode Timestamps 0:00 Why hiring is a measurement issue, not a talent shortage 0:29 Omer's journey from candidate to founder 1:57 Why traditional resumes fail to identify actual capability 2:56 The inspiration behind Vervoe's real-job scenario assessments 6:17 Remote work culture and living the Australian countryside lifestyle 11:25 Moving past pedigree and replacing interview fatigue 14:43 How AI assesses current skills and future candidate potential 18:33 Detecting AI cheating and maintaining assessment integrity 25:42 Designing practical simulations that mimic on-the-job tasks 34:46 Why companies are abandoning traditional resume screening 48:15 Embracing continuous reinvention and voluntary obsolescence 50:11 Where to find Omer and follow his work Guest Links Website: https://vervoe.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omermolad/ Keywords: Omer Molad, Vervoe, skills-based hiring, AI assessments, recruitment technology, future of work, talent acquisition, skill validation, remote work, audition-based hiring

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  Episode #17

  From Cirque du Soleil to Career Coach: Why Your Resume Isn't Getting Past AI | Mindy May

  Jul 22, 202655 min

  Sending out hundreds of applications and getting silence in return? Mindy May, a Certified Career Coach and former HR Director with experience at companies including Cirque du Soleil, joins Jeff to challenge how most professionals approach the job search entirely. In this episode, she breaks down why positioning beats volume, how to turn your resume into a marketing document that gets noticed by both ATS systems and human recruiters, and why interview preparation is the difference between hoping for an offer and actually getting one. Key Topics Positioning over application volume Resume and cover letter as marketing tools How ATS systems and human recruiters both shape hiring decisions DISC assessments for career alignment AI tools for job seekers and career coaches Interview preparation and storytelling Episode Timestamps 0:00 Why job seekers often have a positioning problem, not just a resume problem 0:27 Mindy's background in HR, psychology, and leadership 6:07 Why applying to more jobs is not the real solution 7:37 What ATS means and how it affects job seekers 8:55 Why resumes should be treated as marketing documents 15:24 Why a tailored cover letter can still make a difference 20:35 Whether candidates should reach out directly to recruiters or hiring managers 29:19 How DISC assessments help coach candidates more effectively 35:03 How people are adopting AI in the workplace 40:29 Using AI to improve interview prep and storytelling 46:12 Why interviews are not a dress rehearsal 51:02 Where to find Mindy and follow her work Guest Links Website: https://www.careercoachsvc.com/coach/mindy-may-mba/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindymay-coach Keywords: job search positioning, ATS resume optimization, resume as marketing document, DISC career assessment, AI in job search, cover letter strategy, interview preparation, applicant tracking systems, career coaching, LinkedIn for job seekers

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  Episode #16

  Hiring Data Nobody Talks About | Jen Emmons

  Jul 15, 202657 min

  Most professionals approach a job search the same way they did a decade ago, and that mismatch is exactly what holds them back. Jen Emmons, a career coach and recruiting strategist with over 20 years in HR leadership, has built her practice around helping experienced professionals reframe their value in language that actually lands with recruiters and hiring managers. In this episode, she breaks down how to update your resume for the role you want rather than the one you had, why the transferable skills matrix changes everything for career pivoters, and what it really takes to walk into an interview and get the offer. Key Topics Updating your resume to reflect value, not just responsibilities The transferable skills matrix for targeting the right roles Overcoming ageism and ATS fears Networking as relationship building Career pivots with clarity Interviewing to get the offer, not just hope for it Episode Timestamps 00:00 How job seekers unknowingly work against themselves 01:23 Jen's background and the conversation begins 05:35 Resume mistakes recruiters notice right away 08:21 ATS vs. hiring manager review 12:12 The transferable skills matrix 14:56 The biggest fear: ageism 17:22 Dispelling myths about AI and recruiting systems 22:29 Why networking is really relationship building 27:36 The root cause filter framework 33:46 Career pivots and moving forward with clarity 39:27 Interviewing to get the offer, not just hope for it 50:21 What to say to AI skeptics 54:12 Closing thoughts and where to connect Guest Links Website: https://www.jenemmonsconsulting.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenemmons Keywords: career transition, resume strategy, transferable skills matrix, ageism in job search, applicant tracking systems, career pivot coaching, networking for job seekers, interview preparation, recruiting strategy, HR leadership

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  Episode #15

  Why Your Job Application Never Gets Seen and What AI Can't Fix About Hiring | Bob Pulver

  Jul 8, 20261 hour

  What happens when AI starts making hiring decisions and no one is watching? Bob Pulver, a former Fortune 500 IT executive turned HR tech and AI ethics specialist, brings rare cross-functional expertise to one of the most consequential shifts in the modern workplace. In this conversation, he unpacks how AI is reshaping every stage of recruitment from sourcing to onboarding, what transparency and accountability in AI-driven hiring tools actually require, and why the traditional resume may already be on borrowed time. Key Topics AI across the full recruitment lifecycle Responsible AI, bias mitigation, and hiring audits Candidate fraud risks and AI-assisted assessments Internal mobility and workforce reskilling Human oversight in AI talent decisions Future skills and education in an AI-enabled workforce Episode Timestamps 00:00 The AI ecosystem in hiring: machine-to-machine and human interaction 00:24 Bob Pulver's experience and transition from Fortune 500 to HR tech 03:51 The impact of AI on talent decision-making and ethical concerns 08:40 A pivotal moment: transitioning from IT and automation to talent and AI ethics 13:05 AI in talent acquisition: sourcing, screening, and predictive analytics 17:28 The mechanics of AI in resume screening and job description alignment 20:28 Challenges of bias, fairness, and accountability in AI hiring tools 28:56 The role of applicant tracking systems and recruiter workflows amidst increasing applicant volume 34:48 The dangers of candidate fraud, AI bias, and the need for fair evaluation standards 43:29 The importance of social analytics, behavioral assessment, and critical thinking skills 51:38 The ethical use of AI and importance of transparent policies in hiring 54:02 Practical steps for candidates and employers to navigate AI-powered talent processes 56:26 Resources: Bob's work on Work Defined Podcast and Elevate Your AIQ Substack Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobpulver Podcast: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/elevate-your-aiq Website: https://elevateyouraiq.substack.com/ Keywords: AI in hiring, AI recruitment tools, responsible AI hiring, bias in talent acquisition, human oversight in AI, workforce reskilling, candidate fraud, HR technology, talent acquisition automation, future of work skills

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