If you’ve ever rewritten your CV to try and sound like what a company wants… you’re not alone.
Croquembouche (aka Kieran) has spent 10 years in hospitality, working in almost every kitchen role imaginable. From small burger joints and take-aways to fine dining restaurants across Europe and Japan, with a love for Italian and Asian cuisines. A broad background. A serious skillset.
And yet, the hardest part wasn’t cooking – it was applying.
🍳 Life before Candid
Like most chefs, the search started in the usual places.
“My typical method for finding jobs was one of two ways. I’d either look on the average job websites such as Indeed or I would message companies directly to see if they were hiring.”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
My biggest frustration?
“The most frustrating part of applications was always having to try and cater my CV to look like something that a company would want to hire. No fine dining restaurant will want to hire a person with a lack in fine dining skills and small joints will potentially be uncomfortable with hiring a fine dining background chef due to the stigmas attached to that kind of environment. If you look at the show the Bear and you’ll see what some people think of fine dining as.”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
Too experienced for some kitchens. Not specialised enough for others. Always adjusting. Always second-guessing.
💬 Why Candid felt different
For Kieran, speaking directly to businesses wasn’t new – but the process was different.
“Having a site that means I didn’t need to find places that could be hiring in the first place meant that I saved a great deal of time and potential stress.”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
And the transparency stood out.
“I liked that the process was visible in the chat I had within the Candid site. The app was very clear in saying what it expected in a conversation and notified me when Candid became obsolete for the discussions I was having with a company. It meant I wasn’t wasting my time expecting to get a message that was never going to show.”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
No guessing. No refreshing inboxes. No wasted energy.
🌟 The result
In under a month, Croquembouche secured a Sous Chef role at Tonkotsu.
Advice to other chefs?
“I’d say to just give it a go! I found results from it within the space of a month and that’s before it’s even taken off as an application. The more companies that sign up to it the more chances everyone can easily get from using it now.”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
And the real difference?
“Other than being paid to do something I love. I’m looking forward to being in an environment of like-minded people at my job. To be able to work with a team that has immediately made me feel welcome is a much needed change of pace that I’m super grateful for!”
Kieran, Sous Chef @ Tonkotsu
💛 Why this matters
If you’re tired of reshaping your experience to fit a CV…
If you’re frustrated by silence after applying…
If you’re ready for a kitchen that feels right…
Croquembouche’s story shows what can happen when the conversation comes first.
One match. One real conversation. One role that fits.
👋 Want to be seen for you?
Sign up to Candid and find your next hospitality role – faster, fairer, and without a CV💛
