Izzy’s story didn’t begin with a dream of hospitality – it began with avoiding it at all costs. After an unexpected redundancy, hospitality represented a safe harbour in a storm.
“I’d just been made redundant from a retail job and hospitality was never something I pictured myself doing… I was genuinely that person who made the joke ‘There’s no way I could carry two plates.”
But the moment she stepped into her first shift as a waitress, something unexpected happened.
“Hospitality is what built my confidence… before you know it, you’re talking to strangers, problem solving on the fly and realising you’re a lot more capable than you thought.”
That shift set the foundation for everything that followed.
🍽️ Finding her place in Hospitality
Izzy moved quickly into more responsibility. She loved the people, the culture and the human side of leadership – but she still wanted more. Repeatedly being told that if she didn’t want to become a GM, she couldn’t progress – until Boom Battle Bar opened.
“Venue management just wasn’t where I saw my future… it wasn’t what lit me up. I shot my shot with Boom, joined as their Recruitment Manager and that role completely changed my career.”
Izzy, Head Of Community @ Candid Hospitality
It was the first time she found a part of hospitality that felt like home: people, culture, talent and growth.
🧱 When job hunting depends on a CV
Moving into new talent roles had always been a struggle for Izzy.
“CVs were my biggest blocker… none of my attributes that I believed made me a truly valuable addition lived on a CV. Because I’d never worked inside a recruitment team before, I wasn’t capable of doing the job.”
Izzy, Head Of Community @ Candid Hospitality
Her strengths were invisible on paper. Traditional hiring filtered her out before she could be seen.
👀 Signing up out of curiosity
Izzy didn’t join Candid to job hunt – she joined because she wanted to see how it worked.
“I wasn’t even actively looking for a new role when I signed up.”
“What stood out immediately was the relevance of the platform. It didn’t bombard me with irrelevant alerts…every one of them felt meaningful.”
Izzy, Head Of Community @ Candid Hospitality
📝 A new way to be seen
“The idea behind the anonymity is something I genuinely believe in.”
“I’ve definitely felt overlooked in the past because people were judging what wasn’t on my CV instead of who I actually was. Building a Candid profile felt different because it let me lead with my personality, my strengths and the kind of human I am.”
And one insight stuck with her:
“Your CV only tells people what you’ve done before, but it doesn’t show how you’ll handle the new experiences that come with a new role.”
🛟 A safe space to explore
Even though she wasn’t job hunting, Candid gave her room to explore safely.
“I only signed up to Candid because I was curious… it felt low pressure and genuinely safe to explore things. Nothing was public, nothing was noisy… I could explore the opportunity quietly and confidently.”
Izzy, Head Of Community @ Candid Hospitality
🍓 The strawberries-at-the-supermarket moment
Izzy remembers exactly where she was when the match appeared.
“I’d just popped into the supermarket to gran some strawberries…checked my emails…saw an alert…swiped to apply and opened the room almost instantly!”
What followed was ease – not admin. There was no faff, no heavy application process…just a genuinely smooth, human and enjoyable experience.
🫴🏻 Why Candid caught her heart
Izzy believed in Candid long before she became a candidate.
‘From that first conversation, I felt genuinely passionate about the vision that Sam and Nick had for Candid.
Her recruitment background made her deeply aware of the industry’s challenges. “Traditional CVs just don’t tell the full story.”
And Candid offered a better way: Fewer more relevant matches…smoother, fairer and more human.
🚀 What still excites her today
Seven months in, Izzy is still energised by the pace, creativity and impact of her role.
“What still excites me the most is the future potential…being able to turn insights into real improvements!”
She thrives in variety and evolution – “My weeks are never the same…this roles gives me the perfect balance. Being part of a start up where ideas turn into action quickly and where my work genuinely shapes the platform is incredibly energising.”
And she found it by accident…in a supermarket car park…with a box of strawberries!🍓✨
👋 Want to be seen for you?
Find your next role the Candid way.
