Built by Humans. Delivered by AI.
Candid is an AI-powered platform that has been created by industry-leading CV writers with over four decades of experience in employability, and a deep understanding of the challenges in the welfare-to-work sector.
We want to humanise each CV to showcase a jobseeker’s true potential; with care and dignity, reduce pressure on key workers, and enable companies to find talent that fits their needs.
The next opportunity is waiting but a poorly positioned CV can hold people back. Current AI models create generic documents that struggle to showcase individual potential.
That’s why we created Candid: a purpose-built CV writing software for the employability sector that really sees the person in the CV.
With Candid, key workers can create high-quality CVs that empower jobseekers, improve application success and secure more interviews…
…without the time needed to write each one from scratch.
Candid vs Other AI Tools
Introducing Candid
Meet the Team!
CEO and Founder: Emma Alkirwi
After leaving education, Emma started out in recruitment before moving into the employability sector. She spent almost a decade at Working Links in a mix of roles, supporting people from all kinds of backgrounds into work. Over the years, she worked with people leaving prison, lone parents, those overcoming addiction, ESOL learners, and young people who weren’t sure what came next. Helping people find their confidence and a path that actually felt possible, became the part of the job she loved most.
Alongside that, Emma worked as a Freelance CV Writer for several years. When her youngest daughter was six months old, she launched her first business, The CV Guru, in 2016. It grew quickly and became known for high‑quality, support. Today, it helps professionals across the UK and works closely with Police Federations to support officers as they transition into retirement and new careers.
Emma has always believed that everyone deserves a fair chance, not just in employment, but in how they’re supported and represented. That belief is what led her to create Candid.
Candid was created to give caseworkers a simple, reliable way to produce high‑quality, tailored CVs for jobseekers. The platform keeps every CV unique and is a confidence-building tool. By handling the structure and quality side, Candid frees caseworkers to spend more time where it matters, supporting people back to work.
Relationship Manager: Wendy Ritchie
Wendy is an employability professional (MIEP), CV writing consultant and a founding team member at Candid. With experience in recruitment and specialist CV writing, she has spent her career helping people explain their strengths and move into meaningful work.
She started her career in retail before moving into recruitment, working with people from many different backgrounds, including those returning after career breaks, people facing challenges into work and those changing sectors. Her focus has always been helping individuals tell their story clearly and confidently. For the last 12 years, Wendy has worked directly with clients to create strong CVs, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. Her most recent role was within The CV Guru.
Her belief that everyone deserves fair representation in the labour market helped shape Candid. Wendy combines specialist writing expertise with a practical understanding of employability delivery, driving innovation at the meeting point of technology, careers support and human-centred design.
Onboarding and Account Manager: Sean Gilroy
Sean is the Onboarding and Account Manager at Candid and a founding team member of the business. He plays an essential role in helping organisations successfully adopt the Candid platform.
He has been closely involved in the development of Candid from the beginning, contributing as a CV writing subject matter expert and as a project manager throughout the platform’s development.
Before joining Candid, Sean spent two years as a senior CV writer at The CV Guru and worked with a wide range of clients. During this time, he developed extensive expertise in CV writing, career storytelling, and helping individuals present their experience clearly to employers.
Sean also brings over eight years of project management experience across different sectors, including technology projects. He combines this operational and technical background with his knowledge of CV writing to support product development, oversee onboarding, and ensure the platform continues to evolve to support caseworkers and participants.
Operations Manager: Jen Ninham
Jen is the Operations Manager at Candid and a founding team member, specialising in streamlining company operations and improving the processes that keep the business running smoothly. With more than 20 years of experience across Customer Services, Sales, and Administration, she brings a strong foundation in service quality and practical, continuous improvement.
Before joining Candid, Jen spent over six years at The CV Guru, where she worked closely with thousands of CVs and career documents. That experience gave her a strong understanding of what employers look for, how recruitment decisions are made, and the factors that genuinely influence employability. She now applies that insight to Candid’s B2B partnerships, engaging with employability providers to ensure clear communication, smooth coordination, and a consistently reliable experience throughout each contract.
