The Apprentice Blog

Let me start by stating that I absolutely love interviewing candidates. Having been on the other side of the desk from thousands of candidates, I firmly believe that it’s a real privilege, and a unique experience. Most job seekers would perform far better in interviews if they had just a little insight into the mind of the interviewer. There are many interview techniques, employed for all sorts of situations, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, and these methods can come and go at the whim of the country’s HR Managers. This week, the final five candidates were subjected to the “Combative Interview”, where they were essentially challenged for having the temerity to even apply for this job. This wouldn’t suit for most interview situations, but is certainly the most televisual, and probably reflects the manner of Sir Alan himself. No-one was asked the classic “sell me this pencil” question, but they were bullied, belittled and ridiculed, in a way that would have had HR professionals aghast and agog.

One by one, they trooped into the offices within the Viglen building, to be met by Sir Alan’s trusted advisors, initially bursting with confidence, but gradually deflating as they progressed through the day. James (the big lummox) made the schoolboy error of sabotaging his own CV, by filling it with jargon. I’ve lost count of the number of CV’s I read, which tell me in great detail what their daily tasks are, without once stating what their actual job is, or what their company does. You must never assume that the interviewer will automatically know these things. Lorraine made the mistake of admitting to her competitors that her CV was chock full of skeletons. By the end, James and Lorraine resembled a burst settee, Yasmina was horrified her business accounts had been pulled, and Debra was blithely unaware of the situation. Only the ever fragrant Kate remained intact, as the most they could pin on her was that she was flawless, in a feeble attempt at finding a fault of any kind.

If the order of their firing is important, I would have dismissed Lorraine first, as the most unlikely fit for the job. Next would have had to be James, although I really like him, because the last three girls are certainly the best of the bunch this year. Kate has been earmarked for the final from week three, and has barely put a foot wrong since. So the final decision was between Debra and Yasmina. I always treat the argument that someone is already self-employed, as specious, because this is such an unusual opportunity for someone to really propel themselves on the business stage. A £100k job with Sir Alan Sugar, and the kudos that goes with winning, are more than enough incentive for even the most entrepreneurial of young business people. Yasmina’s restaurant certainly won’t close as a result of her winning. The only reason for an employer to be scared of this fact, is the fear that this person may leave soon after accepting the job, and the boss won’t have the expected upper hand in the relationship. This is idiotic and insecure thinking, as the employer with such fears, is admitting they may not be able to keep the interest of the candidate. SAS has previously been embarrassed by other women leaving his employ, and must believe the rejection reflects badly on him. Despite there being no such risk with Debra, her abrasiveness clearly concerned him even more. This made Debra the last exit of the night, and Kate and Yasmina to battle it out in Sunday’s final. Roll on Sunday I say.

I’ll leave you with some crazy, but genuine interview questions.

• If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
  
• If you could be a super hero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
  
• If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
  
• If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?
  
• If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?
  
• If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?
  
• If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?
  
• If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you be?
  
• How do I rate as an interviewer?
  
• If you were a car, what type would you be?
  
• In the news story of your life, what would the headline say?