Harsh interviews in week 11 of The Apprentice

22nd Jun 2009

The 3rd of June episode of The Apprentice saw the remaining candidates face harsh interviews from a handful of Sir Alan Sugar's trusted allies.

The board consisted of Claude Litner, Sir Alan's former "trouble shooter"; Alan Watts, partner (lawyer) at Herbert Smith; Bordan Tkachuk, CEO of Viglen; and Karen Brady, MD of Birmingham City Football Club (and former business woman of the year).

The episode highlighted a few key mistakes made by the candidates and things you should be wary of in any interview situation.

In true "Dragon's Den" style, the candidates weren't all prepared - and it came down to maths. If you're going for the type of interview where you are going to be grilled on figures, make sure you have them straight. Make sure you know the difference between gross and net without getting flustered.

If you're moving sectors, ensure that your CV is suitable for the job that you are applying for and remove any jargon that won't make sense to someone in a different field. This doesn't mean that you have to leave out your achievements or qualifications, but simply state them in more generic terms, and relate them to the job in question. State why these experiences / qualifications can help in this new role.

It may sound obvious - but remain professional at all times, both in person and on paper. Don't be a zombie - you need to show you have a personality, but don't use bad language in your CV or interview. The interviewer may seem friendly, but they are still your interviewer - so leave the inappropriate jokes for your mates down the pub later.

If you've got an interview coming up, contact us about our Interview Coaching Services to give yourself the best chance of getting the job.

Below you can watch a video of the first part of this episode of The Apprentice - the other sections have links at the end of the video or are available from YouTube. If you can't see the video below, you can watch it on YouTube.