The Apprentice - Episode Eleven – Lawyer’s summary

The Apprentice - Series 11, Episode 11 - 17 December - The latest instalment of Chloe Harrold's column for The HR Director

It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for; the final five get the grilling of their lives from the most terrifying interview panel Lord Sugar has to offer. Mike Soutar, Claudine Collins, Linda Plant and Claude Littner, did their worst.

The candidates know they’re going to get a hard time. They know that their CVs will be examined to within an inch of their lives. How then do candidates think they can get away with lying on their CVs? Richard Woods called it a mistake, Mike Soutar thought differently. No Richard, a breakfast club poll doesn’t mean you can hold yourself out as having “Surrey’s Number One Digital Marketing Agency”.

Joseph Valente “didn’t sleep for weeks” after reading Lord Sugar’s book? Puff: I happen to know that the world record for the longest time without sleep is 11 days (and 24 minutes). Richard, aka Tricky Dicky, admitted he’d waffled in his business plan and was lost for words when caught out by his not so original “unique” idea. What I did like was the most excellent word used in the whole series, by Vana Koutsomitis: gamification.

No one was buying Charleine Wain’s claim that she would be more successful than Toni & Guy, Richard was forced to admit that his business plan basically sucked and Claudine wasn’t feeling Joseph Valente’s Casanova vibe. The interviewers were probably asked to do their worst in the name of good telly. Or were they? They had plenty of ammunition and it’s no surprise to me that someone who doesn’t have to contain their thoughts to 400 words each week can talk at length about the candidates’ shortcomings.

Not many employers will put their candidates through a two month, eleven task based selection process. Most will scrutinise CVs and conduct interviews. We can all take away a few lessons from episode 11:

• Be ready to back up every statement on your CV;
• Be confident, but not cocky;
• Be realistic with your figures;
• Don’t cry (Charleine held strong this week, but she looked close!)

By the end of it all it was difficult to see why Lord Sugar would invest in any of them. He did cut three from the fold: Charleine, Gary and Richard.

Next week Lord Sugar finally uses his finger for good and either Vana or series long bookies favourite, Joseph, will be hired. I’m Team Vana, just FYI.