There’s no two ways about it; the man is awesome.
As recruiters we spend a large portion of our day talking to candidates, discussing their CV and looking for holes or inconsistencies which may be trying to hide something. We talk to them about their achievements, tallying up billings versus targets and probing any embellishments or ‘white lies’ to find out if there’s more there than meets the eye.
It’s not often that we’ll tear someone to shreds unless the CV is bordering on the ridiculous, but even when we do it’s rare that we can do it with quite the same panache and vigour as Claude the Enforcer.
For those of you who missed or simply don’t watch The Apprentice, the penultimate week of every series culminates in each candidate sitting opposite one of Alan Sugar’s key business advisors/employees and being subjected to four of the most rigorous interviews which they are likely to face at any time in their career. I say interview, although in some cases ‘character assassination’ may be closer to the mark. In fact, one or two bordered on actual assassinations with candidates lucky to escape with their lives.
This year the interviewers included two lawyers, including the return of Margaret Mountford; the technical expertise of Gordon Patchell, the head of Viglen, who successfully destroyed the claims of Stuart Baggs to be a telecoms tycoon; and then Claude Littner who is simply on a different level.
Last night’s nuggets included:-
“You’re not a big fish. You’re not even a fish.”
“ ‘Stuart Baggs the brand’ – what on earth are you talking about?”
What was highlighted eloquently by every candidate last night (perhaps with the exception of Stella, who seemed to perform well) is that being able to interview well is absolutely crucial when you’re going for a role. You can sit there with straight A’s at A-Level and a First from university like Chris, but without having the gravitas to back this up and the demonstrable skills required for the position then you’re going to have a fight on your hands. Admittedly you may not have a strip torn off you for changing your course from Law prior to getting that First Class Degree in Politics (“You’re a quitter, aren’t you?”) but then you’re not going to face Claude every time.
So what can you do to ensure that you stand the best possible chance of succeeding?
Prepare. It was hard not to feel some sympathy for Joanna as you saw the look of horror come over her face when Gordon asked her what she knew about Alan Sugar’s empire. At that point you knew she hadn’t prepared, she was up a certain creek without a paddle and only had two choices; try to bluff her way through or come clean.
Frankly though it’s inexcusable not to have prepared thoroughly for any interview. We no longer live in an age where you even need to visit a library or Companies House to find out about a firm; with the internet you can find all of the information you need in seconds. Don’t just stick to their website either and try to rehash what’s on there:- also research the background of the people you’re meeting; look up notable deals which they may have been involved with; check the performance of the firm for the last few years and understand which direction they’re moving in.
Know Yourself. It’s easy to guesstimate when constructing a CV but to do so can prove to be fatal. If you think that you left a firm in October three years ago but a reference check states that you actually left in August then straight away there’s a question mark over a two-month gap on a CV which an interviewer can probe. Were you fired, but on three months notice? Did you make an unsuccessful move which you’re not admitting to? Or if you have to admit to making a mistake on your own CV, what does that say about the standard of your work?
Similarly be able to talk about your clients when probed; how much work they’ve referred you, what type of work, whether the client may continue to instruct you, etc. Employers don’t just want technically-good people, they want those who are commercially savvy too.
Answer the Question: Lovely exchange between Jamie and Margaret last night, which went something like this:-
J: I’m a crucial cog in a wheel
M: What does that mean?
J: Well, I..... it means.....I’m....<smiles>......uh....I’m a crucial cog.
Genius.
Let’s make it clear; no matter how well the interview goes you will be asked questions which you don’t feel you’ve answered well. Similarly, there is the temptation to waffle which must be avoided. You will also be asked questions which you don’t give you the best chance to display your talents and really, whilst the interviewer has asked about your time recording you feel you should highlight that not only have you done that but you work so hard that you also came in early from your holiday once to complete a transaction and there was another occasion when you worked 72 hours straight to make sure a deal was done and there was another time when.......uh.....sorry, what was the question again? ANSWER THE QUESTION.
Think of Questions: An interview is a two-way process, so you should have some idea of what you want to know from them to help you decide if it’s something you wish to pursue. Make sure that you have some questions prepared, and also think about what your queries say about you. If you’re asking “what’s the salary, can I get promoted next year and will I get a pay rise when I do?” then you’ve got short-term hire written all over you. If however your questions are probing and intelligent then it should portray you as being someone of suitable integrity, even to Claude. Well, maybe not Claude.
Indicate Your Interest: At the end thank the interviewer for their time; if you’ve met a partner at a law firm for an hour then it’s likely to have cost the practice between anywhere between £200 to £2000 at the Magic Circle in lost billings, so it’s only polite to let them know you appreciate their sacrifice. Let the interviewer know that you’re keen to find out more about the opportunity and would like to move forward with the process, whether your initial impressions are positive or not. Make it your choice to turn it down; get the offer and then make your decision rather than dismiss it at the time only to regret not having your fate in your own hands. You can reflect on an offer overnight; you can’t go back to an interview and look interested.
This blog is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list; the internet is full of extensive and detailed suggestions for how to prepare for interview and again it is worth investing some time in looking at these. These will give you a range of tips, some good and some bad, but if you are to think of only one thing it would be this:- put yourself in the interviewer’s place and think of everything YOU would ask, and then make sure you have prepared for questioning of this nature.
If not, Claude’s gonna get you.......
At VG Charles & Co we invest a considerable amount of time providing both candidates and clients with interview preparation advice as well as other forms of career guidance. To talk about your options in the current market call one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094. We promise Claude won’t answer the phone.