You're Hired! 5 PR Lessons we can all learn from The Apprentice

Each year, Lord Sugar's rigorous employment process puts a very predictable range of candidates through a similarly foreseeable range of tasks to decide who to ultimately hire at the end. They'll all come up with a self-assured statement to introduce themselves to the world before the programme ends as this is their shot, with one contestant this year even claiming "I am the Beyonce of Business". We're now 2 episodes into this years series of the Apprentice, with the third airing tonight, and we've already seen the candidates create a kids comic book, find items in Malta and tonight they'll be making donuts (the task of dreams!). Watching the 16 (now 14) candidates trying their best to make a good impression while fighting for survival is very entertaining, but is also brilliant for picking up some dos and dont's for your own career. Here are 5 tips I've come across so far:

1. Have confidence - but don't oversell!

Confidence is a good thing, of course. But there is such a thing as too much. Be assertive, not intolerable. It's important to have confidence in yourself and have conviction in what you say - embellishing facts mean you have a lot further to fall when people discover the truth! Especially in PR - it is essential that any news shared is accurate and factual - making up tales to boost a story may seem a good idea in the moment to gather initial interest but could have massive negative connotations in the long run. 

2. Be nice!

It's not a dog eat dog world, but no one ever said you were going to get anywhere by stepping on other people's toes. Until the end, the Apprentice is essentially team based and if you don't pull your weight, you won't be coming back to the board room. This is also a reminder in daily life, too. Be nice to those you work and associate with because you never know when you might need them as a connection!

3. Admit mistakes

Admit it when you've made a mistake. Especially when you're being filmed and your mistake is being broadcast for everyone to see, there's no running from it. Admit it, learn from it and move on - it's what makes us human!

4. Speak Up

If you think something is not going right or could be done better then say so - don't just watch your team fail in silence and then lay blame. Make sure you put your point across but accept it if the team decides to go in a different direction to the one you think is best. On The Apprentice, we see candidates fired for claiming (after the event) that they would have done things differently. It's important to contribute your opinion while there's still a chance to influence the outcome. However, if you can't convince the other team members that your idea is a good one then take it on the nose! Sometimes you have to admit defeat and just continue to be a great team player regardless.

5. Don't Lie

At all! This happens every single year on the Apprentice where someone gets caught out with the little white lies on their CV or throughout the tasks, there is a very, very thin line between creatively promoting yourself and completely lying about your experience. Make the most of your achievements but don't lose perspective. Writing a food blog, not the same as having a professional catering experience. Honesty is always the best policy and especially in the working world, it only takes a phone call or two to quickly reveal the truth.

Have you been watching the Apprentice? What advice would you give the candidates to include their personal PR? Let me know below!

Beth x