Here are Louise's responses to the viewer questions:

1) What do you think has been your highlight this series?

The highlight of this series for me has definitely been making it this far in the competition. It's been a big challenge getting through all 8 tasks and getting to the interview stage has been a big achievement.

2) Have you done anything during the process that you regret, or would do differently if you had the chance?

Looking back, it's easy to say I would change any task my team has lost and make sure we won but it's all been a learning experience and learning from little mistakes is what makes it such a rewarding experience.

3) What would you say is your approach to business?

It's hard to say. It depends on the task at hand, to be honest. For a sales task, I'd have a very hands on approach, but for a marketing task I'd be coming from the creative angle.

4) When you joined the process, did you expect to be in the Top 4?

Not at all. I had aimed to get this far, and further, but looking at the list of candidates at the beginning, the calibre seemed very high.

5) How have you changed from Week 1 the most?

I don't think I've changed dramatically from week one. I've definitely developed as a leader and my confidence while managing is stronger. I've also developed various other skills such as team playing and time management.

6) Do you think you are lucky to be in the Top 4?

I do feel lucky to be in the top four because a lot of great candidates have been eliminated before me but I also feel like I've earned it and I deserve to be here due to hard work.

7) Which candidate of the remaining 4 do you feel is the weakest?

That's difficult to say and I can't judge who's the weakest as I have worked with them all differently.

8) Do you believe that the rest of the Top 4 are deserving of their place? If not, who isn't and why?

I think all 3 are definitely deserving of their place. Each has their own merits and has progressed in different ways throughout the competition.

9) Do you think your behaviour throughout the process has been entirely appropriate?

Yes, I do. I don't have any regrets about the way I have behaved.

10) What do you aim to achieve by reaching the final?

Well, obviously by reaching the final I hope to go on to win. As well as this, it's a great achievement itself and I'll be proud whatever happens.

11) If you could give yourself 5 words to describe yourself to the public audience anonymously - what would they be?

I would say hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, reliable and capable.

Next up, it's Gav with his responses!

1. I think my highlight this series, from a performance perspective, was definitely my PM win the clothing task – most of my feedback referenced how I hadn’t had a ‘shining moment’ up to that point in the competition, despite consistently performing okay – it was the first chance I think I really broke out and showed how capable I was. I’d also say it’s probably the highlight of which task I enjoyed working on the most – it was so much fun from start to finish, and I had the best time on it.

2. There’s so much I wish I could go back and do differently! The entire music tour task for example – just the whole thing was horrible and I was such an incompetent PM, it’s quite frankly embarrassing to look back on it. There are, I guess, so many things I’ve done wrong but I also think it’s the final four and I’m still here, so I’ve definitely done a lot of stuff right too and I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes, so I guess I’m glad I’ve made them so I can move on and never repeat them, and in that sense I wouldn’t want anything to be different.

3. My approach to business is quite a simple one – I think sometimes people overcomplicate things. I like setting people clear tasks to do and goals to achieve, but outside of that I like treating people like adults and with respect, and let them do their own thing and get on with the job. I think there’s nothing worse than someone who micro-manages everything to the tiniest degree, so that kind of thing I like trying to avoid when I’m managing. When I’m on a team, I work hard, contribute well and throw myself into tasks, but I’m not afraid to say if I see a problem that I think needs fixing.

4. I don’t think I ever ‘expected’ anything – the standard of candidates this year was high and I was definitely aware that you only had to like, mess up once and you could easily be out, regardless of your track record in the competition, so I’ve kind of taken every week as it comes and hoped for the best. I’ve always believed in myself in this competition though, and I think based on talent, I’ve never felt like I don’t deserve my place here.

5. I’m definitely a lot more assertive, I have no problems stepping in if I see a potential problem in an idea – like learning to separate criticising an idea and criticising the person behind it, which was something I struggled with at first. I was always slightly hesitant to say something negative, even if I hated it, for fear of offending the person who suggested it, but now I realise how you can do it in a polite way, and I think I’m great at doing that now.

6. I think there have been weeks where I could have left the process and it would have been entirely justifiable, but I don’t think I’m ‘lucky’ to be here, and I do feel I’m one of the stronger candidates. I’ve worked really hard to get here, so no, I’m not sure ‘luck’ has come into it really.

7. It’s hard to say, as I never worked with Zak, but I don’t think his PM record is a reflection of his opinion, so by process of elimination I’d probably say Jess. I think Jess is the candidate who has been on the biggest journey, and I really like her as a person, but I think in terms of the competition, myself, Zak and Louise are probably stronger in the overall balance of what we’ve achieved inside the competition and in overall potential.

8. I think everyone here really does deserve their place, and ultimately it’s the correct final four based on who applied.

9. Yes – I think everything I’ve done in this process has been with good intentions, and I’ve never really based anything I’ve done on personal feelings – I’ve really tried to use my head the whole way through, as opposed to being governed by emotions so I think on the whole everything I’ve done has been appropriate. The main incident, I guess you could call it some people might call into question, was the whole telling Lord Sugar about the Carlisle ‘sabotage’ thing, which I’ve considered quite a bit afterwards about whether it was right or wrong, and ultimately I think it was the correct and appropriate thing to do. I don’t really want to further that whole debate, and initially I felt almost guilty afterwards, based on the fallout it seemed to have, but at the end of the day I think it was the right thing to do, and I would hope if someone on my team was genuinely trying to sabotage the work I’d done, I think I’d like to know. SO yes, I think I’ve been appropriate.

10. I’m aiming to win, straight up – I’ll be disappointed if I finish anywhere other than first, despite the other candidates all being competent, credible and lovely people.

11. That’s a difficult one, I guess I’d like to say: ‘nice, competent, hard working, smiley and excellent.’

Third up is Zak (or, at least, Zak part one!)

What do you think has been your highlight this series?

I interpret this question in two different ways, one being my personal highlight and the other being a highlight of myself from an outside point of view, so I’m going to try and answer them both. First of all, my own personal highlight was the blog task. It has been my favourite task so far and this is probably because it gave all three of us (Louise, Jess and myself) a chance to try something new and in the end, it was something we found a newly developed passion for and something we genuinely enjoyed doing – we even vowed to carry it on after the task had finished, which was also genuine and not just for show as some people may have been led to believe. I believe my highlight from a viewer’s point of view was probably in the boardroom of task two. For the first task and the majority of the second, I took a very relaxed and fading into the background approach, however when I, to be honest, unexpectedly ended up in the firing line, I had to fight for my place in the competition and I would like to think that this is when the viewers saw an aspect of passion and enthusiasm for the process and a general feeling that I wanted to do well and that I wanted to win, which I still do!

Have you done anything during the process that you regret, or would do differently if you had the chance?

There is an obvious answer to this question for perhaps all of us four candidates left in the competition, particularly Jess and myself, but before I get to that, I would also like to acknowledge the fact that there are actions, or ‘things’, I would change in almost every task – especially the ones I lost of course. An example of this is task one where I was accused of ‘butchering the task’ in an attempt to add a public vote when it perhaps wasn’t exactly necessary – if I were to go back, I would change that – or rather, not do it altogether. Another example is task two when I had to take the responsibility, since I was PM, for the failure of the task and the main reason for the failure was the originality of the concept thought up by Carlisle. Generally, I like to be organised and have everything completed with a good amount of time remaining, but if I were to go back, I would spend more time on the concept itself and try and make it a little more original and then perhaps we would have won the task as the idea we had was actually very good. Anyway, the obvious answer of course, is task eight. Throughout task eight, the actual task and the boardroom itself, I remained very professional throughout and hopefully proved I could handle a situation like what happened and I stand by the decisions, as PM, that I made. However, the aftermath of the process was actually fairly shocking for almost five or six candidates in which three or four arguments escalated and none of it was really necessary – to be fair, we should have all stopped when the boardroom was over. So yes, I regret allowing the arguments to escalate to what they did in the aftermath of task eight!

What would you say is your approach to business?

My approach is that when it comes to business, it is important to display all of the skills that you have to offer in your skillset, whether this may be good leadership, team work, written skills or whatever it may be. However, while doing this, I think the most important aspect someone can offer to business is effort – the concept of somebody giving one hundred percent to every task in hand, which is what I believe I have done throughout the process, as well as hopefully showing what skills I may have to offer. To link this broad question more specifically to that of DSA, I approach each task head on, meaning I dive straight into each task and get a good, quick and efficient start. This is because getting a good start on tasks, I think, gradually develops a good work ethic and a general positive atmosphere to work in. I also like to have all individual tasks completed within a certain period of time so that we have time to proofread everything before the deadline. The organization aspect to business, I think, is definitely one of the most important.

When you joined the process, did you expect to be in the Top 4?

When I joined the competition, I had an idea of my capabilities due to participating in a special edition version of the DS Apprentice last year in which I resulted in third place – so from that, I knew I could make it into the top four again if I set my mind to it. I think this is a little different to expecting to have made it here. To be honest, I’m very happy to have made it this far and it’s not exactly like I have walked the competition like Anactoria did last year! I, factually, have the worst track record out of the final four candidates and therefore whilst not necessarily being brought back into the boardroom for the majority of the time, I still had to fight for my place in the competition on quite a few occasions, which I completely expected to be the case. However yes, I knew I could make it this far if I put the effort in and I have, so I’m very pleased!

How have you changed from Week 1 the most?

In the first task, I think it was fairly safe to say that I, to be honest, lacked an opinion in heated situations – sometimes I sat back and let others take the lead because I didn’t feel comfortable with disagreeing with people as I had a preconceived idea that it would only dishearten the work ethic rather than benefit it in any manner, so I stepped back and tried to get stuck in with my individual tasks rather than spending the time arguing. However, and whilst I still don’t argue back during tasks because I feel it is a waste of time, I do make sure all arguments are terminated almost immediately as I cannot think of one reason an argument would be beneficial to the team. I know in a certain task (the world tour), the opposing team spent two or three hours having a rather large and unnecessary argument between two artists, there is no way I would have had the patience to allow that to happen.

Do you think you are lucky to be in the Top 4?

I have to disagree; I don’t feel ‘lucky’. In fact, I don’t think luck has had anything to do with the competition for me personally. I feel that whilst I didn’t necessarily expect to make it this far in the competition, (the previous question), I know I have deserved to make it into the top four due to my general work ethic and wanting to be in the competition. I have tried my best in practically every single task and feel as if I have, and I hope I have, shown that I deserve to make it this far. I think those who use ‘luck’ as an excuse are those who feel they aren’t deserving of a place in the competition, but, (and to avoid sounding a little arrogant in any shape or form), I feel I do deserve my place and I hope to progress further! However, I’d like to think we all deserve to be in the final four and like I said in one of my interviews, this is the right final four in my opinion, as I haven’t disagreed with a single firing! I feel we all have made it this far without luck and therefore deserve to be here.

Which candidate of the remaining 4 do you feel is the weakest?

With this question, I would like to start off by saying how I don’t find any of the remaining four candidates, including myself, particularly ‘weak’ in any shape or form! The weakest candidate could be based on many individual things, an example being the track record. If we were to base it on this, then I personally would be the weakest candidate as I have the worst track record in the competition (except from boardroom appearances in which I’ve only appeared due to losing as PM) – and yes, I don’t know why I keep mentioning my track record as it is clearly not benefitting me any way! However, if I were to have to pick a weakest overall, I would have to choose out of Jess and Louise as I haven’t seen Gav perform in any task as we still have yet to be on the same team, and now we can never be on the same team, so I’ll never get to see him in a task in first person, which is unfortunate! However with Louise, I feel she is perhaps easier to communicate with in tasks and generally has the more proactive attitude required in the business world. I think, actually, Jess has put more effort into the competition throughout, having to deal with not being the favourite candidate by the viewers and such, but working extremely hard anyway. So, it’s very tough for me and I don’t envy she who has to make this decision!

And here's part two of Zak's responses!

Do you believe that the rest of the Top 4 are deserving of their place? If not, who isn't and why?

I have already answered this question a little in detail in a previous question, so I’m going to quote part of my answer: ‘However, I’d like to think we all deserve to be in the final four and like I said in one of my interviews, this is the right final four in my opinion, as I haven’t disagreed with a single firing! I feel we all have made it this far without luck and therefore deserve to be here.’ I stand by that I believe the top four are the correct for and think it would be ridiculous to say that anybody in particular doesn’t deserve their place here as I strongly believe that we all do and whoever doesn’t quite make the final two, whether that be myself, Jess, Gav or Louise, we all know that it would have been a close and brutal decision and each of us would have all deserved to have made it in the final two regardless.

Do you think your behaviour throughout the process has been entirely appropriate?

This question closely links into a previous question, the ‘regret’ question, so I’m also going to quote a few sentences I had written there as I think it explains this perfectly: ‘Throughout task eight, the actual task and the boardroom itself, I remained very professional throughout and hopefully proved I could handle a situation like what happened and I stand by the decisions, as PM, that I made. However, the aftermath of the process was actually fairly shocking for almost five or six candidates (including myself) in which three or four arguments escalated and none of it was really necessary – to be fair, we should have all stopped when the boardroom was over. So yes, I regret allowing the arguments to escalate to what they did in the aftermath of task eight!’ However, other than the aftermath of task eight, I believe my behaviour has been entirely appropriate as I believe I have remained fairly professional throughout!

What do you aim to achieve by reaching the final?

By reaching the final, I aim to achieve reaching the final! In all seriousness though, I think what I’m looking for in reaching the final two is the satisfaction of actually making it to that point, and winning it would invoke that said satisfaction even further. It would also be nice to do the final task with those who have already been fired returning to the final and having a nice, respectable final task. That would be nice. However other than that, there’s not much else I will gain from making the final – I have already made some good and healthy relationships with other candidates and I’ve already tried new things, such as writing a blog, which I’m still very pleased with. I suppose another thing relating to the satisfaction of it all, is having completed every single task, whether it be a win or a loss! It would be excellent to look back next year and see that I made the final two as well.

If you could give yourself 5 words to describe yourself to the public audience anonymously - what would they be?

If I could give myself five words to describe myself regarding the competition, they would probably be: professional, hard-working, articulate, dedicated and strong-minded. First of all, I feel I have remained very professional throughout the tasks and boardrooms and I don’t believe I regret anything I have said (again, excluding the aftermath of task eight). I feel I have worked very hard, spending a lot of hours for DSA and probably typed over a million words altogether for it if we include the brainstorms as well – exaggerating? Probably only a little! I would like to think I’m quite good with words, especially for a sixteen year old and therefore I’d like to think I have displayed a little articulacy throughout. From both task two and task eight when I had to fight for my place in the competition, I hope I have shown my dedication to the competition, which has been here since the beginning. Finally, I would like to consider myself as quite a strong-minded individual who does speak up if I think it is beneficial to the situation! This is the last question so I’m going to sneak it in here, good luck to Gav, Jess and Louise!

And finally, here are Jess's responses to the viewer questions!

What do you think has been your highlight this series?
Asides from the great tasks, my shining moment is probably building good relationships with all of the remaining candidates and working with Zak, Gav and Louise has been a pleasure- I think I shone in the blog task with Zak and Louise because they’re extremely loving people, and I wish them the best of luck, as I do with Gav!

Have you done anything during the process that you regret, or would do differently if you had the chance?
I regret my actions during task three, I completely undermined Gav in that task and I feel really bad for doing it that task made me seem extremely controlling and power crazy, and that was the start of the negative DSA period I had, I personally think that the earlier DSA period is in the past, and people do seem to think that my actions are a catalyst for the loss of tasks, but I think a lot of people focus purely on the negatives within people, and fail to understand the positives.

What would you say is your approach to business?
I approach every task with a clear mind- and I think this allows for me to be more creative, as you’re facing a challenge head on. I’m a very fun person, as people who know me from MSN and DS will know, and when appropriate I think it’s good to have an element of fun to the competition.

When you joined the process, did you expect to be in the Top 4?
I think there was always a possibility I’d be in the top 4, I didn’t expect it, but the top 4 was something I strived for, and my hard work paid off, and I’m grateful to have made it to the top 4, I think that’s an achievement in its self.

How have you changed from Week 1 the most?
I think over the course of the competition, my managerial skills have improved and I have more confidence when displaying ideas. A positive about having negatives is that you can always work your way back up- a leopard can’t change their spots, but people can change their approach.

Do you think you are lucky to be in the Top 4?
I think I’ve got to this stage because LAS sees potential, if I had randomly been selected to be here, that would be luck, but I’ve escaped 3 boardrooms and a lot of negativity- I believe I’m here because LAS saw past that.

Which candidate of the remaining 4 do you feel is the weakest?
There’s no candidate who is the weakest, we’re all here for a reason and I think to single someone out as the weakest is really unprofessional- had I been asked a few days ago I’d have answered, but since I’ve found out the full story of a certain situation, I can honestly say that everyone deserves to be here.

Do you believe that the rest of the Top 4 are deserving of their place? If not, who isn't and why?
Every single person has got to the top four because LAS has seen something within them, we’ve seen a lot of our fellow candidates lose their place in the competition, to remain in the process is something we’re all incredibly proud of.

Do you think your behaviour throughout the process has been entirely appropriate?
There’s parts of the process I regret, but I’d prefer not to entirely reflect upon the negative aspects of the competition, as whilst I know there has been many, I’d prefer not to ruin the remaining time in the process by discussing them.

What do you aim to achieve by reaching the final?
Well, the one with I aim to achieve is the title of DSA- surely that’s what everyone wants? Although I’m not just in this competition for the victory, taking the win would be incredibly nice and rewarding.

If you could give yourself 5 words to describe yourself to the public audience anonymously - what would they be?[LIST][*]Opinionated[*]Hardworking[*]Creative[*]Punctual[*]Aspirational[/LIST]

First up is Tyjet's interview with Zak:

David(::
Good evening, Zak!
(20:13) Zak:
Hello, thanks for seeing me!
(20:13) David (::
Firstly, congratulations on making the top 4!
(20:14) Zak:
Thank you. I'm delighted to have made it here!
(20:14) David (::
Do you think the right 4 have made it?
(20:15) Zak:
Yes actually! Since I haven't disagreed with any of the firings made my LAS, I think the final four are the right four!
by LAS*.
(20:16) David (::
Which two candidates do you think should make the final? Why?
(20:20) Zak:
In no particular order, I would say Louise deserves to make it to the final - she's very efficient, she has put a lot of effort into every task and is genuinely easy to work with due to her proactive attitude.
The second person, I would say is myself! I believe I have worked very hard throughout the competition and in doing so, proved to be one of the stronger candidates throughout - I also think I have a very good work ethic.
(20:21) David (::
Ok, so who do you think is the weakest candidate of Jess and Gav?
(20:22) Zak:
I have never worked with Gav unfortunately, so I'm not entirely sure. However, from an outside point of view, Gav certainly 'comes off' better than Jess does with the likes of Katie and Val and various other viewers. I do know however, that Jess works very hard and she also really does deserve to be in the final four and I'm glad it's not my decision to make who progresses from here!
(20:24) David (::
So Jess' bickering with Katie and Val lets her down you think?
(20:26) Zak:
I think it shows that she is perhaps slightly more difficult to work with than the other two candidates.
However, I sometimes believe this is more personal bickering that has been going on long before the competition and has only escalated as I find Jess to be a very genuine, very nice person; but then again, perhaps 'arguing' isn't such a bad thing at times as I believe Gav often blends into the background at times (from what I've seen in the boardroom!).*
(20:28) David (::
Are you certain the problem is Jess, though? Katie has proven difficult to work with for more than just Jess and as you said, she and Val simply haven't got on since before the process started
(20:32) Zak:
I think Jess is a little responsible, mainly due to the fact she's argued with more than one person and it's not just a 'one off' argument - also, it seems to have escalated well after Val and Katie were fired where at this time, Jess could have chosen to ignore them, but she did not.
I agree though; Val and Katie gave Jess a very hard time for reasons I'm not exactly sure of as I was never on their team at the time, but it all does seem a little ridiculous if you ask me!
(20:33) David (::
Ok, let's move on then. Do yout hink any of the other candidates might name you as the weakest?
(20:35) Zak:
I can understand other candidates not choosing me for their final two - Louise & I both being strong candidates and the others wanting to have themselves in the final two as well of course, but I don't think the others will name me the weakest, I hope not anyway!
(20:36) David (::
Do you feel as if you've ever had to fight for your place in the competition?
(20:38) Zak:
Yes, I absolutely have! The best example I can give is the boardroom of Task Five where I really put all my effort into staying in the competition -
to be completely honest, I expected to be called safe and therefore it came as quite a shock I was in the firing line and have learned not to be so certain in future tasks and to make sure my opinion is heard so I don't fall in the background while the other, louder, candidates take over.
(20:40) David (::
Do you think the remaining candidates (yourself included) have given their all in every task?
(20:43) Zak:
I don't know about Gav, but when I've been in a team with Louise and Jess, they have both tried very hard and when it was a team of three - the blog cast - we all worked very well together - yes, I believe they have put their all into every task that I've seen.
I do know that Louise didn't have any items on the item-finding task and Jess didn't do much work on the task with Val and Katie due to the amount of arguments, but when we've worked together, we've all worked very hard yes! I also believe that I personally have tried to do my best in every task as well!
(20:45) David (::
Even though on the blog task none of you would have tried so hard had you not seen the other team's work?
(20:49) Zak:
I don't think that is the case. The only reason I had a glance at the other team's work was because of Carlisle 'bragging' about how well his team's Twitter page was going, so I had a look to find that it wasn't exactly going as well as he would have it seem.
I believe we tried so hard because we genuinely had a real passion for the blogging task as it was something none of us had done before and we all really enjoyed doing it; I don't believe the other team's work had any correlation with how much effort we put into the task as a team!
(20:51) David (::
If you say so. Have you got along well with (all) the other candidates?
(20:56) Zak:
I have had a good relationship with all of the candidates, yes, particularly during the competition itself - including both Val and Katie! Task eight, however, was when the relationship between Carlisle & I suffered due to a "disagreement"...
which then escalated into quite a large (and unprofessional on both behalfs!) argument in the aftermath, involving at least five or six candidates - I did stay professional throughout the actual task and boardroom though, still I should have remained this way afterwards. We're on great terms at the moment though.
(20:57) David (::
Do you think your relationships with any of the other candidates have changed any throughout the process?
(20:59) Zak:
Yes, but for the better! It was very nice getting to know Naruto during the competition, as well as Jess actually. I had a preconceived idea of how Jess was before entering the competition, but my opinions did a complete u-turn when I began talking to her properly!
I would say those two candidates are the largest changes, and it's nice to see that they're both for the better! They are both very nice people, certainly.
(21:00) David (::
Have there been any points where another candidate has irritated you? How did you respond?
(21:06) Zak:
There were a few very minor arguments in Task One where a few candidates were forcing their ideas onto the rest of the group, and I basically responded by telling them the truth - as of what I thought of their ideas and such and this seemed to handle the situation effectively!
(21:07) David (::
What kind of negative adjectives do you think the remaining candidates (and, of course, past candidates) would use to describe you?
(21:10) Zak:
I think some candidates may say I lack an opinion in heated situations (sorry, I realise that is not an adjective!) and that my PMing skills are quite weak, especially since I have lost both the tasks I have PMed in!
(21:13) David (::
But?
(21:16) Zak:
BUT, I don't think this is the case. In terms of lacking an opinion in heated situations, it is probably because I am quite easy to get along with and generally not an argumentative person - I also tend to avoid other people's clashes as I feel it has nothing to do with me, though I do stand up for myself...
(as shown in Task Five when in the firing line personally) and others if necessary and if I see fit (as shown in Task Eight when I defended Jess).
I have no evidence to back up that I'm not a weak PM, but I genuinely believe I can handle being a PM quite effectively - especially since I received comments such as "excellent PM", "great PM" and "good PM", as well as "best PM I have had so far" in task five!
(21:17) Zak:
(No evidence in terms of track record and official wins).
(21:18) David (::
Ok! Now one last question! Can you give at least one reason for why you deserve this more than the other candidates individually?
(21:22) Zak:
Okay! I believe when it comes to Jess, I develop a good relationship with those who I work with, and I think in order to produce an efficient final result, a good relationship between peers is vital - I think Jess perhaps lacks this & manages to, perhaps not on purpose or perhaps not of any fault of her own, irritate others a little.
When it comes to Gav, I believe I have the proactive attitude that he is perhaps lacking, Gav tends to hide in the shadows and is always thinking he has lost the task and/or going to get fired, I always think positively and I think this is important.
Louise is trickier, but I believe I am a lot more reliable than Louise, I have shown up to every task and from past experiences, perhaps Louise isn't always the easiest person to get a hold of - especially since she doesn't have access to her computer at all times and often has to use her iPod, which can severely damage the standard of her work - no denying her efforts though!
(21:24) David (::
Ok, thanks, Zak and good luck in the boardroom!
(21:24) Zak:
Thanks again!

Next, let's see how Tyjet's interview with Louise went:

(18:12) David (::
Ok, so good evening, Louise!
(18:13) Louise:
Good evening!
(18:13) David (::
I want to start by congratulating you on making the final four!
(18:13) Louise:
Thank you very much, I'm delighted to have made it this far!
(18:14) David (::
Do you think that the right people have made the interviews?
(18:15) Louise:
I definitely do. I think each candidate in the final four has either grown a lot in the process or was already very good to begin with.
(18:16) David (::
Which candidates do you think have shown this growth?
(18:17) Louise:
The candidate I was referencing there was Jess. At the beginning of the process it seemed nobody was expecting her to do so well, whereas with Zak and Gav I think there was a lot of expectation there and a lot of people assumed that they would make it this far, which they have and deservedly so.
(18:18) David (::
Which of you do you think should make the final and why?
(18:21) Louise:
Firstly, I think I should be in the final. The reason being, I've been a very consistent and dedicated candidate and I believe I have shown a lot of business acumen. I have proven my ability to manage a team as well as blend in perfectly as a team member.
(18:23) Louise:
Secondly, I would say the second candidate that should be in the final is a toss-up between Zak and Jess. I'm finding it very difficult to choose because I do think Zak has a lot of talent and he is very good at expressing himself, but Jess has also shown herself to be worthy, securing two PM wins and showing a great dedication to the process. In the end I would probably say Zak.
(18:25) Louise:
As a side note, I do think Gav is extremely intelligent and has been a great candidate but I'm not sure of his dedication to securing the job, which is why I didn't choose him.
(18:25) David (::
So you don't think Gav is necessarily the weakest?
(18:27) Louise:
I think he's the weakest in terms of drive and ambition, which is vital to this process, but in terms of intelligence and business knowledge, definitely not.
(18:27) David (::
Who do you think is weakest in that respect then?
(18:27) Louise:
It's hard to say really.
(18:28) Louise:
Everybody has their own strenghts and it's really hard to weigh Zak's knowledge against Jess' to determine the weakest.
(18:29) David (::
I see. Do you think any of the other candidates will name you as the weakest?
(18:29) Louise:
In all honesty, no I don't think anybody will.
(18:31) David (::
Ok. Since you're the only remaining candidate never to have been in the final boardroom, are you worried that the boardroom experience the others have will put you at a disadvantage? They have 8 appearances between them
(18:33) Louise:
The thought didn't really cross my mind and now that you've brought it up, it isn't really worrying me. I'm confident in my ability to fight my corner if I need to and despite not being brought back to the boardroom, I have read them all and know how it goes.
(18:34) David (::
Do you think the remaining candidates have given their all in every task?
(18:37) Louise:
No, they all haven't given their all in every task. I think Jess has, but there have been times when Gav and Zak have been unable to be around for substantial periods. That being said, with Zak especially, he makes it up when he comes back and produces great work.
(18:38) David (::
What about yourself?
(18:40) Louise:
I have definitely given my all in every task. It hasn't always been a success, especially when I couldn't find any of the cheapest items in the items task, but I don't think any candidates, past or present would say that I don't try my best.
(18:41) David (::
Hmm, I'm going to move on but we'll probably touch on this again later
Have you disagreed with any firings?
(18:44) Louise:
There aren't any firings that stand out in my mind as ones I disagreed with. I think possibly Justin had more to give to the process but he was in the Boardroom with two candidates that definitely didn't deserve to go, so I wouldn't say I disagreed with his firing.
(18:45) David (::
Have you got along well with the other candidates?
(18:47) Louise:
Yes, for the most part, I have gotten along very well with anyone I have worked with. I do think it shows in the fact that I wasn't brought back to the final Boardroom.
(18:47) David (::
What about Katie?
(18:49) Louise:
I didn't get along well with Katie, unfortunately, and this wasn't my choice. I tried my best to accomodate her anytime I was PM'ing her and it never seemed to be good enough. Any problems she ever had with me were never backed up by any other member of the process so to be honest I think it's a bit of a mystery. It's definitely something I'm regretful of but I don't think I could have changed her
mind.
(18:51) David (::
This brings me back to what you said earlier about how no other candidate could say you didn't try your best. Katie has been very vocal about her opinions on you, even going as far as to imply that you WOULD have been fired if you had been brought back into the boardroom on task 4, so I don't think that comment is entirely accurate?
(18:52) Louise:
Okay.
(18:54) Louise:
However, Katie admitted in the boardroom that I did try, she just said it wasn't good enough that I didn't have any of the final items. She never denied I didn't make the effort, which is what I was claiming back in my answer to that question. Even Pete said (in that boardroom) that it was silly of her to think effort wouldn't be taken into account.
(18:54) Louise:
I never said the other candidates would say I've always been the best, I said tried my best.
(18:55) David (::
Katie's problems with you were not restricted to that single task, she had problems with your PM abilities later on in the process
(18:57) Louise:
I know, I never said they were restricted to that single task. In my previous answer about Katie, I mentioned the fact she had problems with me while I was PM'ing her. I'm well aware she doesn't think much of me.
(18:57) David (::
If I recall correctly she even stated in her evaluation that you did nothing on that tast
However
(18:57) David (::
I don't want to get into a debate over a throwaway comment, so let's move on
(18:57) David (::
task*
(18:57) Louise:
I did "nothing" because my name wasn't on the list of final item finders, which Katie made clear.
Alright then.
(18:58) David (::
Do you think your relationships with the other candidates have changed? If so, how?
(19:00) Louise:
Yes, my relationship with Jess has changed. At the beginning I didn't really trust her due to the fact I had heard she was being quite sneaky. The more I've worked with her, I've gotten on with her much better than before. Other than that, there haven't really been any changes.
(19:01) David (::
Have there been any points where another candidate has irritated you (other than Katie?) How did you respond?
(19:03) Louise:
A candidate I've been working with or just in general?
(19:03) David (::
Been working with
(19:04) Louise:
Going through all of the candidates in my head, no I can't think of any time any candidate has irritated me. I don't get irritated very easily so it would take a lot.
(19:05) David (::
How do you think the other candidates would describe you? What negative adjectives do you think they'd use?
(19:08) Louise:
I think if the candidates had to describe me negatively they might say I'm indecisive sometimes and maybe a bit controlling?**
(19:09) Louise:
To be honest, controlling refers to when I am PM and have to control but I usually do hand out all the jobs and make most decisions myself.
and it has annoyed one or two on occasion
(19:09) David (::
Do you think it would be fair to call you indecisive?
(19:11) Louise:
Not really, the only reason I say that is because while I've always had the initial idea sorted out fairly quickly, I don't generally feel confident in it unless at least one other member of the team backs it up fully. I have usually gotten the team to fish around for ideas quite a while.
(19:13) David (::
Ok, I have one last question! Can you give at least one reason why you're more suited to this than each of the other candidates?
(19:14) Louise:
Sorry but do you mean taking each of the other candidates individually?
(19:14) David (::
Yes
(19:16) Louise:
Gav - I have shown more dedication to the process than Gav. Jess - I've had better relations with the candidates than her, which I think is important for business. Zak - I've been more successful in winning tasks than Zak, as PM and otherwise.
(19:18) David (::
Ok, thank you, Louise! And good luck in the boardroom
(19:18) Louise:
Thanks very much!

Tyjet's third interview was with Jess:

(18:31) David (::
Ok, well good evening, Jess!
(18:31) Jess:
Good evening, David!
(18:31) David (::
Let me just start by congratulating you on making the final four
(18:32) Jess:
Thank you, I'm very proud to have reached such a late stage in the competition.
(18:32) David (::
Was there ever any doubt that you would?
(18:34) Jess:
Yes, I think I've surprised many people by reaching this stage! I suppose I've always known that I did have the potential to get this far in the competition, and make so much progress, but had you asked me at the start if I was certain I'd be here, I'd have said no- I have faced very tough candidates throughout this process.
(18:35) David (::
So you think maybe someone else is more deserving of your place?
(18:36) Jess:
I think I fully deserve my place, I think I've worked hard, put in alot of effort throughout the course of the competition- I'm a highly successful candidate. Others may also have been successful, but of course Lady Sugar saw something in me and has kept me in the show until now!
(18:37) David (::
I see. Now, which two candidates do you think should make the final and why?
(18:40) Jess:
I would say the two candidates who deserve to make the final are LOUISE and MYSELF. Of course I'd put myself in the final two, but I do feel that I work extremely hard, and provide an edge to the competition. I think I'm a little bit of a dark horse! Louise has had 3 undisputed losses as PM, to have no PM losses (an attribute I share) is amazing, and really shows how well Louise manages a team!
(18:42) David (::
On paper you do both have the best record
Which of the remaining candidates do you think is weakest?
(18:44) Jess:
I think the weakest (well not weakest, he's still a strong candidate) is GAV. Gav has thrown himself into tasks throughout the process, but I do feel that sometimes he suggests ideas which aren't particularly ideal (The stair slide being one of them.) In the business world, you constantly need to be thinking of suitable ideas, and I feel that Gav does not have the same ability as the rest of us.
(18:45) David (::
So his lack of creativity lets him down?
(18:46) Jess:
I think he's a very creative person, but his ideas could be more suitable and have more of a professional aspect to them.
(18:47) David (::
What about Zak? Why don't you think he should make the final?
(18:49) Jess:
Zak is a really great candidate- but the reason I feel myself and Louise deserve to be there more than him is that our work has been more consistent and we're constantly ready for challenges. In the final task we did, Zak asked me to do David's work throughout the day- and although this was purely a team decision, I don't feel he considered the negative implications it could have.
(18:50) David (::
Ok. Do you think any of the candidates will name you as the weakest?
(18:52) Jess:
I think there's a good chance that Gav will name me as the weakest candidate, but I'm fine with that and if he does do so then I totally respect his decision. I can assure you, the word 'weakest' will be used lightly by all of us, as we do feel that everyone deserves their place in the top 4, and we are all very happy that we can share the experience with the others.
(18:53) David (::
Why do you think that?
(18:54) Jess:
Gav I think is the only candidate left who has seen me at my worst, early on in the competition. The whole concert behaviour was out of hand, and since I've displayed that sort of attitued on more than one occasion, I think Gav will reflect upon our behaviours as well as our contributions whilst making hsi decision.
(18:56) David (::
Do you feel like you've ever had to fight for your place?
(18:57) Jess:
Definitely, in the boardroom's I have been in, I've definitely had to stand up for myself and justify my actions. I'm a very competitive person, and if I have to justify myself, I will.
(18:59) David (::
Do you feel that you deserved to be fired on any of those occasions?
(19:01) Jess:
Not at all! The first boardroom I was in I understood, but I don't believe that I deserved to be fired as I put alot of effort into the task. The second boardroom I was in I had also done alot of work, and the third (and final) boardroom would've been a complete confusion if I had been fired over someone who didn't do any work.
(19:03) David (::
This leads me to my next question, have there been any firings you've disagreed with?
(19:05) Jess:
There's no immediate firings that spring to mind, perhaps Justin as he had alot of potential, but I obviously wasn't on his team in that task so I am unaware of the team dynamic and how well people worked.
(19:07) David (::
Justin was involved in a little spat in his final boardroom, have you got along well with the other candidates?
(19:09) Jess:
I've got along well with some, and not so much others. Myself and Val didn't get along, which was a surprise as we used to be close friends, but we've since resolved the situation over PM on DS, and I respect her as a person. Myself and Katie is a different matter, I was always aware there would be very much a 'he said, she said' vibe to the process, but I think took that to an extreme level.
(19:10) David (::
What about Carlisle? There seemed to be some bad blood between the two of you upon his departure
(19:12) Jess:
Carlisle is a great person, and the whole bad vibe between us was basically over a singular comment I made- which was intended to be in good humour to allow us to break the ice after a tricky situation, but it was taken the wrong way and left me with an accusation of baiting. I think we became great friends within 24 hours though, and I don't feel he was that annoyed with me after that time.
(19:16) David (::
I think it's fair to say that of the remaining candidates, you've been involved in the most bickering and generally petty behaviour. This obviously doesn't reflect too well on you and even though you do have the best record on paper as I said earlier, every time you've been on the losing team, you've been in the final boardroom. Why should Lord Sugar make you the next DS Apprentice when you seem quite difficult to work with?
(19:19) Jess:
I wouldn't say I'm difficult to work with, in fact I'm sure if you asked alot of the candidates who I have worked with they'd say I was a good person to work with! I've never hid the fact I'm opinionated, and LAS herself is very intelligent, and I feel we get on great because of the similarities between us. There's always going to be people who you don't get along with but you move on.
(19:20) David (::
Some of your fellow candidates have described you as quite sneaky, sly and underhand. Do you think those comments are fair?
(19:23) Jess:
I'm hardly clean cut, but I thing alot of people just thing I'm 100% negative, I'm not at all! I don't feel they're accurate depictions of me if they're from the candidates I did not get on with- as alot of the time they could make accusations which come back to bite my behind with no substansial evidence. I've done some underhand things, I repeated negativity about Lou to her, but I'd do it again
(19:26) David (::
I myself have pulled you up on this kind of behaviour before and I'm sure Pete has mentioned it as well on a separate occasion. Underhand behaviour makes you untrustworthy, do you think you've learned from this?
(19:28) Jess:
Yes, I do think I've matured alot. Before this process I wasn't really 'one of the crowd' and didn't really have any experience of working with that group of people, but now I've spoken to alot of people, and I've gained their trust. People can turn to me now, I've spoken about really tough situations with people, and the idea they've come to me shows that I can be a great listener.
(19:29) David (::
So you'd say your relationships with your fellow candidates (excluding a few) have all changed for the better throughout this process? Could you give examples of this?
(19:32) Jess:
The key example of this is Zak, we've become really close and there hasn't been a day where I haven't spoken to him for a lengthy period of time! I speak to Louise on a regular basis, I speak to Carlisle alot, I speak to Val on DS now, I speak to Justin, I speak to Amroussi and Naruto- the only people who I haven't kept in contact with are haz_cat and Katie as well as the early exits
(19:35) David (::
Ok, now can you give at least one reasion why you're more suited to this than each of the remaining candidates?
(19:38) Jess:
I'm more suited to this because I'm a sociable, confident person (which helps when in a business environment) so that means I'm happy to express my opinions, but construct criticism in a more helpful way. I've also had more RL work experience so understand what the working world involves, and I'm a strong person who can not only deliver criticism but take it on board and I can reflect on my flaws.
(19:39) David (::
Ok, thanks Jess and best of luck in the boardroom!
(19:40) Jess:
Thanks for taking the time to interview me!

And finally, Tyjet's interview with Gav:

(20:47) David (::
Awesome!
Good evening, Gav!
(20:49) Gavin:
good evening!
(20:49) David (::
Before we start, congratulations on making the top 4!
(20:50) Gavin:
thank you, it's amazing to have made it here!
(20:50) David (::
Do you think this is the right final 4?
(20:52) Gavin:
yes, I would say so!
(20:52) Gavin:
I think the other three candidates all have excellent strengths and deserve their places here!
(20:52) David (::
Which 2 do you think should make the final?
(20:53) Gavin:
myself and Louise.
(20:53) David (::
Why?
(20:53) Gavin:
I genuinely believe I am the best overall candidate for Lord Sugar in terms of my overall potential and strenghts
(20:54) Gavin:
and I don't think Louise has put a foot wrong so far in the competition, her performance on the tasks has been close to flawless.
(20:55) Gavin:
I can't really comment on Zak, as I haven't worked with him, but he's universally liked and appears to have done a pretty solid job so far, but he hasn't won as a PM
(20:55) Gavin:
and although Jess has improved quite a lot throughout the process, I still feel, taking into account that I think I deserve to make the final, Louise's task performances have been a lot stronger.
(20:56) David (::
Who do you think is weakest of Zak and Jess?
(20:57) Gavin:
I think that's a difficult one to answer, because I haven't really had a chance to work with Zak, and I think both are quite credible candidates
(20:58) Gavin:
however I think I would say Jess is possibly slightly weaker - she's had quite a stormy relationship with a few different people on the show and was quite hesistant at first, and although I think she's grown a lot, I still feel she's a marginally weaker candidate, although I think this is a very strong top 4
and whoever goes through would deserve their place.
(20:59) David (::
Do you think any of the others would name you as the weakest?
(21:00) Gavin:
I do, and I could understand why they could think something - I think I've had the weakest single-task performance on the music task, where literally nothing went right for me, however, I think on balance I've been a stronger candidate consistently throughout the process than some of the others.
(21:01) David (::
Are you concerned about whether or not another candidate naming you the weakest could harm your chances?
(21:02) Gavin:
not especially, I think I'm the first person to admit my flaws and mistakes, but I think what separates me from some of the other characters is that I've worked on my flaws and improved on them.
(21:05) Gavin:
obviously I'd prefer to be thought of a strong competitor, however if people think of me as slightly weaker, it just means they're in for a bit of a surprise in the final round!
(21:06) David (::
Ok, now do you feel as if you've ever had to fight for your place in the competition?
(21:08) Gavin:
yes, I think I've been close to being fired in this competition, and I've had to justify my place here pretty much every round of the game - it's really been intense, and every round and in every task and boardroom I've justified why I'm still here.
(21:09) Gavin:
the standard has been quite high this time around, and I don't think anyone has ever been 'safe' - one bad performance and anyone could have gone.
(21:13) David (::
Do you think the other remaining candidates have given their all in every task?
(21:15) Gavin:
yes, I would say so, especially in the last few tasks! Everyone has given their all, really wants a place in the final and has been a genuine team player in the last few tasks.
(21:16) David (::
What about yourself?
(21:19) Gavin:
I think I maybe got a little complacent towards the middle of the competition and didn't perform my best on a few tasks, however, this sort of ended up as a bit of a wake up call and I feel I came back better than ever, stronger and working harder on the past few tasks.
(21:20) David (::
So you think in terms of effort, the others deserve it more than you do?
(21:20) Gavin:
not at all!
(21:20) Gavin:
I think everyone is guilty of going on to autopilot on occasion, and I'm sure the other three candidates have had lapses on occasion.
(21:21) Gavin:
ultimately I would argue that I deserve this the most, as I've worked very, very hard on improving on my faults and fixing the things I've been criticised for in the competition - I'm a much stronger candidate now than when I began the process.
(21:23) David (::
Have you disagreed with any firings?
(21:24) Gavin:
I've disagreed with task outcomes - I still think the Eurovision blog we did deserved to win, although I can understand why it didn't, but I think ultimately the right person has left every time.
(21:25) David (::
Have you gotten along well with the other candidates? How do you think your relationships have changed with them throughout the process?
(21:27) Gavin:
I would like to say I get on well with the majority of the other candidates, I would hope most of them think of me as a nice, honest and straighforward person.
(21:28) Gavin:
Obviously some relationships have changed for the worse, but at least on my part, there was no bad feeling or personal influence in any of the decisions I made in this process.
(21:28) David (::
Could you expand on that?
(21:30) Gavin:
of course!
(21:32) Gavin:
I think the whole situation where I told Lord Sugar that Carlisle wanted to 'sabotage' his team was quite a regretable one - I don't 'regret' doing it, but I wish events had unfolded differently, and that's quite obviously damaged a friendship.
(21:33) David (::
Do you believe it was the right thing to do in the context of the game?
(21:35) Gavin:
ultimately, if someone was thinking of compromising all the hard work I'd done in a task, I'd want to know about it, and hope the right thing would be done about it too. I think Carlisle is an awesome person who sometimes lets anger cloud his judgement and that's probably what happened there, but it probably got a little out of hand, and was taken personally, when it was never intended that way.
(21:36) David (::
Have you found any candidates particularly irritating? If so, how did you respond?
(21:37) Gavin:
I'm not going to lie, at the start I found Jess incredibly irritating, and agreed with Pete's 'underhand' assessment of her, but I have to say, I havent done a U-turn on my opinion of a person as much as I have with Jess in a very long time.
(21:37) Gavin:
I sort of figured I don't have any problems with her, or anyone really in the game, and Jess especially I've grown to really like over the process.
I would hope people like me back, too.
(21:39) David (::
That seems to be quite a common opinion! Now, second last question: How do you think the remaining candidates would describe you? What kind of negative adjectives do you think they'd use?
(21:39) Gavin:
I think I've indentified people think of me as someone quite passive.
(21:40) Gavin:
which I would like to add I'm really working on appearing to be less so, because at the end of the day I'm not a passive person - in real life when I want something I make it happen, so I think ultimately that'd be an unfair criticism.
I think some people use 'nice' in a negative context when they come to me, too.
(21:42) David (::
Lastly, can you give at least one reason why you deserve this more than each of the remaining candidates?
(21:42) Gavin:
I think I can generalize all three candidates in one reason, if that's okay?
(21:42) David (::
Sure*
(21:43) Gavin:
I think ultimately the reason I should go through is because I can recognize my faults, work on them, improve and show results in my improvement, which is more than any of the other candidates can say - I've really tried quite hard on being more assertive, trusting in my opinion more and I think over the past few tasks it's really shown, and should I make the final, I know I can step it up even
more.
(21:44) David (::
Ok, thank you and good luck in the boardroom!

First up is Pete's interview with Jess:

Jess's CV
In a nutshell, I would say that I am hardworking, well liked person- although I can instantly recognise my personal flaws. Although this may but a negative spin on my CV, I feel that there is a positive to this- as my ability to reflect upon my flaws is one which can be adapted to a business environment- as I can respond to criticism of my work thus enhancing the overall quality. Although I have been known to get into a few arguments, it is vital to understand that people will have differences, and such occasions in the past- I have now realised the correct demeanour to assume in situations like these. This makes me a great candidate- as I work hard and understand my negative aspects!

The first skill I would like to address in my CV is my punctuality- on past occasions, I have been known to arrive promptly to meetings as well as doing all work to the best of my ability. This skill allows me to be time effective- managing my time accurately is crucial element of the job I will undertake if I become the next Apprentice, as I understand the job entails a lot of hardwork which will need to be done by a strict deadline.

Another skill I feel I have is my ability to always put in 100% effort, despite being unhappy with some situations or criteria. A key example I would like to refer to in DSA terms is the task in which we were required to plan a full scale world tour. This task may have had negative aspects to it- but I feel that the work I did was done to the best standard possible, and still stick by my decision by saying that this was although ‘controversial’ one of the tasks which is more recognisable in this process.

In addition, another skill I possess is the ability to manage a team effectively! I have been PM on two occasions, and on both occasions (both public votes) my team has won by quite a margin! Although the first task was one which was received as me being rather dependant on other members of my team- the task about the Diamond Jubilee was where I really upped my game! Having a passion for something is something which has successfully nurtured my ability to lead a team throughout this process.

Another skill I have gained (albeit a negative one)- is that I fully understand the pressures of working in a business environment and I can now fully relate to what such an intense business process involves. Although working to a deadline has sometimes cause me to be argumentative- I now feel as if I can fully resolve all situations successfully- a key example of this is rebuilding my friendship with David- as well as accepting Val and staying away from arguments with her!

In reality, I work in insurance- a job which involves working one on one with people in order to successfully help them feel at home with the insurance system. This experience has allowed me to apply myself to give a more personal touch to the work my team has produced- as I feel that the best way to succeed is to involve the audience as much as possible- thus enhancing their feelings about the competition. I would say that my English skills (gained from my time at school, as well as further education) has allowed me to progress further in the competition as I have been trusted to write pitches- therefore showing my dedication to the competition, as writing such things can be a lengthy process!

On Digital Spy, I would say that this is my first major participation basis. This experience has allowed me to mingle with people who I would not usually delve into conversation with- and I have built great friendships with a few candidates! I currently host two games on DS- one of which being the Voice based ‘Real Time’ in which I roped in four highly known judges to assist me on the show; and the second being ‘Luck of The Draw’ an X Factor game- which once again, has a variety of well known names on it- as well as acting as a platform to launch a close friend of mine into the ‘more successful’ games!

In ten years’ time I see myself continuing to assist Anactoria in her business ventures, as well as taking a back seat and becoming a more politically correct and more involved individual.


Interview
Pete says
Good afternoon, Jess.
Jess says
Good afternoon, Pete!
Pete says
This interview is all about the content of the CV you submitted to us, and how well you've sold yourself to be the best person for the job.
Any questions before we start?
Jess says
None at all, I'm ready for anything!
Pete says
Okay. In your CV you discussed a lot of different skills. Which skill on your CV do you see as the most valuable for DSA, and why?
Jess says
I think the most valuable skill I mentioned on my CV is my punctuality- as this allows me to stick to deadlines and work around time related obstacles! I think punctuality is a huge factor in the DSA experience, you've got to produce work on time, be prepared for the boardrooms- everything ultimately revolvs around a deadline which needs to be met.
Pete says
Could you give me an example of when you demonstrated punctuality, and how it helped you succeed in a task?
Jess says
One example of punctuality is in my second run as PM in the Jubilee task- I had arranged a meeting with Naruto at arund 9AM, and was ready for the meeting at that time- it helped us succeed as we were able to spend alot of time reviewing our plans and discussing potential flaws and weaknesses. It allowed us to be thorough, and the whole time used their time well- and I'm sure you'll agree-
the submission we produced had clearly had alot of time spent on it, and that is the reason I think we won by such a majority verdict!
Pete says
Thank you. But I assume that means Naruto was punctual too. If this is THE important skill, can't we just bring him back and make him the Apprentice?
Are you sure punctuality is THE most valuable skill you possess? I'm not even sure I'd class turning up on time as a skill. I'm a teacher and I don't dish out an A* to the first kid through my classroom door.
Jess says
Yes, Naruto was of course extermely punctual- but whilst he was a great candidate, his involvement in another task (the one he was fired in) presumably lacked. And I think punctuality is an important skill to have- and it was the one I chose to reflect upon as it's one I feel makes me the most unique, and it's something different which I doubt others would class as their most important attribute.
Pete says
No one else has said it as it usually goes without saying; can you maybe explain the value of one of the other skills you mentioned on the CV?
Jess says
Yes, I'd be extremely happy to do so! In my CV, I stated how I was good leader- having won two tasks out of two is something which I feel extremly positive about. I understand fully what it takes to be a good leader, and I feel that making people comfortable within the task is extremely important. Despite a few nerves on my first DSA outing, I would say I had been a strong leader throughout!
Pete says
Yes, I think this is one of the most important of the skills you noted on the CV. What does 'it take to be a good leader' then?
Jess says
In my opinion, you've got to understand your team! You've got to allow them inside your thought process, and make sure they feel comfortable with the decisions you are making. Sometimes, you have to make a team decision rather than a personal one, and this is something I definitely applied- particularly during my second run as PM. Also, a good team leader understands the brief at hand- as this
ensures that the most experienced person is looking after the team- for example, I would not have PMed in the Video game task as that is not an area I am well educated in- and although I was appointed PM in the Royal family task- I would've stepped up regardless, as I would say I am a huge Royalist.
Pete says
Yes, on your CV you mentioned you were most proud of that task. Can you remind me who was on your team then?
Jess says
I am almost certain that the team for this task was Myself as PM, Louise, Zak and Naruto!
Pete says
with you and Naruto there at 5am ready to start, no doubt.
How do you manage leading big personalities such as Zak?
Jess says
I wouldn't say Zak was a big personality, I would actually say that he's one of the most reserved people I know from the process! However, in the case that Zak was a wild person who was hard to work with (he isn't), I'd try and introduce some team spirit- such as regular commendation for the work he was producing, and I would make sure everyone offered constructive critique to all work!
Pete says
Okay, I'm going to move on slightly.
You are the candidate with by far the most real-life work experience, in the Insurance field i believe. Do you think this RL experience has helped you to get to the top 4? Does it separate you from the others?
Jess says
Yes, you are correct! I think I have the biggest business initative, and I know (probably better than most) that working in sonething like this isn't a field of roses- I know that to be the best, you have to do extremely good work and work extremely hard. There's no such this as 'I can't'- you've got to push yourself no matter what the cost.
It separates me from the others because I have been in the real life business world, and I've worked my way from zero to hero- just a few months ago I had experience as a manager whilst covering for someone on maternity leave- I know how to work with people successfully!
Pete says
Can you give me a SPECIFIC example from your RL work where you've demonstrated your strengths?
Jess says
I have to deal with people I wouldn't usually associate myself with- I have to regularly meet with people with a completely contrasting background to me, and I think being able to work with people I don't usually find myself in an environment with is something which has helped me. I'd say I was a bit of a people person!
Pete says
What about when you're working with people you clash with? Would Val and Katie say you're a people person?
Jess says
I think, that me and Val are alot more similar than we think- it was just the other day when we contacted each other to discuss things which have happened in the past, and we're definitely building bridges, I'd be more than happy to forward you these PMs to show how well we both (Val especially given my treatement of her) handled the situation. Katie is a difficult one for me,
I've never come across someone like her, and I don't want to make this negative by reflecting ypon my extremely fragile relationship with her.
Pete says
Okay, I was using those as examples to talk more generally about people you may clash with at work. But let's move on.
I want you to imagine that you were a HR Manager for a company - your Insurance company, if you like. Would you hire someone on the basis of your CV?
Jess says
To put it quite simply, I wouldn't. Although my CV has some good content in my eyes, there is definite room for expansion. However, I think some of the attributes I wrote about are things people see as key skills when looking for someone to hire- people who realise they can learn from their mistakes are people who understand the business environment. I think my CV is a start for someone starting
a career, but there is room for growth- for myself and said person!
Pete says
An interesting response. I think you're quite hard on yourself; I actually liked your honesty and felt there were some really good qualities to your CV. However, this brings me to a question I was planning to ask anyway: why is your CV so negative about yourself? In your OPENING SENTENCE you say you have 'personal flaws'. Why would someone carry on reading after that?
Jess says
I didn't want to seem too arrogant or self aware, I know that had I bigged myself up alot, it'd make me seem like a very controlling individual, and certainly not someone you wantt in your place of work. My opening sentence was a tricky one, and I do agree, it's an odd start to something which will be read by a potential employer, but I do think it sums me up well, I think it's personal to my
beliefs about myself.
Pete says
Okay. So, I know you've not seen the other CVs, but out of the top 4 where do you imagine your CV places if we were to rank them?
Jess says
I think it would rank 3rd- purely because I am well informed that Zak and Louise have spent alot of time producing 2000+ worded CVs and Gav has not yet sent his in- but I do know that when Gav sends his CV, my CV will rank 4th- purely because there's a negative side to it.
Pete says
Jess, do you want this job or not? Believe me, you can find a negative side in almost every CV. Right, I really want you to sell yourself here. Reduce your CV to one sentence selling yourself as a candidate.
Take a minute to do this if you like.
Jess says
Yes of course I want this job, I'll have a think for a second!
Pete says
Okay, that's fine.
Jess says
I am a hardworking, passionate candidate who is not afraid to share my views; as well as being very opinionated and open about many situations thus leading to me being a great person to have a round in the workplace!
Pete says
Okay, thanks. Just a couple more questions, you'll be pleased to know!
Jess says
I could never run out of ideas when talking to you!
Pete says
Ha, flattery will get you nowhere! Now you said that in 10 years time you would hope to be a 'more politically correct individual'. Could you explain this a bit?
Jess says
It's always worth a try! I'd say that by that segment, I meant that in 10 years time, I'd be more well spoken, educated about current geographical affairs perhaps, as well as having more ideas which appeal to all types of markets and are a little less one sided- such as encorporating everyone's needs, personalities, sexual orientation and other things to design products accessible for all!
Basically being at the centre of a new era of ideas which will bring Britain closer together as a country.
Pete says
Ok, I see.
Right, last question.
What three words would the other candidates (past and present) use to describe you?
Jess says
Opinionated
Hardworking
Accommodating
Pete says
Ok, that's all the questions! Is there anything you'd like to ask, or anything on the CV you think we've not covered enough?
Jess says
Not at all, I feel this has been a very thorough interview! Thanks for taking th time to interview me!
Pete says
Thank you, Jess. The interview is over!

Next up, Pete's interview with Gav:

Gav's CV
Personal Statement
I am a positive, honest and hard working person who throws himself into every task with the maximum of energy and dedication. I am an efficient, practical person easy to get along with, adept at handling high pressure, stressful situations with calmness and clarity. I have a multitude of skills and experiences, and I feel that I would be an asset to any company.

Skills
- Written and presentational skills. I am confident in my ability to formulate and write pitches, documents and resources to a high quality in order to inform, argue and persuade readers to different ideas and viewpoints, something I see as being of paramount importance. I can articulate ideas well, and my written skills have been praised frequently throughout my life, and can pitch ideas in both formal and informal situations to a high standard.

- Sales. I can adapt and fine tune my sales techniques in order to sell a product to it’s intended audience. I’m confident, pleasant and competent at sales, with an additional ability to upsell products well.

- Practicality. Having been taught from an early age the importance of finance and figures, I am confident with numbers, figures and margins and can easily attain the maximum practicality whilst delivering on cost. I am also excellent at spotting potential flaws in products and ideas and fixing them.

- Positivity. I am an extremely positive person, which I feel is important in business. I am highly motivated, and easy to get along with, and can easily motivate those around me, getting the maximum productivity both from myself and those within my team. I am considerate of others, respectful, and forge good relations with both co-workers and customers.


Experience: Real Life

I have just finished my third year of an undergraduate MA in English at the University of Aberdeen, a degree which I think highlights my creativity, analytical brain and propensity for writing and presentation. Prior to my degree, I obtained 12 GCSEs at grades A* to B, and an International Baccalaureate diploma, highlighting my all-round academic ability.

I have a wealth of employment experience that I feel has broadened my skill set in numerous ways. I have undertaken a number of permanent and temporary positions in retail, at Next, French Connection and Monsoon which demonstrates my versatility and ability to adapt myself to different retail environments, as well as relying heavily on my people skills. Throughout these positions, I developed my confidence in interacting with customers, my organizational skills and my ability to remain calm and co-ordinated under pressurised situations.

I have also worked in box office and front of house at a theatre company during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011. Throughout the festival run I was one of the best performing members of the box office team, remaining calm in chaotic situations, and regularly managing to up sell products to customers.

Experience: DS

I have both picked up new skills and displayed my existing skills throughout this series of the DS Apprentice. In every task, I have taken an active role in the creative elements of the tasks, being a key member of my team during the ideas phase of the process. As well as giving my own ideas, I have helped develop and modify other ideas, appraising them in an impartial way – recognizing what was good and helping to rectify less successful ideas. Recognizing the importance of research, I have undertaken copious amounts of research in every task, using the results to inform my ideas and to justify decision making. I have also demonstrated an ability to work well around numbers and margins, whilst not compromising on the product, aiming to find the balance between a healthy balance sheet and a quality product.

I feel that this process has highlighted to me a number of areas on which I needed to improve on, most notably management. On my first experience of project management within the process, I was indecisive, overly mindful of others feelings to the expense of the task, disorganized and generally unsuccessful. I took on board the negative feedback I received on this task however, and improved, proving much more successful on my second task – again showing my ability to learn, grow and develop. I also feel another area I have successfully improved upon is my confidence in my own ideas and abilities. Throughout the previous series of the DS Apprentice, as well as the start of this series I feel I was easily led on occasion, as I was scared of disliking an idea and hurting someone’s feelings. However, now I feel I have developed and learned how to vocalise an opinion in an inoffensive manner, still respect the feelings of others yet ultimately to influence decisions in a more successful manner.

Experience: Other DS
Throughout my time on Digital Spy, I have been involved in numerous activities. I am opinionated myself but respectful to others’ opinions, and have entered a number of games, with the long-standing games showing my commitment to seeing things through, even after I have been eliminated. Together with Kevin I set up The Change Up last year, which required a lot of imagination, planning and organization. I also reached the interview stages of the first series of the DS Apprentice, which shows my tenacity and practical skills, which I feel have developed even further since the last series, meaning I am much more of a rounded and versatile candidate this time around.


Where I see myself in 10 years

I have a clear life plan for the next ten years, beginning with completing my degree, where I am on course to achieve a 2:1. In the upcoming summer, I have an offer of a six week intern in the digital marketing division of a widely read financial newspaper, which is ultimately the direction I would like to pursue following the completion of my degree. In ten years time, I hope to be established within the wider field of marketing, and working for an established company – either a marketing firm or within the marketing division of another company, in at least a junior management role. I thrive on being successful at whatever I turn my hand to, so I hope to progress and grow throughout whatever company I work within.


Interview
Pete says
Good afternoon, Gavin.
Gav says
Good afternoon.
Pete says
This interview is all about the content of the CV you submitted to us, and how well you've sold yourself to be the best person for the job. Any questions before we start?
Gav says
No questions that I can think of, I'm ready to start!
Pete says
Okay. In your CV you discussed a lot of different skills. Which skill on your CV do you see as the most valuable for DSA, and why?
Gav says
In terms of DSA, I think being able to write eloquently and express ideas well is the most important thing - if you can't convey your concepts properly to their fullest extent, and in an attractive way then your ideas can get overlooked, and so it almost doesn't matter how good your ideas are if you can't pitch them properly.
Pete says
If only the Apprentice was around in Shakespeare's days eh? He'd be a dead cert.
Gav says
indeed1
*!
Pete says
Ha, seriously though, could you please give me a specific example of how your writing skills have helped you in this process so far.
Gav says
In almost every task thus far I've had quite a big role in writing the pitches, which have been quite largely praised, even when the response to the ideas have been less complimentary.
would you like a specific example of this?
Pete says
Yes please.
Gav says
okay! I think the best example of this for me would be on the first task, where our ideas was quite solid, but ultimately a little bit unremarkable. All of the responses praised the pitch we wrote, which was more impressive and detailed than the other team's pitch, despite the other team arguably having the more unique idea.
I would argue that perhaps the way we wrote out our pitch and explainations possibly tipped over our idea into 'winning' territory. Everyone had a hand in that particular pitch, but I feel that kind of demonstrated the importance of writing things well.
Similarly, the way we presented our idea in the music task, even when the idea was less warmly recieved, was met with quite widespread praise from the viewers.
Pete says
Okay, thank you.
My earlier flippancy re Shakespeare aside, do you really think that writing is THE most important skill? If you were running a company, you can employ a copywriter or a marketing bod to do that for you. The ideas themselves - such as your example one, which you admitted was 'unremarkable' - are surely the key to business success?
Gav says
I would say it is the most important skill, yes - obviously it works best in tandem with other skills, but there's almost no point in having a strong idea - especially within DSA where you can't actually 'see' a particular product and rely heavily on descriptions to visualise - if you can't explain your idea well, pitch it properly or be able to sell it - all of which require good written and
presentational skills.
like I said, I think having a great 'idea' to work around is a fundamental, but being able to talk about a concept in an appealling way is massively important too. If you can make an unremarkable idea seem good, imagine what you could do for an excellent idea with the correct presentation behind it?
Pete says
Would you say you personally have had 'excellent ideas' in this process?
Gav says
I think creatively I've struggled a little bit on occasion, but I have had excellent ideas at certain points - yes - I would say the festival themed clothing line in particular was a good idea.
Pete says
Okay.
Gav says
I also would like to think that I can recognize a good idea when it comes from someone else, back it, work on it, improve it and make it great
which I feel is equally important.
Pete says
One skill I liked on your CV is 'practicality'. Could you speak a bit more about this please?
Gav says
I think I used it as a general, umbrella term in the context of my CV.
It was meant to sort of cover a number of things - firstly, that on a realistic level, I can spot potential flaws in things and rectify them - things that are common sense. On the toy task, I noticed that there were some faults with the materials used in the designs - so substituting the
board for a mat susbstantially reduced the costs for the task and made it more child friendly with the easier to store, more portable material we opted for.
I also think on a financial level I am quite practical - I spent a lot of time considering costs, margins and profits throughout this concept and I'm quite mindful that a product in real life needs to deliver financially, and is judged on that at the end of the day.
Pete says
Okay. For the record it wasn't a criticism, i really liked it!
I did however notice the absence of skills such as leadership and management. Do you view these as important to be the Apprentice?
Gav says
Thank you!
Yes, I do think leadership and management are quite important skills to hold, and I think those aspects are ones which have been identified to me as things I really needed to work on and improve, which I feel I have done throughout the process.
I think my CV really should be an accurate reflection of where I am as a candidate, and although I feel that now, especially following the previous few tasks, I am a capable and effective PM, as I think I may have explained in the DSA experience section later on in my CV, on my first attempt at project managing in this contest I had a little bit of a disaster, and thus identifying it as one of my
'strenghts' wouldn't have been true, even though I do genuinely believe that now I am equally as good, if not better, as a project manager as the other candidates in the process.
I do recognize the importance of management though, as having a happy team more often than not leads on to having a productive team, and within this process the teams that have co-ordinated and collaborated together have generally pulled out the better final products.
Pete says
Thanks. Yes I do like it when candidates are honest on their CV and comment on things they need to improve on.
How is your real life experience on the CV important?
Gav says
I think having a good academic record is important - it really shows off how well you applied yourself through school/college/uni, and I would hope that mine shows that I've always worked hard, taken challening options and never rested back.
Again, I think the working experience I had in retail shows that I'm someone that's had to work quite hard for what they have and can thrive in a number of different environments - working in stores has taught me a number of things, especially in relation to working around other people.
I think my people skills now are one of my strongest sets - I can quite easily navigate difficult situations whilst remaining calm and positive, and I would hope most people I come accross would think their transactions around me quite positive.
Pete says
would you say you remained 'calm and positive' when you exposed Carlisle's offer of defection to your team?
Gav says
Also, the experinces I had working in box office last year showed my sales skills quite well - I was one of the top performing people on my team for up selling products, and generally I was well respected by those around me.
Not exactly, I wasn't having my best day - having been in the library at uni pretty much all day and with an impending exam - at the time I really regretted speaking out.
However, looking back I'm not sure I did anything wrong in saying anything - it wasn't a personal thing, and I would hope if someone on my team was genuinely offering to sabotage all the work I did someone would call them out on it.
Pete says
Yes, and I'm sorry to ask this. How would you cope with a work situation where someone annoyed you? Or in retail/theatre, an annoying customer?
Gav says
I have experienced that quite a lot, and I think I'm usually quite good at masking things, especially in person. It's quite easy to just put on a smile, and be polite and deal with situations in a calm way at the time, venting your frustration later on if needs be.
I'm not a particularly hot headed person, and I think I cope really well with difficult customers and on the whole relate quite well, and get on with to the people I work around.
Pete says
No, I think you could argue that you're the least hot-headed person left?
Gav says
I am, in general, very laid back, and I tend not to take criticism personally, I sort of see it as something to work on as opposed to a personal attack - it really does take quite a lot to get me worked up, and unfortunately that day there were quite a multitude of things that built up, and I snapped, whether it was the correct thing to do or not.
Pete says
Okay, we'll move on from this.
If you were an HR manager, would you hire somebody on the basis of this CV?
Gav says
I wouldn't say it was the best document I've ever written - it was a little rushed, as it had to be re-written after my laptop broke, however I think it does express the potential I have quite well, gives a sense of my background - experience and academic record wise, my aspirations and the skills that I have.
So I would say on the basis of that CV, as sparse as it is, yes, I would hire myself.
Pete says
where do you imagine it placed of the 4?
Gav says
I would assume in the lower half, probably third, however, I think as a candidate I am better than the third-best.
Pete says
Where are you as a candidate then?
Gav says
Although I'm not sure I have demonstrated it fully thoughout this process, I genuinely feel that I'm the best candidate remaining - all 3 of the others have fantastic strengths, but I think I have been continually improving throughout this process, and I have a great blend of talent, skill, real life experience and personality which would work fantasitcally well in any company.
Pete says
Why do you say you haven't demonstrated it fully?
Gav says
I think I definitely had some 'off' tasks where things just didn't go right for me, and I made some quite stupid mistakes, when in reality, I know that I'm a better candidate than that. An example of this would be the music task, where I PM'd for the first time - it just all went quite horribly, and I didn't step in and make the appropriate decisions which could have won us the task.
however, I think throughout the process I've worked on my shortcomings, and in my second task as PM, I really worked hard to demonstrate that I've improved on where I was lacking before.
I think what I'm trying to say in essence is that I'm aware that I haven't been 100% amazing the whole way through this process, but I think I'm constantly getting better and working on the things I need to improve on, and I think I'm a better overall candidate for that.
Pete says (16:55)
As you know, last year you were eliminated at this stage. On your CV you said, "I also reached the interview stages of the first series of the DS Apprentice, which shows my tenacity and practical skills, which I feel have developed even further since the last series, meaning I am much more of a rounded and versatile candidate this time around." So you think you're better now than last year?
Pete says (16:56)
Do you think the standard was higher last year?
Gav says
I think this year I've had an extra year of experience, I'm a bit older, calmer and I have picked up a lot of new skills I didn't necessarily have before, which ultimately makes me a better prospect now than I was this time last year. While I may have performed stronger last series, I was quite robotic sometimes and lacked personality a bit, whereas now I'm much more confident in myself and my
ideas. Last year the standard was quite high, however I've personally found this series much more challenging, and I feel like I've been tested a lot more this time around than I had last year. I've definitely worked a lot harder for my place in the interview round this year than I did last year.
Pete says (16:58)
Thank you.
Can you reduce your CV to one sentence selling yourself as a candidate?
Gav says
I'm an ambitious, honest, hard-working and positive person, with a variety of skills both practical and presentational, who strives to be the best in everything that I do and never gives up working on myself to become the best person I can be.
Pete says (17:02)
Thank you. Last question now.
What three words would the other candidates (past and present) use to describe you?
Gav says
oh, that's a difficult question!
I would hope they would say: intelligent, nice, hard-working?
Pete says (17:04)
Thanks.
Gav says
thank you!
Pete says (17:04)
Do you have any questions, or anything else you would like to add?
Gav says
not that I can think of, thank you!
Pete says (17:05)
Gav, the interview is over. Thanks for your time, and good luck.

Pete's interview with Zak comes next:

Zak's CV
Personal Statement.

To begin, I think it would be appropriate to reflect upon my introduction, which consisted of the following:

My name is Zak and I am a sixteen-year-old male student who is particularly passionate about various foreign languages, which include Spanish and French specifically. In the future, I foresee myself living abroad for lengths of time, augmenting my knowledge to the culture and history of their linguistics. Whilst this process may not require skills based around the apprehension of foreign languages, they are substantially vital in a business environment. Some may say that being young has its disadvantages experience wise, of course it does, but it certainly has its advantages as well. The ability to be creative and to ‘think out of the box’ is generally associated with a young person’s mind and that’s definitely myself included. I have absolutely no doubt that others are willing to ‘backstab’ and strategize their way through this game, but I feel I’m above that. I will go through this process honestly and with no regrets.

I feel that I have gone through this process honestly and with little regrets, as well as showing my creative side along the way and for those two reasons and many others, I would say I am the perfect candidate for the next Digital Spy Apprentice.

Skills.

In terms of skills, I would say I have a plethora of abilities that I have both maintained and learned throughout this process, which I am going to list in no particular order! However, I would say the most important skill is listed below and whilst it may not seem to fit with the term ‘skill’ at a first glance, I do still think it is a vital element.

Reliability.

The main question that strikes me in terms of reliability is ‘what is the point in any other skill if you’re never there to show it off?’ I believe throughout this process that if nothing else (but don’t worry, there is plenty!), I have shown how reliable I can be and how easy I am to reach during the tasks at almost anytime of the day – especially on weekends and holidays. Whilst I have school and other aspects that may be a factor as of when I am able to be of assistance, I feel I have managed to handle balancing my time with ease and been able to prove that I am an important candidate based on reliability alone.

The next skill I believe I am able to offer is more of a definitive skill than the previous and another I feel is very important in order to succeed in the world of a business.

Decision-Making / Leadership / Time Management.

The particular skill of ‘Decision-Making’ can link to many other skills such as time management and the ability to be an efficient and effective leader, both of which I feel I have shown I can do well throughout the past eight tasks. When being the project manager in tasks five and eight and when my team asked the question all PMs dread, which was ‘how was your PM?’, I received nothing but positive feedback – here are a few quotes from when I was PM, particularly focusing on task five:

Carlisle156: Zak was an absolutely brilliant PM… definitely the best PM I have worked under so far.
Narutofan100: Zak was a good PM!
Jag02010: Zak was a great PM!

This is where the ‘decision-making’ comes into it. When I was PM, both times, I was always very cautious of the time and wanted to have a set structure in which tasks were completed. It is ridiculous waiting around for those who may or may not show. Also, I do not spend two, three hours working out decisions such as to go for Katie Melua or Katy B, I make decisions carefully, but quickly and often in doing so, I take many risks. The ability to make decisions effectively and efficiently aids the idea of managing time. In almost every task, I have been able to complete the task with almost hours to spare, this isn’t by chance, it’s because I have always got my individual tasks completed in enough time to benefit the rest of the team so we can put it together and edit. I feel I have done this very well throughout.

The next skill I feel I have to offer is a very important one, in my opinion, as it revolves around this entire segment of the CV with the concept of understanding your own skills and capabilities…

Self-Insight.

This skill helps us know who we are, our strengths and needs for improvement, as well as assists us in understanding how we may or may not be perceived by others. Those without self-insight very often see their careers derail regardless of the level of their other skills. I believe being able to recognize where improvement is appropriate is a vital skill to have, being cocky or perhaps arrogant in the business world will get you nowhere.

The next skill I feel is important is more related to the written work itself that has been required all throughout this process.

Articulacy.

For the past eight tasks, the one thing that has been very consistent throughout is the high standard of praise for the majority, if not all, of my written work. This is because it is always written with appropriate grammar and is often described as articulate and intelligent. I often think ‘age’ is just a method some use to deteriorate, or excuse themselves from being able to create a lengthy, well-written piece of work that is worth reading, most likely because it takes effort and I believe I have shown that I am willing to put in the effort.

In fact, the concept of ‘effort’ is what brings me onto the last skill I am going to mention (though there are plenty more I could divulge upon), which is actually wanting to be in the process and whilst this is very loosely linked to the term 'skills', I still think it is massively important to succeed in business and is what any employer should be looking for.

Passion.


Whilst only being in the boardroom twice (due to losing as Project Manager) and therefore only in the firing line twice, I feel I have defended myself with whole-hearted passion, which I feel has proved that I want to win this entire process. In fact, throughout the competition, for the younger candidates going to school is often used as an excuse for not doing any, or very little, work. I feel I have managed to overcome this and handled both school-related work and Apprentice-related work, which in itself should also, I hope, prove my passion and the amount of effort I put into everything I do. The final thing I am going to mention related to the idea of 'passion' links to the fourth skill of my written-work. It is always completed to a high-standard and that, again, should be enough to prove that I put all my effort into everything I do.

Experience: Real Life.

Being sixteen-years-old, I may not have much to write in terms of physical experience, however I can list the many advantages I believe come with having a young mind (as well as some physical experiences)! However, I would just like to quickly add something here about my age in that the thing with the Internet is that you are only young if you admit it. When you're behind the workings of a website, the only thing people focus on is what you sell and what you say, not on your age – unless you advertise it, this is especially proven as I was thought to be well in my twenties before I revealed my true age, this provokes my maturity (for my age) further.

In terms of physical experiences however, I can mention a variety of aspects, such as school-related incidents and even job offers in the past, as well as work experience in general.

Beginning with 'job offers in the past', I have been offered three or four small-ish jobs in the past, particularly last year. The first was a very basic paper-route in which I would receive £35 or so a week and for a fourteen-year-old, that's not bad at all, especially with the high demand for a job like that by various other teenagers. The second job was a job I agreed to do for over the summer-holidays of last year. It was basically a customer-assistant for a store called Bench, which was fairly local to where I live so it was an interesting job to have as after the summer-holidays had ended, I was asked to keep the job I was doing as I was doing it well, but I declined as education came first and besides, I was only fifteen.

This year, I have had to do work experience for my school, which seemed fairly pointless since I had already had a job or two in the past so it wasn't really 'experience of work' as it was 'a waste of time'. The job I was assigned to was Connexions in the ICT department due to my quite good ICT skills, which were only increased during my time there as they had very little work for me to do, so it was basically a week-long tour of their department. The school asked them to fill out a sheet consisting of 'effort level' and other factors, all of which I got the highest possible in, so that's good!

A point I want to make about school however, as regarding my attendance. Throughout the five years I've been in secondary school, I have had a total of six days off. This is 1140 days at school, give or take, with only six days off! So yes, my attendance in school is quite good and this would be reflected in the work place if I were to be hired when this process reaches an end.

Experience: DS Apprentice.

I feel this would be most appropriately done if I were to generally go through my experiences on a task-by-task basis, beginning with task one.

Task One: I learned something very important in this task, which was how you don’t need to be able to put together a perfect sentence in order to be a great help to the team. I was on a team where I did the majority of the written-work (which really provoked my ability to write and links to articulacy mentioned earlier), however I learned that having someone creative on the team is far more important than being able to string a few sentences together. Even though we lost, it felt a bit like a win solely because of how close the votes were in the public vote anyhow and this was the task that told me I needed to be a bit more creative in future tasks. We also had a double firing in the team, which I also learned that there LAS has no time for those who don’t put the effort in.

Task Two: This was the ‘Aliens VS Warriors’ task for my team. My pitch, with Louise, got the largest amount of orders (15000 I believe) out of everybody. I believe this is down to my very strong pitching and ability to answer questions quickly and effectively. The other team praised me for my pitching skills as well, which was also nice to hear. Also, I handled the fact that Louise had to leave mid-pitch with ease. This was a great task for me as I learned that I’m a good pitcher and that is also a skill I had shown in this task. Whilst it wasn’t necessarily my responsibility, I also learned how important the costing can be in certain tasks.

Task Three: The ‘World Tour’ task. In this task, I learned quite a few things, the main thing being that quality over quantity really kicked in as our presentation (without reading any of the content) looked considerably worse than that of the other team’s, however it was clear to see that the actual ideas we had were far better, so it was nice to see the decision-making on the task for ‘who won’ was done on the quality rather than quantity and this is something I have taken through to every other task. I also learned how crucial some decisions are (in this case it was the artist we chose).

Task Four: This was the item-finding task where I was the only candidate to find something for free – described as the best find of the task. Therefore, I would say I delivered well on this task and managed to show that I am rather good at finding items for cheap, which could be useful, this was especially shown since all the items I found personally were cheaper than that of the other team.

Task Five: This was the task I was PM where I received the comments (as mentioned from earlier): ‘Zak was an absolutely brilliant PM’, ‘Zak was a great PM’ and ‘Zak was a very good PM’. What I learned from this task was that being a PM was more important than I had originally thought. This is because when I went into the boardroom, despite having little to do with the problems described, a lot of the ‘flack’ still landed on the shoulders of the PM, so this made me realise that I needed to get more involved if I were to PM again, which I did in task eight.

Task Six: This was the ‘royalty’ task. I feel in this task, I managed to show that I acknowledged the fact that research was key and showed this specifically in my written-work as I backed up with very valid points the reasons why I chose the three celebrity sponsors that I did. In this task, I didn’t learn much in terms of skills, I learned that Prince William had bought Ellie Goulding’s CD though!

Task Seven: Task seven, my favourite task of the lot! This was the blog-making one where I learned many things. I learned that persistence was key, for example, in alerting the artists that we had written a blog about them. Had we not done this, we wouldn’t have received with response from Day Dream Club and therefore wouldn’t have had as many followers, etc. Persistence and a little bit of luck, definitely.

Task Eight: In this task, I learned that even though it wasn’t a task I necessarily liked – fashion – it was still important that I tried my best and was extremely enthusiastic throughout and I think since we were in a team of two, the amount of work we had managed to do showed off our hard work and amount of effort we put into this task!

Experience: Other DS.

Throughout my two years on DS, I have participated in many games, theoretically met many new people and had quite the experience!

Beginning with games and more specifically, DS Apprentice: X Factor edition. I managed to make it to third place in this competition and learned a lot from it. For example, treating those who are, basically, ranked above you with more respect. I also learned to withdraw any aggression I may have shown in the X Factor edition as I feel throughout the past eight tasks, I have managed to stay calm and stay professional throughout. Since I came third, I aim to strive past third place this time round. I have also participated in many other games, which I feel are less relevant, but I have met a lot of new people whilst playing the games and what I learned is that even though something takes effort, it will hopefully be worth doing in the end!

There is also the aspect of just general forums where I have communicated with many other forum members in the past, which in turn has had me learn that it is often important to provoke your opinion and not just led it slide away because you may be in the minority!

I have enjoyed my time on DS.

Where Do I See Myself In 10 Years?

In ten years, I hope to be looking back nine years and fifty-or-so weeks ago remembering the time I was crowned series two’s DS Apprentice! On a more serious note however and depending on how long my course may last, I hope to have completed A-Level education and be finished (or almost finished) my time at university, looking at finding a job, perhaps even moving abroad – who knows! In ten years, I will be twenty-six and that in itself, is a scary, scary thought!

Interview with Zak
Pete says
Good afternoon, Zak.
Zak says
Good afternoon, thanks for seeing me!
Pete says
No problem, though I feel like I know everything about you already after reading that extensive CV! How long did you spend on it?
Zak says
That was the plan!
I believe I spent approximately an two hours on it altogether, give or take breaks and 'coming back to it' in between.
Pete says
Okay, I'm going to start with this question deliberately due to the length of your CV. I would like you to reduce your CV down to ONE SENTENCE effectively selling yourself as the best candidate.
Zak says
Absolutely.
I am a strong-minded, organised, proactive individual who believes he has the skills and abilities required to succeed in the business world.
Pete says
Interesting switch from first to third person! Thank you.
Okay, so in your CV you explained many skills that you believe you have. Which skill on your CV do you see as the most valuable for DSA, and why?
Zak says
I believe the most valuable skill for DS Apprentice is 'reliability'.
As I explained in my CV, whilst this is taking the term 'skill' loosely, you cannot prove or show any other skill if you're not there to show it in the first place.
Pete says
Several candidates like Naruto and Val were reliable; should Lord Sugar bring them back and hire them?
Zak says
Of course not, however, you did ask me for the 'most valuable' skill. Whilst I believe that reliability is the most important skill to have, having only one skill is simply not good enough.
Pete says
I agree that it's important, but I'm not sure if it is THE most important one. Lots of people can be reliable and it is easy to turn up, but it's not easy to say lead a team or have a brilliant idea. Isn't it these kinds of things that separate candidates?
I'm not having much luck with this question, the last candidate answered 'punctuality'!
Zak says
If you were to lead a team or have a brilliant idea, it is useless unless you're there to provoke it!
However, I do agree that both creativity & leadership are very important skills to have.
Pete says
Could you give me your best SPECIFIC example of each of these from within the process?
Zak says
More generally in terms of leadership, the best example I can give is my leading in task five as the compliments I received for my project managing were spectacular.
More specifically however is the incident with Carlisle in task eight. I originally gave him a lot of work to do and when figuring he wouldn't have enough time to do them before the deadline,
I made the decision to remove one of his tasks and give it to another team member to complete - this saved us a lot of time and because of that, I believe I really showed that I can be a good leader due to my abilities to make 'quick decisions' to benefit the team.
Pete says
but did i benefit the team? You lost that task didn't you? Not to mention that it caused one of the biggest rows of the series.
*it
Zak says
Of course it benefitted the team, especially since Carlisle only had "80% of the first task done by 5pm" when the deadline was at 6pm - he had another two tasks to do, therefore leaving him the three tasks would have been inappropriate and unfair.
Despite the fact he chose not to do the work afterwards, I also handled that very well and managed to delegate his remaining work between the team members who were willing to do work, which I believe is another good point towards my leadership abilities.
Pete says
But do you think you handled yourself professionally, including in the aftermath?
The conduct of many of you left a lot to be desired.
Zak says
I believe during the boardroom and the task in general, I handled myself professionally. Including the aftermath, I would say I handled myself more professionally than others.
However, I should have never brought any 'personal' disagreements into it as that was very unprofessional and I regret doing so.
Pete says
Thank you, very honest of you. Let's move on.
Can you explain how your education has helped you, and what skills it has given you?
Zak says
Another skill I made on my CV was 'articulacy', which I believe my education has only increased my level of articulacy and intelligence in general, which is helpful as it gives me a deeper understanding of the tasks and general life.
However, and this is something I may not have mentioned in my CV, handling school work and other various arrangements has allowed me to be a lot more organised as well, which has been very beneficial throughout DSA.
Pete says
How about interacting with others, as well as working in a structured environment where you may have to follow instructions you may not like?
Zak says
Oh, absolutely. I would say throughout this process, I have had a healthy relationship with all of my colleagues, which education and school-life would have had some kind of effect on.
Yes, I would also say that I have been more than willing to try my best at various times, despite it may not being my 'favourite' aspect in order to do well, which relates to education as well.
Pete says
Okay, I'm now going to talk about a couple of specific parts of your CV.
LAS has reviewed your CV, and she has asked me to address your 'Real Life Experience' section as she found parts of it a little unprofessional. Do you think it's inappropriate to refer to work experience as 'pointless' and 'a waste of time' on a CV? i know you explained this a little, but why bother putting it in at all? Surely you would think we'd find it off-putting?
Zak says
Yes, it would perhaps have been wise to have removed it altogether. The main reason I put it in my CV primarily, was because I felt that compared to the other candidates, I may be lacking in this segment of the CV.
Therefore, I tried to include everything work-related I could, but I realise now I should have handled the 'work experience' part of my CV more professionally.
The main point I was trying to get across however, was that the reason I thought it was 'a waste of time' was because it wasn't enough of a challenge for me and I could have spent my time at school where I would be learning something. I apologise for my unprofessionalism however.
Pete says
Ok, thank you for clearing that up.
Similarly, LAS also wanted to know a little more about where you'd be in ten years time, in terms of career specifics.
Zak says
At the moment, I have taken a very 'science-y' route with my A-Levels, which would suggest that I would like to go into a career which is medical-related, examples such as a doctor or a psychiatrist.
This would depend on how long I spend in university however, for a psychiatrist it is a total of 12 years university-education, which means in ten years time, I would still be in university.
However, if I wanted to become a general doctor such as a GP, it's approximately six years education, which means I would hopefully have been working in a hospital for two years or so.
The career of 'business' certainly appeals to me as well however, so to be completely honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure where I will be in ten years time!
Pete says
Okay.
Now something that I personally picked out of your CV.
Talking about one of your DSA experiences, you said "“I learned quite a few things, the main thing being that quality over quantity really kicked in." Do you think your CV would have benefitted from less quantity? I applaud your effort but I did find it overly wordy. I know in RL overly long CVs and application forms are weeded out when the competition is tough for a job.
Zak says
I understand your point completely, in that employers just want the information they require straight up.
However, I did feel that I had a lot to say and I genuinely wanted to make sure I had mentioned everything relevant to the process. I do believe 'cutting' my CV down a little is something I could have worked on though and may have proved beneficial.
Pete says
Fron the top of your head, what kind of things would you have cut down?
Zak says
From the top of my head, the 'work experience' mention in the Real Life segment for one! Also, I possibly should have cut down the 'task-by-task' explanation of what I had learned and perhaps summarised it into a succinct couple of paragraphs.
Pete says
Yes. Thank you - learning from mistakes is a great quality to have so I'm glad you're able to answer questions like this.
So, where do you think your CV would be placed out of the four?
Zak says
Thank you! Not to sound arrogant in any manner, but I would say my CV would place at the top of the four.
I believe when it comes to writing in a more articulate and professional manner (bar the 'work experience' section!), I am possibly the best at that and I do believe my writing-skills are one of my strongest qualities!
Pete says
Even with the issue of it being overly long?
Zak says
Yes, I would say so!
I would hope that with my CV being overly long, it shows my effort to want to remain in this process.
Pete says
And I think I know your answer to this one, but if you were an HR manager, would you hire somebody on the basis of this CV?
Zak says
Yes, I absolutely would. If I were to be a HR manager, I would take 'overly long' to 'overly short' any day of the week!
Pete says
A CV really is just a document to show off all of your skills. So you think you are the most skilled candidate overall?
Zak says
I would say that I was the most skilled candidate, yes.
Pete says
Ok, last question.
What three words would the other candidates (past and present) use to describe you?
Lol, maybe not Carlisle!
Zak says
Maybe not Carlisle, absolutely!
I would say three adjectives used to describe myself would be: intelligent, strong-minded and dedicated.
Pete says
Okay, thank you.
Do you have any questions, or is there anything else about your CV you'd like to cover?
Zak says
I think we've covered everything, thank you very much!
Pete says
Thanks Zak, the interview is over!
Zak says
Thank you.

Finally, here's Pete's interview with Louise:

Louise's CV
Personal Statement

To sum myself up, I'm a dedicated and passionate member of this process and have proven myself to be worthy of the job with Lord Sugar more and more with each task. I love business and I would grasp the opportunity with both hands. I'm a team player and would blend well with any team, as well as standing out as a leader when I'm required to. I wholeheartedly put all of my effort and skills into every task and believe I would be an outstanding recruit to the team.

Skills

Management

Over the course of this process, I believe I have shown that I have desirable management skills. I've managed my team successfully three out of three times, and mainly kept a great team atmosphere and delegated efficiently. I feel the techniques that I have demonstrated, such as proving my ability to listen to all ideas and develop them together, would be essential for this job. As well as this, I've shown that I can stick to what I believe will win the task and stand my ground when I think I'm right. I successfully controlled and directed my team in the right direction using all of the management skills I possess.

Teamwork

As mentioned, I'm a great team player. Having contributed to winning 6 out of 8 tasks, I have always done my part and produced work to a high standard. I haven't brought attention to myself or demanded any certain task, I've taken what I've been delegated and did my absolute best with the set task. I believe the key to a great team player is blending in perfectly with the rest of the group, unless your role asks otherwise. Looking back over all 8 tasks, I can see I've kept up a high standard of work and blended in extremely well with the team.

Organisation

Throughout my experiences in this process, both as Project Manager and otherwise, I have demonstrated excellent organisation skills. For each time I was PM, I had all work put together by myself and sent out to all of the members of my time in plenty of time before the deadline. Everyone knew exactly when and what to post, and there were never any issues on that front. Within the first night of each task I managed, I had all tasks delegated and my team all knew what they were doing. I feel this is extremely important, as for anything to work efficiently, it needs to be organised well.

Leadership

I believe management and leadership go hand-in-hand for the perfect candidate and I feel I possess both. In each task I have managed, I have led my team to victory. While I know I am not solely responsible for these victories, I have set the vision for the team to follow and it was very successful. Not only this, but they have allowed me to lead them and trusted all advice given.

Strong Work Ethic

Another skill I possess is a strong work ethic. I love to get stuck into a task, and do the best job that can be done. This is backed up by my enthusiasm for each task and the fact I put myself forward as Project Manager three times.

Adaptability

I find it very easy to adapt into new environments and I work just as well no matter what the situation is. Throughout the process I have demonstrated this numerous times, as I have been switched between the two team the most out of all of the candidates and still worked very well amongst the new group of people.


Experience: Real Life

Work:

I have had various sales jobs over the past few years, that have really helped my skills in that area. I worked at a clothes shop for a year for 4 evenings a week plus weekends, when I was 16, which I think shows maturity and determination, as I was balancing school with this job. When I was finished school I worked at filing for a year and a half, which shows my organisation skills. During university, I worked at another clothes shop, which recently shut down.

Volunteering:

Last year, I spent the summer volunteering at the local retirement home. This was a very rewarding experience and definitely helped my “people” skills, as well as developed my confidence and maturity.

University:

I am just finished my 2nd year at University, studying an International Business and Italian Higher Level degree. This course has definitely developed my business skills, in particular my marketing and management ones. Through doing various projects, I have also gained a better understanding of the business environment, financially and economically. I also feel having a European language such as Italian as part of my skills set would be a great benefit.

Experience: DSA

To fully detail my experiences in DSA, I will go through each separate task.

Task One:

A win. I feel (and it was noted in the feedback) that I got off to a strong start on this task. We started off with one idea on the first night, which was then (rightfully) changed in my absence. I feel like I adapted very well to the new idea, giving a well-written and detailed pitch after receiving a brief explanation of the new concept. I demonstrated that I was a team player in this task, and that I was willing to work very hard to win. Overall, a successful task on a personal and a team level.

Task Two:

While this task was a loss for the team, I feel that I was stronger on this task than I was on the first task. Zak and I delivered a very strong pitch that we took a lot of time preparing, and in the end we secured 15,000 units from our buyer. The pitch was praised by many members of the process and I do feel I stood out this week. I was extremely active in this task, being available the whole time. I also suggested alternative ideas to the one that we went with it in the end.

Task 3:

PM win. On task 3, I was the PM for the first time and I received very good feedback from all team members on this occasion. I delegated very efficiently, I was always around and I showed great dedication to the role. I was the one that suggested we go for Demi Lovato, even though a couple of the team weren't overly enamoured with the idea. I think it's harder to work in the face of adversity from the team and still pull out a victory. I got the team members on side with my idea after explaining my reasoning and everyone worked very well in the end. I believe this demonstrates effective management and leadership. I feel like I succeeded in motivating the team to be enthusiastic about this task. As well as being PM, I also did a lot of work, such as the set list with Justin, carefully planning the tour dates and the pitch about why we chose our artist. Despite choosing an artist not everyone agreed with, I feel I took into account a lot of suggestions from the team, such as where to tour and what jobs everyone wanted to do.

Task 4:

While this task was undoubtedly my weakest task, all of the team were in agreement that I did make a great effort with it and unfortunately I failed to find any of the cheapest items. I did find some good items, which were bettered by another member of the team by a pound or two. This wasn't my finest moment of the DSA process, but I still think it shows that I am a trier in every task, and I believe the fact that I wasn't brought back into the boardroom after the failure of this task reflects that.

Task 5:

PM win. Despite being a weak link in task 4, I made a very good comeback in this task as PM and I really feel like this was one of my best tasks. I put myself forward as PM after two members of the team declared no knowledge of gaming, while I am very enthusiastic about it. The very first concept I put forward ended up being the basis of the winning idea. While the rest of the idea had vital input from the other members of the team, it can't be denied, I definitely led them in the right direction. In the boardroom for this task I was highly praised by two of my team members, being referred to as “excellent” and “absolutely fantastic”. The team were very happy with the final product we produced and we ended up winning the task. Not only was I PM, I did my fair share of the work. I came up with the market research idea (in which I included all ideas.) I also came up with a lot of the details of the game we created, as well as completing another team members work last minute due to their absence. I delegated everything efficiently and was always available to help.

Task 6:

Win. At the beginning of this task, I wasn't very knowledgeable about the Royal Family. However, I feel I adapted very well to the task and came up with a very detailed and fun schedule of events for the Jubilee. I put a lot of effort into my written contribution to this task, like every other task. I was also active in the discussions and came up with a thoughtful set list for the Queen's Jubilee concert.

Task 7:

PM win. On this task, I managed for the third time, and it was an extremely enjoyable experience. As a team we put together a very good, readable blog. I was the one that suggested the blog about discovering new music, which we went with and which was praised. I made numerous, diverse blog posts (along with the rest of the team) and I also created the Twitter and Tumblr. Ultimately we created a sustainable product and we were the winning team. I feel this task demonstrated that my PM wins before weren't a fluke and I really am a good leader.

Task 8:

Win. Overall, task 8 was probably my favourite task. I loved the concept of it and Gav and I worked extremely well and in sync with each other. There was a confidence in the other person and we had a great rapport, which I feel is extremely important to demonstrate in the business world. I was very passionate about this task, and the idea we came up with and worked very hard to bring it to fruition. In the end, we put forward a great, detailed finished product that we put a lot of effort into developing and ended up winning the task.

Summing up my record during this process, I have 6 (out of 8) wins and no final boardroom appearances. While I understand that records don't mean much if you have been coasting along under the radar, I feel I have shown this is certainly not the case with me. I have never avoided responsibility and stepped up to the plate when I was needed to. I have been very involved in the process and for each task (bar task 4) I have produced something substantial. Perhaps I have been quiet, which I don't see as a bad thing, as I have also proven that I can stand up for myself when it matters.

I believe I have demonstrated the following key qualities in the tasks I have detailed above:

Reliability
Approachability
Decisive
Confidence
Intelligence
Efficiency
Positivity
Honesty


Experience: Digital Spy (Other)


While I don't take part in many DS games as an organiser or a presenter, I can think of one example that would be relevant to this process. Very recently, there was an issue with the first show of DS' Next Top Artist going ahead and I stepped in at the last minute and managed to successfully gather all of the information I needed to host the show at a reasonable time. I feel this shows that I can work under pressure, that I'm organised and that I can adapt easily to a role. I had never hosted anything before this and I feel like I pulled this off well.


Where I See Myself In 10 Years

Work wise, I see myself with my degree and a very successful job in business. Hopefully I will have progressed a lot in 10 years, and I will have gained a few promotions (ideally working for Lord Sugar.) I hope to have developed the skills I have mentioned in this CV a huge amount through work and possibly some more studying.

Interview with Louise
Pete says
Good Afternoon, Louise!
Louise says
Good afternoon!
Pete says
How are you feeling about the interview?
Louise says
I'm feeling slightly nervous, but generally confident.
Pete says
This interview is all about the content of the CV you submitted to us, and how well you've sold yourself to be the best person for the job. Any questions before we start?
Louise says
No thank you, all is clear.
Pete says
Thank you. In your CV you discussed a lot of different skills. Which skill on your CV do you see as the most valuable for DSA, and why?
Louise says
I think the skill of working in a team is the most vital, based on the fact nobody could do these tasks on their own. Everybody has to gel and do their part or it just doesn't work. While I know you need other qualities, this one stands out to me as the most important.
Pete says
Okay, thank you. Could you give me an example of when you've done this especially well during the process?
Louise says
I feel I've done this on every task throughout the process. One specific example would be the first task, when the idea was changed overnight and I wasn't there. I still had my part to do and while the concept wasn't fully explained to me, I went along and managed to produce a very good pitch without complaints.
Pete says
Thank you. One thing I was impressed with - and I think you may have been the only one actually - is how much emphasis you put on management as a skill. Could you talk a bit about the importance of this?
Louise says
Absolutely. I think the ability to manage a team with confidence is something that is vital in business. A lot of the tasks that need to be done require a figure of authority to ensure things are running smoothly, and still keep a cool head and good relations within the team. As I also stated on my CV, this goes hand in hand with leadership, which is also very important.
Pete says
Thanks. Now the other CVs seemed to emphasise heavily things like attendance and punctuality, where as you didn't. Do you find these things less important?
Louise says
Attendance and punctuality are obviously extrememly important for any job. It didn't really enter my head to state this as it seems like they're very obvious requirements. For the record, I am very punctual and I'm always reliable! I did mention reliability, which was referring to my attendance in every task though.
Pete says
Okay, thank you. I meant that the other candidates emphasised them more. In fact, they were the answers I got for the 'most important skill' question you had earlier.
Next, how do you think your education has helped you in this process, and what skills has it given you?
Louise says
I do think my education, specifically my university education, has helped with certain roles I've had, such as time management and working as a team. These are thing I've been required to master over the past two years. On the other hand, there are a lot of tasks in this that I've never had to do anything like in uni, so it's been a good challenge as well.
Pete says
I also read about your jobs on your CV. Out of filing, the clothes shop and volunteering at the retirement home, which did you find the most valuable and why?
Louise says
I definitely think working in retail has been my most valuable job. It helped me develop my confidence from quite a young age, it aided me in improving my sales techniques and I also benefitted from learning how to handle money. It was definitely the hardest of the three to adapt to, as they were very "hands on" sales jobs.
Pete says
Thank you, though I must say I was especially impressed to see volunteering on there, as that's not something everyone does and I think it speaks volumes about you.
Louise says
That was at a point where I was struggling to get a job and I didn't want a big gap on my CV. In the end it turned out to be more than just a CV filler, it was very rewarding!
Pete says
Aw yes I can imagine! Okay, moving on to the DSA part of your CV.
This section seems to heavily emphasise your wins in the contest. Do you feel these are very important? Do they set you apart from the others?
Louise says
Oh really? That's a bit embarrassing! The wins do mean a lot to me personally but I think individual contribution is much more important when considering someone to hire. However, I feel I've contributed well as an individual and also got the wins under my belt. As for setting me apart from the others, I don't think it nessecarily does, as the other candidates have also achieved numerous wins.
Pete says
If you were an HR manager, would you hire somebody on the basis of this CV?
Louise says
Yes, definitely. I feel there's a lot of effort gone into the CV and there are credentials (such as the details about the tasks) to back up everything I've claimed about myself.
Pete says
With that in mind, where do you think your CV would be placed out of the four?
Louise says
I think mine would be in the top two.
Pete says
With who, for the record?
Louise says
Zak.
Pete says
any reason why you say that?
Louise says
He's very good at going into detail and expressing himself and I can imagine he did very well at highlighting his strong points!
Pete says
Lol, yes.
What I did like about your CV was that it went into sufficient detail but also didn't go OTT; it was quite succinct.
Louise says
Thank you!
Pete says
Would you hire you if you were LAS?
Louise says
I would hire myself, without a doubt. I feel like I've demonstrated considerable ability since the start of this process, I've always tried my best and in my opinion I've proved that I'm worthy of the job. If I could start the process again, there would be very little I'd do differently.
Pete says
Okay, thank you. Last couple of questions now.
Can you reduce your CV to one sentence selling yourself as a candidate?
Lol, you've almost done that in the last question!
Louise says
Yes, lol. Well, in addition I would say I'm an excellent candidate that has barely put a foot wrong in the process, as well as showing I have a lot of qualities and skills to give to LAS if I were lucky enough to be chosen to work for him!
Pete says
Do you think being arguably the front runner disadvantages you at all? Your former and current colleagues in the process all seem to think you have it in the bag to at least be final 2 if not overall winner, and one or two seem almost bitter that this is a foregone conclusion. What are your thoughts on this?
Louise says
I'll be honest and say that this attitude towards me does bother me and make me feel a bit uneasy, but it also spurs me on. Despite people constantly saying such things, I still put 100% effort into everything I'm asked to do (such as that CV) and I have never once thought it was a forgone conclusion just because I've won tasks. I've never slacked off, thinking I was safe.
Pete says
Okay, thank you. That ties in nicely with my final question: what three words would the other candidates (past and present) use to describe you?
you may not want to think of Katie when you answer that.
Louise says
Well, it depends on the candidate.
Louise says
In general, I would say they would describe me as efficient, friendly and intelligent
Pete says
Okay, thank you. That's all the questions, but is there anything you'd like to ask or add?
Louise says
Great! No, I feel like I've put across everything I've wanted to say!
Pete says
Thank you! Well in that case, the interview is over.
Louise says
Thanks!

First up, here's Aliyah's interview with Gav:

Aliyah says:
Hello Gav, how are you?
Gavin says:
hello Aliyah, I'm good thank you, how are you?
Aliyah says:
I'm good thanks! How does it feel to have made it here? Are you proud?
Gavin says:
it feels excellent! I worked hard to get here, so it feels great that it's paid off and it's got me to this stage.
Aliyah says:
That's great to hear, do you think you deserve to be here?
Gavin says:
yes, I would say I do - I worked so hard and I've had some strong performances that I think ultimately justify me being here.
Aliyah says:
Some strong performances? So you admit you lacked in some tasks?
Gavin says:
Yes, I would say so. I think I had a couple of bad weeks where I didn't really perform as well as I would have liked - things didn't go as well as I wanted them to, and I'd kind of got a little bit complacent, but I don't necessarily think that's a negative
it was sort of a wake up call/shock that made me realise how much better I can be, and I worked even harder to try to justify why I'm still in this competition and to show just how good I am.

Aliyah says:
You said you became complacent in the context of this competition and you wanted to proof yourself, again, in the context of this competition, it seems as though you're in this little bubble gav,and you're not really thinking about the long term aspects i.e. working in a big company with sir allan sugar, it worries me that your inspiration in getting out of this complacency wasmerely due to the
competition, I mean, this level of complacency will be strictly forbidden in Sir Alans company, how can you ensure us that you won't get demotivated like that in the company when you already have done so in this competition?

Gavin says:
I'm not quite sure how to phrase what I'm trying to say properly, so I apologize if this is a little inarticulate
I think I've tried to work my hardest the entire way through this, as I think I do through everything else, just I noticed within the competition that trying my hardest wasn't really getting 'results' and in order to feel like I'm getting results for all the effort I'm putting in it made me realise maybe I'm not doing as well as I could be, and that I could step it up a gear.
I'm not so much a 'competitive' person because like you said - every day sort of is a big competition and in the grand scheme of things I want to be doing consistently well.
I don't think I was ever 'demotivated', I just think possibly I became a little bit stuck in a rut earlier on in the competition and I needed a tiny like, nudge, to wake me up and make me realise I could be doing better.
I think it's really important when you make a mistake to admit to it and learn from it, and I guess that's what I'm trying to do here ... I wasn't at my best during some of the tasks, but I've noticed this and now I definitely won't ever make that mistake again, and I think learning from things and growing really does make me a better candidate.
Aliyah says:
Okay, fair enough. So on this note, what do you feel was your strongest and weakest task,and why?
Gavin says:
I think I can definitely say my weakest task, without a doubt, was my task as PM - the music tour one. I made pretty much every mistake I could - I really struggled to manage the different personalities in my team - there were conflicts, arguments, people playing things tactically that I really should have been firmer with, but I sort of just let things slide. I was so indecisive that we really
wasted a lot of time on the decision making process, I left too much work to the last day - it was just a nightmare from start to finish, which was especially gutting for me because I really thought it was a task that I should have performed well on - it really was right up my street.
My best task was probably the clothing task - I think everything I got wrong on the first time I was PM I managed to get right and rectify this time - decisions were quick and efficient, I had an excellent time working with my team, we came out with a great product I was really proud with, and I honestly don't think we made any mistakes at all there.
Aliyah says:
Gav, you said you couldnt manage the different personalities, this is a major task that all managers must undertake successfully or the business will crumble down, It seems like you're out of your depth?
Gavin says:
I think honestly I WAS out of my depth completely at the start of this process, I think anyone who knows me knows that I always try to be really considerate of other people's feelings, and I think at the start I maybe let that damage the final product.
Now I realise there's a balance between being nice to people an managing them correctly, and I really think I know that balance a lot better now - I could manage a team well, get stuff done and manage to keep people on side excellently.
For me, learning to stand my ground and how to work with different types of personalities has been one of the biggest learning curves of this process.
Aliyah says:
But it's a bit too late now to prove that all, no?
Gavin says:
not really, I think people always grow and change and get better, and I don't think I should be penalized for recognizing where I was going wrong and making efforts to change it.
Aliyah says:
So you think you should be a bit more ballsy?
Gavin says:
yes, definitely!
Aliyah says:
Are you a man or a mouse, Gav?
Gavin says:
I kind of almost lived in like a little bubble where everything was awesome and everyone was lovely and would listen to me and everything would be happy, and I sort of just woke up and realised this competition/life in general
is definitely not like that, and it's sort of time to like wake up and be like a lot more assertive and in control of where I'm going and less like .... idealistic.


Aliyah says:
I can argue that other candidates are already a bit more ballsy and assertive, does that not place you at a disadvantage?
Gavin says:
I guess in one sense it does, but at the end of the day, it's pretty clear to me what held me back and I needed to work on and I think I've done that pretty well.
Aliyah says:
So you admit, that a level of growth in this procedure is nessesary?
Gavin says:
In a way it's almost a strength because I've improved and grown, and I know I can go further, and ultimately it was quite a minor problem to fix, it's sort of just shown me to be someone who wants to get better.
yes, definitely! I know I personally wouldn't want to hire someone who was exactly the same at the end of this process as they were at the start when there's such massive scope for learning new skills and developing.
Aliyah says:
Has your performance been an accurate representation of your abilities?
Gavin says:
I would say I'm a better candidate than my performances have shown, for definite.
Aliyah says:
At this moment, all i'm getting from you is this sense of hope that you can be better, Gav, when will you execute this hope?
Gavin says:
I think I HAVE executed it already!
like, I guess the point I'm ultimately saying is that I started out quite well, and then realised some things were going wrong, saw what they were, fixed them, and was better than ever in the last few tasks.
I don't really think it's a 'hope' that I can get better too, as that sounds quite passive, and I'm not really the sort of person that sits and 'hopes' for things, I now kind of know that when you want something you have to make it happen yourself.
Aliyah says:
So Is there anything you'd change about your actions in the competition if you could?
Gavin says:
I think there's actually quite a lot I'd do differently, the biggest thing would be the music task, because I feel like I went quite horribly wrong and I'm dying to to show everyone again that I really can do a LOT better than that - which I think I already demonstrated when I was PM for a second time and won
Aliyah says:
Okay, fair enough.
Why do you think you should be in the final? What can you bring that the other candidates can't?
Gavin says:
I think I definitely deserve my place in the final.
I have a great academic record, I'm logical, practical, can handle my way around numbers but at the same time I'm quite creative and I can manage that side of things quite well.
ultimately I'm someone that people want to work around, I don't think many of the people I've worked with in this process had anything bad to say about me, and from that perspective I think I'd be a great candidate for Lord Sugar to hire.

Aliyah says:
I think you need to display a lot more confidence, especially in the way you word your answers. So lose the "quite creative" and "quite well", because other candidates will tell LAS that they can manage things incredibly well and therefore, give LAS that sense of confidence, it sort of makes you come across quite passive, what would you say to that?
Gavin says:
oh I definitely have confidence, without a doubt - I'm confident enough in myself that I don't need to constantly keep telling everyone how good I think I am, I would hope that how I've come accross in tasks really covers that.
I think I'm quite calm a lot of the time too, which translates to passive - I don't panic and stress at people, again which I think demonstrates just how confident I am.
Aliyah says:
You said it again
"quite"
How would you word it, to give me some confidence that you ARE calm?
Gavin says:
I AM calm.
I think I have a lot of bad habits when it comes to articulating myself which sometimes make me seem, in casual conversation, less intelligent and more passive than I am, when in fact I know I'm actually very capable and I take an active role in life.
I just need to rid myself of all these vocal ticks - like prefixing things with 'sort of' or 'kind of' or 'quite' or saying 'like' every other word.
Aliyah says:
Yes i agree, it may also hinder another persons opinion of you
So practice how to express yourself.
Okay Gav, that will be all
Thanks very much!

Next, let's see how Aliyah's interview with Louise went:

Aliyah says:
Hiya Louise, how are you?
Louise says:
Hi, I'm fine thanks!
Aliyah says:
How does it feel to have made it here? Are you proud?
Louise says:
It feels great to have made it this far, I'm really happy and proud.
Aliyah says:
Are you surprised to have made it this far?
Louise says:
I suppose I'm surprised in a way, not because I doubted my abilities, but because I didn't know what to expect in terms of competition and it has been really strong the whole way through.
Aliyah says:
So your surprised at how you've overcome the strong competition? Do you not think you're stronger/as strong as the other candidates?
Louise says:
Yeah I am surprised to an extent that I've overcome the other strong competition. I'm confident that I'm as strong as the other candidates but it's just been difficult to predict how the process will go.
Aliyah says:
Okay, so what would you say was your weakest task and why?
Louise says:
Without a doubt my weakest task was Task 4, when we got a list of items and we had to find the cheapest one. I'm not sure why I wasn't good at that one, I just had no idea what websites to search. I was looking for ages but the prices I found were beaten by others in the team.
Why did you not know which websites to search? Had this been translated in reality where you had to go out to find the objects, would you have had the same problems i.e. not knowing where to look? That's a huge huge aspect of business, which is why people tend to do research first, why did you not look for other options such as asking your team mates etc?

Louise says:
Originally we were all sent out to find our own items, which we did. I found a few different ones on various websites and gave my best prices to the PM. A few hours later they were beaten by a few pound by another team member. I did ask the team what websites they recommend but even though we were working as a team, one of the team members went and found most of the items by themselves. I was
happy with this because it benefitted the team. Yes, I had failed and my items were beaten by a few pound, which I am disappointed with, but it was for the best.
In reference to the not knowing which websites to search, I have no excuses for it really, I just don't buy things online.
Aliyah says:
Not buying thing's online still wouldn't be a valid excuse, would it? As the teams were there for support? Do you think this task involved a lot of complacency in falsey assuming that you all had the cheapest prices during the process?
Louise said (17:33):
I didn't say it was a valid excuse, I know I have no excuses. And I didn't really think there was much team support in this task, no. I suppose there was a certain level of complacency, mainly because I didn't end up finding the cheapest price. However I didn't stop looking until the task was over.
Aliyah says:
Do you think it's right when candidates have excuses i.e. "I don't know much about fashion, so i failed in the fashion task"? and therefore shift the blame towards that reason?
Louise says:
It depends on how much of an effort they made and whether they just sat back and gave up or not. I don't think shifting the blame onto anything should excuse you from failing but if you're being asked what went wrong it's fine to give such reasoning.
Aliyah says:
Okay
Has your performance been an accurate representation of your abilities?
Louise says:
Yes, I do think it has been. I'm happy that I've demonstrated a lot of the skills I'd have liked to, as well as being part of winning a lot of the tasks.
Aliyah says:
Did you ever give less than 100%?
Louise says:
I've always tried my best and given a lot to every task. I'm not sure I can say I've given 100% to every task but this wasn't a conscious decision. I just can't say that I've done my best every time, since there have been a couple of losses. That's not to say I haven't tried.
Aliyah says:
So an accurate representation of your performance is that is also a reflection of the fact that you believe you have not given 100% to every task?

Louise said (17:56):
I suppose that's the way it seems when you've said it that way but I really don't think so. I mean, I haven't performed to 100% of my abilities because I've been on the losing team but I have tried to give 100% all of the time and that's more of an accurate representation.
Aliyah says:
Could you give an example of how you've developed throughout the competition.?
Louise says:
At the beginning I was less of a leader. For the first two tasks I was happier to blend into the team. Once I took on the role of PM I also realised I enjoyed that role, and I succeeded at it. I came to the front a bit more and it helped me in working with the team in different ways
Aliyah says:
Is there anything you'd change about your actions in the competition if you could?
Louise says:
There is nothing that I would change that would be within my power to change.
Aliyah says:
Not even Task 4?
Louise says:
Yes, I would like to change task 4 and the other task I lost and make everything perfect but you learn from your mistakes.
Louise said (18:09):
Oh I thought you meant my actions, as in the way I behaved.
Aliyah says:
Why do you think you should be in the final? What can you bring that the other candidates can't?
Louise says:
I believe I should be in the final because I have given a lot to this process and progressed and showed that I'm worthy of being the in the top two. While I have faltered once or twice, I've picked back up and earned many consecutive wins. I think I could bring more creativity and dedication to the job than the other candidates.
Aliyah says:
Okay, thanks for your time Louise! That is all!
Louise says:
Great, thanks very much!

Aliyah's third interview is with Jess:

Aliyah says:
Hiya Jess, how are you?
Jess says:
Hello Aliyah! I'm feeling very optimistic, and yourself?
Aliyah says:
I'm good thank you! How does it feel to have made it here? Are you proud?
Jess says:
It feels great to be here- it's been a great experience. Of course I'm proud, I've survived three boardrooms, and seen many candidates leave the process- to be in such a competitive environment for such a long time is something I feel happy about!
Aliyah says:
That's good to hear! You seem surprised to have made it this far?
Jess says:
I'm not surprised to have got here, I'm grateful to have made it this far, I've hardly been the most well received candidate, and the fact LAS has seen promise within me and has kept me in the process means alot.
Aliyah says:
Oh so you're not surprised? Do you feel like your much stronger than the previous candidates?
Jess says:
I think I have potential, and without confidence becoming arrogance, I feel like I'm deserving of my place. There's been some great candidates in this competition- and I wouldn't say I was much stronger, I just think I've put alot of work into the whole process and therefore have showcased a committed attitued to the game.
Aliyah says:
Okay, so what would you say was your weakest task?
Jess says:
The task I would say was my weakest task was the task that involved going out and finding items for the cheapest price- once you had found the cheapest item possible there was nothing more you could do for the task- nevertheless, I would still say I tried hard.
Aliyah says:
Why was it your weakest?
Jess says:
I'm a perfectionist, and I like to make sure everything is perfect. When you have a task such as the item one, you feel that once you've found the cheapest item, there's nothing else you can do and have to spend time doing nothing else- it then becomes frustrating when in the boardroom you discover you could've found it for cheaper had you kept looking until the last second
Aliyah says:
So was that not a level of complacency and false assumption that you found the cheapest priced item possible? In this business, especially in Sales, the businessman/woman must continously keep negotiating with the customer without stopping, and that task was testing those specific skills, was it not?
Jess says:
I was just under the assumption that we had found the cheapest, and when the PM called time on the task, I took that as though it was certain we had found the cheapest items and we were confident. If I could turn back time, knowing what I do, I'd use the spare time at the end to look harder and further, but it's not something I did, and I regret that.
Aliyah says:
So Is there anything you'd change about your actions in the competition if you could?
Jess says:
I'd be a little less confrontational, and I'd defintely be more of a leader in the first task- although I think my leadership skills developed profoundly by the time I was PM again.
Aliyah says:
What do you mean when you say "less confrontational?"
Jess says:
I'd respect people's decisions more, and I'd be more polite to certain ex-candidates. I think I've recovered from being confrontational quite well, even resuming contact with one ex-candidate I was hardly polite to, but still, 'confrontational' is not a good thing to have on your record.
Aliyah says:
Do you think your confrontational side hindered the team dynamics during certain tasks?
Jess says:
I think my actions in task 3 (?) left my PM (Gav) feeling a little overpowered, so I think that affected him the most as I think he thought I was being a little too pushy.
Aliyah says:
So you regret that action? What if I told you that it's too late in the game to be regretting those actions and your confrontational side will affect the outcome of your chances?
Jess says:
Of course I've regretted it, I've regretted it for a very long time- and I think the fact I am aware of that being a major falw shows me to be a candidate who is not afraid to be negative about herself.
Aliyah says:
Do you believe a leopard never changes its spots?

Jess said (17:56):
I think every person has redeeming qualitites, I know I've done wrong in the past- but why should that ruin my chances? I think people learn from their mistakes, and where a leopard never changes its spots- people can certainly change their approach.
Aliyah says:
So give me an example of a task where you believe you changed your approach?
Jess says:
The 'Golden Jubilee' task- I got on with everyone extremely well, I changed my approach at PMing, I distributed tasks well. Even in the aftermath of each boardroom- I've been in contact with Val and apolised, I've become friends with David- it's important that as a businesswoman, you realise that to be successful, you've got to focus on the positives of people.
Aliyah says:
But you're aware that your previous conduct couldve lost you the whole business in the real world, and you wouldnt have had the chance to make ammendment?
Jess says:
Had this been the real world, I wouldn't have argued with my team members- and would certainly never argue with a client.
Aliyah says:
This game surely acts on behalf of the real world? Are you trying to say the reality of the experience lived up to your expectations?

Jess says:
If this had been reality, it's common knowledge that arguing with you coworkers is a big nono, I wouldn't do the same in real life- but over the internet, it's a different story because you're managing a team from over the web- DSA and the Apprentice are similar, but opposites.
Aliyah says:
But the nature of this game is so it acts like a real life model, do you not wish to be treated the way people treat you, universally? i.e. wherever you may go? So because this game is over the internet, do you think it's ok to be a "keyboard warrior" and act confrontational? This almost compromises the nature and expectations of this game?
Jess says:
I'd say I was confrontational in real life, if I was managing a real life team, it'd be easier because you could physically tell them to do work, I don't ant this to be a negative interview, but in regards to Carlisle last task, had it been real life, we could've sat down and spoke. But on the internet, it's not easy to read what people mean, I made a lighthearted comment, and it was misinterprete
*misinterpreted
Aliyah says:
Okay
last question
Why do you think you should be in the final? What can you bring that the other candidates can't?
Jess says:
I should be in the final because I'm experienced- I'm the eldest candidate so I have had more experience in the working world, and I can bring a sense of fun to the business, whilst still taking the job seriously.
Aliyah says:
Okay
thanks for your time jess!
That is all!

And for her final interview, Aliyah of course interviewed Zak. Let's see how it went:

Aliyah says:
Hello Zak
Zak says:
Hello, thanks for seeing me!
Aliyah says:
How does it feel to have made it here? Are you proud?
Zak says:
Yes, I'm very proud to have made it this far. However I feel I have deserved to make it this far, but still proud nevertheless!
Aliyah says:
Why do you feel you have deserved to make it this far?
Zak says:
Whilst perhaps not having the best track record of the four remaining candidates, I would say I have put in a lot of effort and genuinely tried my best throughout and from that, I feel I deserve to be here!
Aliyah says:
Do you feel as though your not-so-best track of record has hindered your chances of winning?
Zak says:
I wouldn't say my track record has hindered my chances as there are a lot of aspects to be considered for a win - the most important being that it is a team effort and not individually, which lessens the importance of a win.
However, it certainly hasn't benefitted my chances either!*
Aliyah says:
So are you basically blaming your not-so-great track record on the teams that you've worked with? Are you telling me that you're not taking responsibility for your track record?
Zak where have you disappeared off to?
Zak says:
No, I mentioned that a win is based on a 'team effort' and I am a part of this team, which therefore lies some responsibility on myself of course. However, I don't believe I have been the main reason for any losses and I would say that without my efforts, the teams would have perhaps suffered further.
An example of this being the Kevin interview where I managed to gain 15,000 units from, our largest order by quite some distance.
(This was Task #2).
But you agree that in spite of these tasks being a "team effort, it doesn't reduce the fact that responsibility of blame can also lay on the shoulders of individuals? or you beg to differ?
Zak says:
I absolutely agree that it CAN lay on the shoulders of individuals and those individuals were most likely fired because of that! In my tasks and experiences however, I don't believe this responsibility has ever landed completely on my personal shoulders, or else I doubt I would still be in the process - so yes I do feel I deserve to be here absolutely, regardless of my track record.
Aliyah says:
Tell me what was you're weakest and why?
task*
Zak says:
My weakest task was arguably task five, as I was very much in the firing line due to not taking much responsibility for the loss, despite being the PM - I have learned this is not this case in any task since then and that the role of the PM carries the concept of responsibility in itself.
However, in more specific 'task' terms, such as the criteria, I would say task eight. However, this is solely because of the task itself, I'm not the most fashionable person around - but it did give me a chance to learn a few aspects of fashion and I tried my best despite of not being too accustomed with fashion!
Aliyah says:
It seems as though you'll always find a way of justifying why you're "never to blame", Zak. So the reasons for your weakest task is because you know squat about the fashion industry? This is why we have modern technology? So you can do your research? That's an incredibly lazy excuse, I'm pretty sure Sir Alan would not be impressed with that excuse. I'm getting this "I'm always right" attitude from
you
This isnt the attitude Sir Alan wants in his business
He wants growth and for people to take responsibility
for their actions
Tell me why i'm wrong to accuse you of such things?
Give an example of how you've developed throughout the competition or have you always remained the best, as you're making out to be?
Zak says:
This is absolutely not the case! I even backed it up that "it gave me a chance to learn" new things about fashion and that in the end I genuinely enjoyed the task. In fact, I even spent two, three hours researching the ModCloth website so I had an idea of how I could be of use to the task.
This is not lazy. I highly imagine that Sir Alan would not be impressed HAD I didn't research and I didn't try, but I did and I don't think it was appropriate to jump to such a conclusion.
I have always been a strong candidate, yes you're correct, however I am not perfect and I have learned from my mistakes throughout this process!
I have began taking more responsibility for my actions for example and therefore taking a more modest approach. Also, the track record also speaks in favour of 'development' as I lost the first three tasks and the successfully won the next three, which shows signs of development.*
Aliyah says:
I want to hear from you personally, and not in terms of track record, how you have developed some growth in this competition?
Zak says:
I apologise. Personally, I have developed in character during the competition and in doing so, matured and learned how to communicate more appropriately to peers, advisors and LAS herself. This helps with developing relationships with others and is something I believe is very important both on a personal level and in the business world.
Aliyah says:
Did you ever give less than 100%?
Zak says:
If you're asking whether I put my all into every task for the work I have been assigned, yes I absolutely do. However, and I'll save you asking this as your next question, I also have plenty more to give with tasks I have not yet attempted - such as the creation of a logo, which I am yet to try in this competition!
Aliyah says:
Do you think your other candidates would agree that you've always given 100%?
Zak says:
I have never had a chance to work with one candidate unfortunately, however I would hope that both the other two candidates in the competition agree that I always try my best in tasks, yes!
Aliyah says:
We'll find out tomorrow if they do.
Is there anything you'd change about your actions in the competition if you could?
Zak says:
Yes, particularly in task eight. Due to a very large and unnecessary disagreement which resulted in a very strong candidate getting fired, I would say that during the majority of the tasks and boardroom, I was very professional. However, the aftermath of that task led to quite personal arguments which were inappropriate and I regret allowing it to escalate.
More specifically to tasks, I could probably pick out a little something in every task I could change, an example in task one where I was accused of "butchering the idea" in order to include a public vote, whilst I don't think this had MUCH effect on the outcome, I would certainly change that if I could.
Whilst I do believe I am a strong candidate in the competition, I'm not perfect and I'm sure everybody would like to change a few aspects of the process.
Aliyah says:
Zak, do you believe i'm being inappropriate as an interviewer?
If you have something to say, please do share it here instead of speaking to your other candidates about it, because you do know it will get around.
Zak says:
I said these exact words to you after I was accused of being 'incredibly lazy'...
"I highly imagine that Sir Alan would not be impressed HAD I didn't research and I didn't try, but I did and I don't think it was appropriate to jump to such a conclusion."
Aliyah says:
I believe your "inappropriate" comment was in context of my interview questions in general. Anyway, let me move on.
Why do you think you should be in the final? What can you bring that the other candidates can't?
Zak says:
That's correct, and that's what I specified to other candidates - not that you were an inappropriate interviewer.
I believe I should be in the final because I am a candidate who gives his best in the competition, genuinely has put away a lot of hours for this and therefore I believe my work ethic is a large factor as of why I should be in the final.
I have proved to be reliable, being there for every task to help my team come to a victory, despite the outcome not always being what I had hoped.
I have shown that my written-skills are at a very high standard - an example being the 'Diamond Jubilee' task. Finally, I have never argued with a candidate DURING the tasks that has ever escalated into 'unworkable' conditions and I believe generally, I am a well-rounded individual with a proactive attitude and I deserve to be in the final!
Aliyah says:
Okay Zak, thanks very much! That will be all