This week we saw Natasha Scribbins missing out on a place in the final of The Apprentice. Her team lost the task to design a pop-up fast food restaurant. Project manager, Jim initially put his hand up for the role, but crumbled under the pressure, with what resulted in a disastrous restaurant system. In the boardroom it looked as if Jim was destined to get the axe, when in a twist of fate, Lord Sugar turned on Natasha.

Natasha’s departure highlighted how quickly things can go wrong when exaggerating your skills. At the start of the task Natasha boasted about her degree in hospitality and how she had taken part in a similar task during her degree course. However, back in the boardroom Natasha found herself in a sticky situation, claiming that she didn’t have the experience in hospitality needed for the task.

The episode illustrated the dangers of highlighting qualifications (or even boasting about them) but then not being able to deliver. It also shows how graduates and first jobbers cannot be overly demanding in their first roles – just because they have a qualification in the field that they are now working in, doesn’t mean that they can demand to be fast-tracked into a senior position. It also shows that that a candidate’s qualifications certainly aren’t everything and recruiters should not rule out a perspective hire just because they don’t have the formal qualification to go with the experience.

Tom Bodett, a famous American author once wrote:
The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.

Natasha was certainly taught a lesson; one I am sure she will never forget. That said, f you want to promote yourself as capable you have to be prepared to stand up and be counted. Employers in this market are always looking for attitude as a stand-out requirement. Failure is not necessary a sign weakness it is how you go about the task that reflects your attitude. Not to try at all is a weakness.

BBC, BBC1, Fastfood, Lord Sugar, Mexican, My PY, Natasha Sbribbins, The Apprentice