Paul Sullivan former BBC Apprentice

Paul Sullivan has been labelled the moodiest apprentice ever, today he is sharing his advice for the next batch of candidates that will appear this January

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, December 22, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- We recently spoke with former BBC TV Apprentice candidate Paul Sullivan, known as the moodiest apprentice ever, to get his opinion on what this new batch of apprentices will need to do to avoid the "firing finger wag" from Lord Sugar.

Paul as we all remember was a different type of candidate who certainly split opinions in season 12; some thought he was too aggressive and others thought he called things as they were. No matter though as Paul met finally met the firing finger of Lord Sugar after taking Francis and Jessica into the boardroom with him.

Today, Paul is still running his successful digital marketing agency Digital BIAS, and funnily enough, co-habits in the same London based building as another former apprentice winner Mark Wright, owner of Climb Online.

When we caught up with Paul, he said that although he was fired, he still believes there were opportunities to get to the final had he been a bit more forgiving of his fellow contestants and on that note shares his top ten tips for the new batch to take note of.

1. Remember these are games. Based on real-life business tasks but they are games, have fun and don't lose sight of that. Paul says that he took this too seriously and as you realise that others may have different agendas you have to be able to win people around, not alienate them.

2. Don't try to be everybody's friend. Early in the process, you will see people bouncing around groups trying to work out where their alliances should be. Take your time and don't get caught up in the "catty chatting".

3. Be prepared to be tired, a lot. You will burn a lot of energy as the stakes get higher and tense situations can arise when they aren't really necessary. Be aware of when you're tired and don't be frightened to tell your teammates, it helps.

4. Keep it simple. So many times when the tasks are given out, ridiculous decision making gets made even when the obvious is in front of you. You will need a sharp eye and keen sense of hearing to know when to jump in and try and persuade your team captain that they may be wrong. Don't challenge their decisions, rather offer up your alternative and if it's dismissed, don't get too down, it'll be noticed in the boardroom.

5. Don't be frightened to commit to a decision even if you are in disagreement with your team. In series 12 at the boat show, Paul made an immediate decision on the items to sell on the stall and he smashed the other team in one of the biggest one-sided wins ever in apprentice history. Jessica and Trishna wanted to choose the other items and Paul said he'd take responsibility for the decision and be fired if necessary. Needless to say, that wasn't the reason Lord Sugar fired him.

6. Try to look past the bravado. You don't often get time to see the true character of people until later in the process when there are fewer candidates left, but sometimes people are hiding a lot more pain than they show and so always try and understand why someone is being how they are, rather than judging them and taking offence.

7. Ego will always ruin chances of winning, just because you see the light, it doesn't mean others do. Don't lose your rag and call people out. You may feel justified but it gets other candidates defensive and can cause more friction than you think you solve.

8. Don't be afraid to stick to your guns. When you have Baroness Brady or suchlike offering advice, your job is to digest it and assess it for yourself. You don't have to switch decisions, you can still take it on board and not act on it. Advice is just that, offering alternative ideas.

9. Enjoy your rewards. You will work really hard to win, believe me. People, obstacles, buying, selling, none of that is in your power. You simply have to learn to take your wins and enjoy the rewards you are given.

10. Don't argue too fiercely with Lord Sugar, like Paul, you'll find out that you will never win that battle. Show humility, but state your case. Always keep to the facts and do not let your emotion form part of your argument.

If you follow these tips, you'll definitely go a long way towards getting to the final, there's no guarantee as sometimes other peoples decision making will ultimately put you on the winning or losing side. But if like Paul you find yourself on the losing side for a run of tasks, try to find more time to relax off task and don't get caught up in a blame game, even if you do that inside your head, it will soon creep out into your in task activities.

Paul Says "Personally, I can't wait to catch up with the new series on BBC iplayer, I'm sure it will be another series of great entertainment."

Paul Sullivan
Digital BIAS
+44 20 3637 4426
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