Career Advice

the Apprentice: the runner-up’s story

Wasting no time with the pleasantries we are talking hard-nosed business here after all Claire Young should have won The Apprentice this year, shouldnt she?


Thats such a horrible question, says the runner-up from this years show.The majority of people who come up to me say that I should have won, but what a lot of people forget is its not just a TV show for Sir Alan. Hes got to employ that person for a year: not necessarily the best business person overall, but the person he thinks will be the right apprentice for him.

Very diplomatic. But looking back, is she glad that she went on the show? Yes I think that what you get out of a situation is what you put in, and I put 100 per cent into The Apprentice. I took on feedback and tried to get as much out of it as possible

Its interesting to look at Youngs education and career before she got to The Apprentice; a career, it should be noted, that took her down a retail route. Born in South Africa, she moved to Canada before coming to north England at the age of four. Academia for Young began at a convent school and progressed to Wakefield Girls High School, followed by medical school.However, that only lasted a year.

Medicine is so consuming. If you have any slight doubt about it which I did you have to say no. That change of heart led to three enjoyable years at Bristol University studying equine science with summers in Magaluf as a rep for Club 18- 30 thrown in but it wasnt enough to convince her to pursue a career in a horsey direction. The idea with that degree is that you live and work with a trainer on a breeding yard. I thought that might be a bit samey, and money-wise it doesnt pay fantastically. So, I started going to all the milk rounds at university, applied to different graduate schemes and joined LOreal on their graduate scheme.

After a couple of years in the sales department of the French cosmetics company, Young was headhunted by Colgate-Palmolive, where she occupied another sales role. However, her next move was into the retail sector: Superdrug, the health and beauty company, came calling with the offer of a senior buyer position. What made Young decide to take it? In retail, the pace of the business is much faster than sales. You see instant results: you can see a decision actually land in store within a couple of weeks and you can see the effect you are having on your consumer.

For me, the variation of the role was fantastic. You are working on your own label development, strategy, product selection, range reviews and pricing promotions. So, I love retail, but its hard work, particularly in the current economic climate.

What did she most enjoy about working in the retail industry? You end up knowing a lot. At Superdrug, Id be sat at my desk working on the budget summary one minute, and the next Id be building a range review in the mock shop. Youve got to be prepared to get your hands dirty, because youll be working in store. Basically, you have got to be prepared to do anything.

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