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Lord Sugar's tech advisor doesn't get tech
THE APPRENTICE interview round is always worth building your diary around, or at least setting the Sky+ for.
This year, we had the welcome return of Margaret Mountford, with her trademark eyebrow-raise to express her disbelief at some of the tales she was being spun by the remaining five candidates. And as an added bonus we also got greater insight into the inner workings of Lord Sugar's empire through the presence of one of his chosen technology advisors.
Bordan Tkachuk, one of The Apprentice interviewers, is CEO of Lord Sugar's Viglen, described as a "direct manufacturer specialising in computers, networks and solutions". Clearly the networks part doesn't really cross into Tkachuk's line of expertise, as on last night's programme he defined ISP as an "Internet service protocol".
In other circumstances this slip might have gone unnoticed, as we all instead concentrated on who would make the final cut. But what made Tkachuk's comment stand out was his warning to candidate 'Stuart Baggs the Brand' not to try and spin him a line as he knows all about technology.
Stuart, who supposedly runs a telecoms company on the Isle of Man, failed to correct Tkachuk over the protocol versus provider mix-up. But I'm not sure if this was due to his similar lack of knowledge, his fear of ruining his chances by correcting his interviewer, or just plain shock that the man sitting opposite him is paid huge sums by Lord Sugar to run a technology company.
In the end Baggs, along with candidates Jamie Lester and Joanna Riley, got the push from the boardroom. But those in the information technology business know there was only one fair outcome of The Apprentice last night: "Bordan - you're fired!" µ
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Yes, the mistake was more than "bleeding" obvious. But what I find amusing was not that it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, (Mr. Brand), or the fact that the interviewer was agressive in his pulling Mr Brand up using a mistake that he was making, but that this sort of thing goes on all the time across the world where the interviewer is in a powerful position and agressive and "knows" more than the person they are interviewing.
If he had not claimed that he knew that aspect of that area of technology, (know ones limitations), it would have been acceptable, but that is not what the show is about, and neither are these type of agressive interviews going to get their kicks in life, if they aren't putting someone down and feel superior.
Isn't that why BT is moving to IP networks, pure digital, do it all over IP networks.
Sounds to me like these old men are not keeping up to date. Which is fine, as long as they are hiring talent that will teach them these things.
And as for Stuart Biggs, he is a bullshitter, but also an entrepreneur.
Lord Sugar is playing it safe, he has to. If he was to hire someone who is a legal liability then Sugar would be an ass, and that is something he's not. That's why he was so cross at "The Brand" Bullshitte!
I like the interview stage.
Not knowing anything about tech is the least of his failings!
The most amazing thing about The Apprentice is that Lord Sugar allows his business empire to be associated with the programme and the idea of employing such vapid yes men.