The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den increase UK workers fear of job interviews

According to a survey of 2,000 UK workers:
• 23% are stuck in a job they dislike
• More than six million people – two fifths of UK workers – are dissatisfied with their current job
• But only one in six are looking for a new position
• More than one in four jobhunters rate knowing what to say in an interview as one of the major challenges in getting a new job

01 April 2008 – Nearly a quarter of UK workers are trapped in jobs they are unhappy with, a new study of over 2,000 employees reveals.

According to BeMyInterviewer.co.uk, a new interactive video-based website, a total of 38 per cent of working Britons – six million people – are currently dissatisfied with their current job, yet just one in six (15 per cent) are actively looking for a new position, leaving one in four (23 per cent) stuck in a job they dislike.

And it seems that it may be the dreaded interview that is putting people off looking for greener pastures. More than a quarter who are dissatisfied with their job but not looking for a new position (28 per cent), rate knowing what to say in an interview as one of the biggest challenges in the jobhunting process. A further fifth (22 per cent) see preparing for interviews as a major challenge, while one in six (17 per cent) fear the question: “Is there anything you’d like to ask me?”

Keith Potts, CEO of Jobsite.co.uk, who developed BeMyInterviewer, thinks that television programmes such as The Apprentice can play a part in exaggerating interview fears.

He says: “The aggressive, high-pressure, confrontational situations portrayed in the likes of The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den provide great TV but can give the wrong impression of the typical job interview. The interview process is usually a two-way street: a chance for potential employers to get to know the person behind the CV and for the candidate to demonstrate how their skills and experience relate to the position in question. They are not normally trials by fire.”

“This is why we created BeMyInterviewer.co.uk, so jobseekers can prepare for all types of interview that they may face. We have Duncan Bannatyne and Ruth Badger on the site to help candidates practise for meeting a more direct interviewer. Their advice shows that there is always a logical way of approaching job interviews so we’re urging unhappy workers to quash their fears. Interviews needn’t be daunting – all it takes is preparation.”

According to previous Jobsite research, one in three jobseekers failed to receive a single job offer in the past year – 10 per cent of the UK population. Poor interview technique was the single biggest reason for failure (11 per cent), with falling victim to nerves (11 per cent) or being out of interview practice (nine per cent) other major factors.

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