An intrepid HR consultant is one of 15 candidates fighting for the chance to become Sir Alan Sugar’s protégé in the new series of The Apprentice, which begins next week.
Vying for boardroom supremacy and aiming to keep out of Sir Alan’s firing line, Paula Jones, 29, has side-stepped her career as a HR consultant to battle it out against a science teacher, a restaurateur and a former Tanzanian beauty queen.
Jones, who holds a Masters in industrial relations and HRmanagement, said she is a self-confessed scatterbrain and likes being liked.
Her diplomatic skills gained from a career in HR should help her relate well to her competitors, although she does admit to shying away from conflict, finding that as a result she is often left with issues unresolved.
“I am the girl with a plan. I have great wit and strength of character, and I am resilient to the core,” she said.
Jones will be aiming for the six-figure salary prize, while undertaking tasks including running an upmarket catering service, re-branding an iconic British seaside resort, and inventing a new piece of gym equipment.
The fifth series of The Apprentice begins next Wednesday 25 March at 9pm.