Sir Alan Sugar
A poll by the UK’s only dedicated recruitment agency review site has revealed that a third of Brits have opted for their chosen career after finding inspiration in a TV show.
The research revealed that The Apprentice was the show that inspired them the most to pursue a career in business.
The research was conducted by HireScores.com which wanted to investigate the reasons and factors behind jobseekers choosing a particular career. As a result, the site subsequently polled 1,286 members of the British public to find out.
When the site asked the question 'what led you to choose the career you are in now?' 52% of respondents admitted that they had just 'fallen' into their current profession, with over three quarters of these confessing that they now felt 'trapped' in their day job.
A third of respondents, 34%, admitted that they opted for their current profession because of a TV show or film.
When these respondents were asked to stipulate which TV shows they were most inspired by the majority, 17% said that The Apprentice inspired them the most.
When asked why, 34% admitted that Lord Alan Sugar’s wealth was the biggest attraction for having a career in business.
Masterchef came in second with 15% of respondents confessing that it had inspired them to pursue career in food. Ugly Betty came in third with 13% of those polled confessing that it had led them work in fashion, whilst just over 1 in 10, 12%, confessed that their career related to music or performing arts was a result of being inspired the X Factor.
The shows that have inspired jobseekers the most are:
1. The Apprentice - 17%
2. Masterchef - 15%
3. Ugly Betty - 13%
4. The X Factor - 12%
5. Sex and the City - 10%
6. Mad Men - 9%
7. Britain’s Next Top Model - 8%
8. Other - 7%
9. Scrubs - 5%
10. CSI - 4%
Of the women that were surveyed, a fifth admitted that they were inspired by one of the main characters in the TV show Sex and the City, with a third, 36%, wanting to be a writer like Carrie Bradshaw, whilst a further 32% wanted to work in public relations like Samantha Jones.
Lisette Howlett, managing director of HireScores.com said; "Looking at the factors behind a jobseeker choosing their career is quite often an interesting one, as no two stories are ever the same.
It seems such a shame that over half of those polled just fell into their career with 76% admitting that they now felt trapped.
"The fact that so many people have been inspired by a TV show doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as so many people look up to those they see on television."
Tagged in The Apprentice