Find a way to stand out, says recruiter and Apprentice runner-up Neil Clough
2 December 2014
Neil Clough, founder of sales recruitment firm Prime and runner-up in The Apprentice last year, learnt his first lesson in business from his late father, who made him wear a pair of “bright yellow” shorts during football trials in his youth.
Tue, 2 Dec 2014 | By Nicola Sullivan
Neil Clough, founder of sales recruitment firm Prime and runner-up in The Apprentice last year, learnt his first lesson in business from his late father, who made him wear a pair of “bright yellow” shorts during football trials in his youth.
Addressing delegates at the Business Show, which took place in Olympia in London last week [27-28 November], Clough said wearing yellow shorts – more reminiscent of Tottenham Hotspur rather than his beloved Manchester United – was a painful experience.
“I was standing out and I didn’t like it. People weren’t speaking to me. I was the kid in the yellow shorts. Everybody else had blue shorts or black shorts.”
He added: “The first lesson [my Dad] gave me that I’ve taken into my business career was this: ‘These yellow shorts make you stand out from the crowd, they make you different and they make you unique. If you are as good as somebody else on that pitch who is on the same level, the coach will remember you for your yellow shorts.’
“The coach didn’t say: ‘Neil Clough, you have been selected for the team’. He said ‘Kid in the yellow shorts – you have been selected for the team’.”
Clough said that 50% of career success comes from having the right motivation. In order to achieve their goals, he said, recruitment professionals need to be clear what it is they are doing it all for.
“My motivation comes down to one thing – it comes down to the death of my father, who died when I was 18 years of age.” However, he added: “I’m not asking for sympathy. Everyone has lost someone.”
So his message to recruiters, and anyone starting out in business, was to find those ‘yellow shorts’ – something that differentiates them or their company and make them stand out from the competition.
Addressing delegates at the Business Show, which took place in Olympia in London last week [27-28 November], Clough said wearing yellow shorts – more reminiscent of Tottenham Hotspur rather than his beloved Manchester United – was a painful experience.
“I was standing out and I didn’t like it. People weren’t speaking to me. I was the kid in the yellow shorts. Everybody else had blue shorts or black shorts.”
He added: “The first lesson [my Dad] gave me that I’ve taken into my business career was this: ‘These yellow shorts make you stand out from the crowd, they make you different and they make you unique. If you are as good as somebody else on that pitch who is on the same level, the coach will remember you for your yellow shorts.’
“The coach didn’t say: ‘Neil Clough, you have been selected for the team’. He said ‘Kid in the yellow shorts – you have been selected for the team’.”
Clough said that 50% of career success comes from having the right motivation. In order to achieve their goals, he said, recruitment professionals need to be clear what it is they are doing it all for.
“My motivation comes down to one thing – it comes down to the death of my father, who died when I was 18 years of age.” However, he added: “I’m not asking for sympathy. Everyone has lost someone.”
So his message to recruiters, and anyone starting out in business, was to find those ‘yellow shorts’ – something that differentiates them or their company and make them stand out from the competition.
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