IT may not have been Alan Sugar saying the words but pupils from Hounsdown School, Totton, were bidding to be “hired” by prospective employers at a mock-interview event.

The English department at the Jacobs Gutter Lane school organised for local employers from a range of industries to come in and interview the Year 9 students for positions within their organisations – including the Daily Echo.

Students had already prepared an application letter and practised interview techniques.

Candidates were then given feedback on how they had performed before a pupil from each group was chosen to be hired.

English teacher Bhavini Goldman said: “We felt it was a good way to give English a real life context in terms of how they presented themselves in their letter and then in interview. The students have really benefited from the experience and we hope to stage it again in the future.”