Nearly one-third of UK professionals would jump at the chance of getting on The Apprentice

With the third episode of The Apprentice due to be screened tonight, the British public wait in anticipation to see which one of the remaining 13 contestants will face Sir Alanís notorious ìYouíre fired!î

As the recession hits, many workers are finding themselves in the same unfortunate position and in receipt of a P45. To investigate how many people view reality TV programmes like The Apprentice, a stepping stone to a high flying career, LinkedIn asked the question – Just how many people would take time off to compete on a show like The Apprentice?

According to the poll, nearly one-third of employees would jump at the chance of getting on The Apprentice. 31% of respondents said they would happily star on the reality TV show fronted by Sir Alan Sugar as it would be a great experience and lead to employment opportunities.

The poll, conducted by professional networking site, LinkedIn found that of the respondents:

Those working in HR (67 %) and sales (54%) were mostly likely to put themselves forward to compete for a chance to work for Sir Alan. Surprisingly, people in business development roles were least enthusiastic with just 11% saying they would be willing to face the wrath of Sir Alan

Despite being relatively far along in their careers, 35% of people in senior management roles would be willing to take time out to appear on the Apprentice and compete for a shot at working with Sir Alan

Women are more eager to put themselves forward, with 37% of respondents saying yes, compared with just 29% of men

Younger people were more likely to enter, with 18 – 24 year olds most keen (52%), followed by 32% of 25 – 34 year olds. 23% of adults aged 35-54 answered yes and just 14% for the over 55ís

While many people are willing to risk the stability of their careers for 15 minutes of fame, 27% of respondents said that no amount of money could convince them to sign up for a reality TV programme.

See the results of the LinkedIn poll here: