When former candidate on BBC's The Apprentice, Stuart Baggs, died from an asthma attack earlier this year, there was an outpouring of condolence from across the business and celebrity spectrum, with such figures as Luisa Zissman, Dara Ó Briain and our very own Ricky Martin and Lord Alan Sugar here at Hyper Recruitment Solutions all expressing their sympathies.

In the time since Baggs' tragic passing, however, the world has also been able to reflect on his very real achievements - and the many lessons that his life can teach those attending interviews for science jobs.

Don't just be good - be memorable

Naturally, we would always advise that you prepare well and show the highest level of competence when called for interview by a science recruitment agency. However, part of Baggs' greatness was in showing that it also sometimes helps to be a little bit provocative and memorable.

Such Baggs quotes as  "I'm Stuart Baggs 'The Brand'", "Excuse me, Sir - you look like a sausage connoisseur" (to Lord Sugar, no less) and "Everything I touch turns to sold" may have prompted ridicule in certain quarters, but they also ensured that he was remembered long after many rival candidates had been forgotten.

Have faith in yourself

One thing that no observer could ever accuse Stuart Baggs of, was lacking faith in his own ability. The aforementioned sayings weren't those of a ludicrous pretender - there were those of a man who was driven enough to back them up with real achievements, selling yo-yos to his school classmates and later launching his own telecommunications firm before he was out of his teens.

At 21, he became the youngest ever candidate on The Apprentice - not something that he would have likely achieved without his famously unstoppable self-confidence.

Don't over-exaggerate your credentials

Bagg's elimination from the show in week 11 had much to do with accusations from Lord Sugar that the Isle of Man resident had dressed up his credentials for his own advantage, particularly in relation to a telecommunications license issued in 2006.

While Baggs always contested that he had not lied on his CV - stating that even if he had, "it wouldn't have been a problem" - when you are at an interview for a science role, much as if you were trying to placate dissatisfied customers for a company, it is the interviewer - the one deciding whether to employ you - who is ultimately 'always right'. 

Baggs certainly taught us much about business success and (occasional) failure, and he is sure to be remembered fondly by many a future candidate for clinical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other science jobs.