The Apprentice - sau ce mi s-a parut interesant de retzinut

[Alex4you]

The Apprentice - ultima gaselnitza a lui Mark Burnett & Donald Trump mi s-a parut foarte interesant si e singurul spectacol de reality tv pe care l-am urmarit pe nerasuflate de la primul episod si pina la ultimul. L-am gasit interesant si instructiv. De aceea am incercat sa mai gasesc cite ceva legat de acest spectacol si chestiile pe care le putem invatza din el - calea catre American Dream.

Iata contzinutul unui articol din Chicago Sun-Times din 8 Martie, originalul poate fi gasit aici.

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'Apprentice' a good lesson in how to land job you want

March 8, 2004
BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER


"The Apprentice," the NBC reality program headlined by Donald Trump, is more than mere entertainment.

It's a lesson in high-stakes, cut-throat job-interviewing -- for potential employees and employers alike.

The program (Channel 5, 8 p.m. Thursday) is a compelling collaboration with "Survivor" svengali/producer Mark Burnett in which Trump supervises 16 young go-getters competing in a series of business endeavors. The winner will head one of Trump's companies for a year at a healthy six-figure salary.

Here are some lessons gleaned from the program so far:

**Don't rely on generalities. When asked why you should be hired or not fired (as in the case of Week 6 charity-challenge victim Jessie Conners), back up statements with quantifiable evidence. When asked why they should be retained, Jessie and her other team members provided generalities about their leadership skills and character, but none offered concrete examples of specific accomplishments.

* Don't say bad things about your boss or employees/co-workers. In Week 6, both Troy and Kwame kept their comments about the project manager, the soon-to-be-fired Jessie, very positive. But other team members, Heidi, Jessie and Omarosa, laced their comments with very negative statements about each other and excuses for their own shortcomings. While only Jessie was fired, in the real world all three of the women might have found themselves "out of the suite and down on the street," as Trump would say. Certainly, Tammy Lee's negative and seemingly disloyal statements accelerated her demise in Week 7, the apartment-makeover episode.

* Likability counts. In a real world interview/performance review, the personal connection established with the interviewer/supervisor (i.e., does he or she like you) could be the overriding factor in determining your employment fate. In an interview, this personal connection is often established within the first five minutes of the interview, and while a positive connection will not necessarily result in a job offer, a negative connection will almost always result in rejection. The lack of likability was a major reason behind the firing of Tammy Lee, who was not able to make a positive impression on her teammates, Donald Trump or his advisers. At the other end of the spectrum, the positive impressions being established by Amy Henry have set her far ahead of the other competitors. She seems to be adored by everyone.

* Dress for success. At first, the women in particular looked more like they were competing for positions with an escort service than with a major real estate company. However, they quickly came around, and learned that in order to be considered professional one has to dress in professional attire.

* Rein in emotions. Interviews and performance reviews can be intense. While most interviews are not confrontational in nature, such as those in Trump's boardroom, performance reviews certainly can be. Those being reviewed are asked to explain their actions, decisions, etc. It's important in both situations for the one in the spotlight to keep emotional responses in check. Ereka, the project manager leading the losing team in Week 8, the Trump Ice episode, let her emotions get in the way during the project, and in the boardroom with Trump. It was the major reason leading to the decision to fire her.

* Employer comes first. While most employers know and understand that candidates and employees have other priorities in their lives outside of work, they do not want to hear about them or see evidence of those other priorities interfering with work.

Despite the situation with Heidi's mother (the revelation that she was diagnosed with colon cancer), Heidi demonstrated and reiterated in the boardroom to Trump (Week 7) that her commitment to her team would not be lessened by her obvious concern for her mother, which she displays outwardly after the day's business is done. Omarosa, on the other hand, let a minor bump on the head derail her productivity, which sends a strong message that the employer will take a backseat even if small issues arise.

* More than one. You are never interviewing for just one person. Everyone you meet will determine your employment fate. Trump relied on two trusted associates to work with the candidates, and form their own opinions of each. Those opinions were critical in determining whether one candidate had indeed acted unethically as his competitors charged.

* Limit what you say and never interrupt. Trump quickly upbraided Bill when Bill interrupted him to argue a point with Trump. Trump told him to stop talking, telling Bill that he would hire no young candidate who did not understand the importance of yielding to his authority. Figure out what the interviewer is seeking and you can answer any type of question.

**No two interviews are alike in questions asked, but the objectives are always the same: finding someone who is not only qualified but who fits the company culture and will work well with the interviewer and his or her co-workers. Trump does not ask a set of stock interview questions. However, he made it very clear, by his comments to his trusted associates and in his direct comments to the interviewees, exactly the kind of candidate he wants: a sales-driven, hard-nosed, aggressive, smooth, polished executive with a killer instinct. Regardless of the question or test, the candidates must deliver with those expectations in mind.

* Ask for the job. One of the biggest mistakes many job seekers make is ruining an otherwise successful interview by not actually asking for the job. It might seem unnecessary. After all, the job seeker would not have applied if he or she did not want the job. However, by asking for the job in the interview, the job seeker is sending a strong message to the employer that he or she is interested in the job and is enthusiastic about the opportunity.

In last Thursday's art gallery episode, Nick, the winning project manager, was granted a unique 10-minute, face-to-face meeting with Trump, which Nick rightfully treated as an interview. Nick's statement at the end, "My main goal is to be working for you," demonstrates the type of interest and enthusiasm that any employer would like to hear from a candidate.

* Take responsibility for your decisions. In a performance review and even in some job interviews, particularly for upper management positions, a candidate is often asked to explain or defend actions and decisions.

The employer, before investing money in a new employee, wants to make sure that you recognize problems or failures and, most importantly, that you learned something that will make you a better employee and the company more profitable. When a project leader makes excuses or blames others on the team, it does not enhance the individual's image and it does not tell the employer that anything was learned.

Even though he was the losing project manager in the art gallery episode, Kwame definitely enhanced his image by taking responsibility for going with the riskier artist. Heidi and Omarosa spent their time in the boardroom blaming each other for the team's poor performance. Saying he was tired of her excuses, Trump fired Omarosa, but Heidi certainly did not make a favorable impression on those who will decide her fate.

Most job seekers will not go through an interview process like "The Apprentice," but the fundamentals are universal: making a personal connection with the interviewer, demonstrating what qualities you will bring to the position, and setting yourself apart from the competition, hopefully in a positive way.

By watching the program, job seekers can learn a lot about the dynamic between interviewer and interviewee. Hiring authorities can also learn ways to judge candidates. Clearly, part of Donald Trump's success is his ability to surround himself with smart and highly driven individuals.


John A. Challenger is chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the global outplacement firm based in Chicago.
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Mie mi s-a parut interesant mai ales ca ideile exprimate in acest articol sint defapt linii directoare pentru sustinerea unui job interview chiar daca sint referiri la susnumitul spectacol.

[Alex4you]

Lessons From "The Apprentice"

Surviving the Corporate Jungle
CareerBuilder.com

Each week, millions of Americans tune in to The Apprentice reality TV show to find out who Donald Trump will fire next. We sit riveted as contestants suck-up, freak out, go over the top and think way outside the box while striving to win the one-year, $250,000 position with The Trump Organization. And we learn - from the triumphs and mistakes of the participants as well as from the mogul himself - how to survive in the corporate jungle.

Consider these eight lessons from The Apprentice, that can be applied to almost any professional situation:

Lesson One: Have a Strategy.
When time is short and the task is large, it's tempting to rush in. But first, think through the objective of the project and what factors will make it a success to ensure you're not just doing things right, but doing the right things. In the first episode, for example, the men were quick and well organized getting their lemonade stand together, but they ignored the basic concept of "location, location, location" when they set up near a fish market.

Lesson Two: Find Out What the Boss/Client Wants and Give it to Them.
When devising their ad campaign, the men's team passed on the chance to meet with the client, so they'd have more time to work on their creative. The women's team, on the other hand, met with the client and learned they were seeking a "swing for the fences" approach. While the men went for bland and safe, the women won the account with an edgy ad that delivered what the client was looking for.

Lesson Three: Deal With the Person in Charge.
According to Trump: "Always deal with the boss...If you deal with the underling and the underling has to sell the deal to the boss, he's not going to sell for you the way he's going to sell for himself when he wants a salary increase."

Lesson Four: Be Positive.
People like being around those who give off good energy. Sam got fired in the third episode in large part because no one could stand to be around his prickly personality. (Although nodding off at the conference table as his colleagues toiled on the ad campaign didn't help.)

Lesson Five: Have the Courage to Speak Your Mind.
Don't mistake being positive for going with the flow. For example, during the negotiating challenge, Kwame, a former investment manager, knew the price of gold is inflexible, but wasted time haggling over it anyway. Expertise is worth nothing if you don't assert it.

Lesson Six: Stand Up For Yourself.
As "The Donald" says, "If you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will." In the fourth episode, he fired one of his favorite candidates, Kristi, because she didn't defend herself when her team told Trump she'd been a poor project leader. Trump told his aides afterwards, "If you don't fight for yourself, the accusations must be true."

Lesson Seven: Be Flexible.
With today's diverse workforce and fast-changing environment, you need a repertoire of skills and behaviors to draw from. Dave, an MD with an MBA, was the most highly educated of the group, but was the first to go. For all his intelligence, he couldn't relate to a broad range of people or adapt his style when things weren't working.

Lesson Eight: There's Life After Being Fired.
Everybody gets rejected. Most people fired from The Apprentice appear confident and ready to build on the experience. "You'll find with most successful people, when you say to them, ‘It won't work out' or ‘You're not worthy,' it only drives them more," says Billy Procida, who was fired by Trump for real in 1990.

Four years later, Procida was named New York City Developer of the Year. And today he heads the Palisades Financial Investment Firm in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. At present, he and Trump are considering building a world class hotel together.

[Duduka]

In ciuda "spectacolului" care s-a vrut a fi, The Apprentice poate intr-adevar constitui o lectie pentru un anumit nivel de asipiranti. Articolul de mai sus descrie foarte bine cateva chei ale succesului. Desi n-am urmarit decat sporadic show-ul, am vazut ultimele doua episoade in intregime si le-am gasit cat se poate de interesante. Mai mult din punct de vedere psihologic- urmarind fervoarea celor doi ultimi competitori in a-si dovedi talentele de leaderi, precum si intransigenta combinata cu umor a celui care le decidea soarta. Si, desi decizia mi s-a parut injusta, se pare ca spiritul nelinistit, ferm este de preferat celui maleabil, calm, care accepta compromisuri.
Am vazut un reportaj cu acest Donald Trump in care este intrebat care este retata succesului. Raspunde ca, pe langa o minte ascutita, trebuie sa-ti placa ce faci si sa fi perseverent." Daca te trezesti in viata in fata unui zid de beton, trebuie sa faci tot ce-ti sta in putinta sa-l treci!".
Da, a fost un show instructiv pentru oameni intreprinzatori si ambitioasi, captivant pentru cei conemplativi( din a caror categorie eu una fac parte).