The Day I Auditioned for The Apprentice: Lessons in Career Growth

Have YOU ever had an interview that has stuck with you over the years?

A Day "Off" From House Hunting

I have talked before about leaving Canada to come to Arizona for Keane as a Global Engagement manager on the Honeywell account. I started my role in March of 2006 and my family did not move until that July.

I was spending two weeks in Phoenix at a time...then a long weekend in Toronto... rinse and repeat. My home away from home was the Hilton at 44th and Washington with not much to do other than focus on house hunting.

Saturday, April 8th, I happened to see in the local news that "The Apprentice " was interviewing for Season 6 of the show. I had my business suit...a resume...and needed a day off to do something different...so...why not?

I got my things together and made the long drive to the Fort McDowell Resort...which funny enough...I have not been back to since that day. I stood in line...got my bracelet... and waited for my turn at a shot to be on the show.

Which Apprentice Character Are YOU?

I had an incredible day and met some wonderful people as we passed the time in the long...hot...line... I think it was 8 hours in total... as we ran the gauntlet at a chance to be hired by Donald Trump... I mean...be cast in a reality TV show.

What was fascinating to me was that everyone around me...and most in line... really thought it was an interview and had binders with their projects... accomplishments... etc... to showcase they were the perfect candidate for Mr. Trump's organization.

For the small group I was hanging out with I kept saying...

"You KNOW this is a casting call for a TV show... right? There is a formula to all of them...what character are you auditioning for?"

At first...this thought was met with resistance... but gradually...the more we talked about it... the more it began to sink in. This was particularly apparent just before we went in for our "round table session". The producers were very clear...

• We WON'T be shaking YOUR hand. No offence... but there are thousands of people here and it just doesn't matter
• DON'T bother handing us a binder... a USB drive or any additional material... it will just be going directly into a garbage bin
• DO your best to show your personality and speak up during the 15 min session. Once it is over you will leave and get an email if you get a call back

I had decided I was the outgoing... funny... direct... over the top character... ready to take on the whole room. I was highly animated and jumped in a lot to take down others who were answering questions. The 15 min went by really fast and I had a lot of fun.

No Call Back For ME!

After it was all over...the group that we had formed over the course of the day went for dinner and drinks to celebrate our "interview". It turned out that one of the guys... a handsome... articulate.. African American gentleman... in his early 20s... got a call back while we were celebrating. We were all so excited for him. He ultimately did not make the show but we dreamed of knowing someone who did!

The Apprentice and Our Leadership Journey

I had no expectations that I would make the show and I was happy to have an entertaining way to pass the day... meet some cool people... and see how the casting calls worked for these reality shows.

I believe I was among the few that understood this. Many were "studying" in line and taking their interview very seriously. In many cases... people believed they were going to actually meet Donald Trump... shake his hand... make their elevator pitch and get hired based on their impressive credentials.

What I took away from that experience which applies even today is...

Know the Character YOU are Interviewing For. Reality TV show casting calls are more similar to finding your next role or promotion than YOU know. The people casting...I mean hiring... are looking for a certain fit... background... expertise and personality type to round out the team. Find out as much as YOU can about who held the role before... what worked and what didn't.

Hard Work and Experience Isn't Enough. I have seen the PIE (Performance, Image, Exposure) model several times in mentoring sessions over the years. What it basically says is... Performance only counts for 10% of your ability to succeed. Image (your personal brand and how others view you) counts for 30% and Exposure (who knows you or knows about YOU) is 60%. YOU can be the highest performer and still not get the role... just like all those over qualified people in line to audition that day who were eager to get their binders of accomplishments seen.

Understand The Odds and Course Correct Appropriately. When I arrived at Fort McDowell that day I had no idea if 5 or 5000 people would show up. As it turned out there were more like thousands. You didn't need a math degree to know that this was one city out of many and the show had less than 20 contestants for a season. I think this made me more relaxed and set the tone for a day filled with fun. I changed gears to get to know others... and enjoy the experience. The same goes in our career journey. Understanding the playing field and our odds doesn't mean we won't "make the show" it means maybe it is an opportunity for a growth experience and understanding how to be short listed next time around.

In Closing...

In the years since this experience...when I tell others "I auditioned for the Apprentice Reality TV Show" I always embellish it and say that "the ONLY reason I didn't get a call back was clearly because I WASN'T a US citizen... they discriminated against me due to being a Canadian. I obviously CRUSHED the audition... and I was THE best qualified contestant... I was just ahead of my time!"

It had nothing to do with the fact that most of the cast that season were either in Real Estate or a Lawyer of some kind (I believe they also threw in an Olympic Athlete for good measure). I also didn't fit the Hollywood look or profile they were casting for despite my killer combination of business expertise and high school musical theatre background.

As with most things in my life and career...the experience makes for a good story and a few lessons learned. I believe that THIS one has also helped put into perspective...

1. How hard it is to get hired in a role where thousands are also applying
2. Your performance and Image can only get YOU so far
3. Who YOU know and who knows YOU is key which is why visibility and networking are critical to giving you a shot to be "cast" in the position

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• Have you ever had an unconventional interview experience? What did you learn from it?
• How important do you believe personal branding and image are in advancing your career?
• Can you share an experience where networking or knowing the right people significantly impacted your career?
• How do you handle situations where your qualifications and hard work are not enough to secure a role?
• What techniques do you use to understand the company culture and role expectations before an interview?
• How do you adapt your approach when facing long odds in a competitive job market?
• How do you balance performance, image, and exposure in your career advancement?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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