Job Search Lessons from The Celebrity Apprentice

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

A while ago, I realized I should have been writing about ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ as a vehicle for learning about job hunting. After all, it is supposed to be a show where “B” and “C” level celebrities are competing for contributions to their respective charities while auditioning for a position as an apprentice to Donald Trump in his businesses.

There are often great lessons that can be learned from each week’s shows. Here are a few from a recent show.

1. Be careful of your reputation. Star Jones has a reputation for doing graphic arts on various projects. Ask a question and Star has the answer. Donald Trump, Jr. points out that it is great that she has the answers but it leaves her vulnerable should her team fail on a task

2. Be careful of your relationship with team members. Gary Busey is seen as being “on another planet.” His teammates are frustrated by him. He survived a number of visits to the boardroom but his team is prepared to fail in order to get rid of him. Busey does not disappoint them and they go out of their way to express their disdain for his leadership. He is, of course, fired.