Auditioning For The Apprentice
MidWeek’s intrepid reporter joins 100 other Hawaii folks in trying out for ‘The Apprentice’ and a chance to win a $250,000-a-year job
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A group of nervous auditioners awaits their chance to
impress the ‘Apprentice’ interviewers
it started going into ‘is obesity a genetic thing or a health condition’ and that’s why people should take responsibility.
“Whenever you get thrown into talking about controversial issues like that, you really need to think on your feet. I thought our group did a really good job not attacking each other. It was a good conversation where everybody had a chance to talk about their thoughts and views.
“And not all the time do you get to talk to other people and have a healthy debate on political issues. It was kind of like you’re having an intellectual conversation and you really had to back up your thoughts with validated data to prove your point.”
Takaki Lueder also didn’t receive a call for a second interview, but says she’s glad she auditioned. And while she has no regrets, she probably wouldn’t mind a second chance at expressing her opinion.
“Afterward, I thought about the comments I had mentioned in the interview and I think there are other examples, more personal examples, I could’ve used to strengthen my argument,” she explains. “That’s the difficult thing, thinking on your toes like that. It almost reminded me of preparing for Miss Hawaii when you’re constantly thrown in mock interviews and people are asking you all these political questions.
“But being out of it for awhile and not having the luxury of having conversations like that on a daily basis, when they threw that issue out it was like, wow, I don’t know. That’s a hard one.”
Finally, at about 11:45 a.m., it was my turn to go into the interview room, along with Van De Riet, Sharon Serene, Nicky Parks, Evangeline Yacuk, Rusty Gage and Jacqueline Travers.
We sure were a diverse group of candidates - representing different ages, ethnicities and occupations.
Van De Riet is a student and marketing coordinator at Niketown, Parks is a psychiatric technician, Serene owns an advertising agency,Yacuk does advertising and marketing for property development, Gage runs a gymnastics training center on Maui, and Traver is the assistant to the president at Brookfield Homes Hawaii.
Our topic: Should companies have a policy on dating in the office?
“As far as myself, I learned that when called upon to take a certain stance I don’t seem to have a fear of doing that,” says Serene, owner of Sharon Serene Creative. “I noticed how quickly I was able to express my opinion and I felt I was aggressive in doing that.
“It was just a nice chance to sit with a group of people I really didn’t know at all and have an interactive discussion where people didn’t necessarily agree with each other, and just watching and taking note of people’s styles in getting their point across.
“As a business owner, and sometimes being an owner is different from working for somebody, you have to stand up for your business and what you believe in, even if it doesn’t make you popular. So (this experience) was validation to me that yes, I can do that.”
Sporting matching suits, Cara Desvigne and husband Michael showed up in hopes that producers would pick them as a team.
“We’re exponentially more powerful together,” says Michael. “So what we’re hoping is by reviewing both applications they will see the advantages of having both of us on the show.
“We’re both very into business, so the combination of that along with the opportunity to work for Donald Trump is a tremendous opportunity.”
David Yew had only planned to drop off his girlfriend, Neysa Park, at the casting call. But before he knew it, they were both auditioning.
“There was no line so I figured why not try, it’s a chance of a lifetime,” says Yew, a medical doctor. “My strategy is to just be myself, relax and have fun.”
Park, who works as a mortgage banker, prepared for the audition by doing research on the Internet and having Yew ask her practice questions. She also tried on five different outfits before picking a gray-colored suit.
“If I got picked, I think I’d appreciate it more than most Mainland people because growing up here you would never have that kind of experience,” says Park. “And I have tons and tons of energy.”
While the final 18 will be picked next month, The Apprentice will not reveal them until September.
“It would be unique if they could pick somebody who is born and raised in Hawaii, because it would give a fresh perspective on the show,” notes Takaki Lueder.
“The people on the show now seem so cutthroat. It would be cool to root for someone from Hawaii.”
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