Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for April 5, 2004

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, April 5, 2004 | 8:37 a.m.

"You're hired"?

Think you have what it takes to be Donald Trump's next favorite peon? Sure, you could take the official route and send NBC a videotape of yourself groveling for a spot among the next crop of players to compete on the forthcoming second season of the hit reality show "The Apprentice."

Or you could put to work those savvy marketing skills you"re always boring, er, boasting to others about, and strive to stand out from the contestant crowd on www.ApprenticeWannabes.com.

Designed by would-be contestant Frank Borges Llosa, the site features photos of other "Apprentice" audition Web sites -- including Llosa's www.OhOhPickFrankly.com -- built by eager beavers attempting to bypass the scores of others campaigning for slots on the show. Meanwhile visitors can vote for their favorite, well, "Apprentice" wannabes, for what it's worth (which, ultimately, is nothing).

A few words of caution: Posting a personal Web site on ApprenticeWannabes.com does not constitute an official audition for "The Apprentice," as the site is not affiliated/sponsored/endorsed by NBC. The hope, Llosa explains, is that a series bigwig will view the site and make an executive-casting decision. Of course, that person would also run the risk of hearing "The Donald" utter his infamous catchphrase, "You're fired."

Time for a change

Instant televised fame aside, would so many people be scrambling for employment from taskmaster Trump if they didn't already despise their real-life jobs?

Before succumbing to the temptation (and public humiliation) of changing careers on the reality-TV stage, consider the advice being peddled by self-help author Theresa Castro in her new book, "The Dark Before the Dawn: 70 Secrets to Self Discovery" (H & E Publishing, $18.95). The one-time pharmaceutical sales rep says there are "key elements" to making successful career changes, among them:

True to your school

If you really want to play the blame game over your dead-end career, you could fault your college alma mater for not providing the quality education needed to get ahead in the world -- or, at the very least, convenient student parking.

Both are among the issues discussed and rated on www.CampusDirt.com, which claims to offer the college-bound set "a true insider's perspective" about the goings on at upwards of 500 campuses around the nation, courtesy of comments collected from students and recent graduates. Other topics include curriculum, food, Greek life, professors and financial info.

According to the site, coeds at the United States Air Force Academy hit the books hard -- and the party scene hardly ever. The only undergrads who party less are those at Brigham Young University. Looking to meet a ton of new buddies? Mosey on over to Texas A&M University, which is ranked as one of the "friendliest, most-spirited" schools.

Want to be crowned "The Apprentice"? Brown-nose Mr. Trump a bit by studying at his old campus, the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in economics.