Student gets 'Apprentice'-like internship Student gets 'Apprentice'-like internship (July 28, 2004)

By Jennifer Nuckols
Special to the Almanac

This summer Menlo Park native Kim Gould is getting a taste of what it may be like on Donald Trump's reality TV show "The Apprentice." Ms. Gould, a graduate of Menlo School and soon-to-be Harvard senior, is one of 12 interns at Nike Communications, a New York City public relations firm that markets and promotes luxury brands.

The interns are divided into two competing teams of six interns each. One team's mission is to promote the company, and the other is to promote the internship program. Ms. Gould belongs to the latter, and as a result of this feature in "The Almanac," her team will garner more points.

It's a win-win situation, says Ms. Gould, because throughout the six-week competition, the interns get real working experience and the company benefits from their efforts.

The winners will be determined July 28 after each group makes its final presentations.

Despite the competition, the interns are good friends, says Ms. Gould. "It's not cut-throat," she says. "We joke about it."

Yet they are vying for a coveted prize: a stay at Rosewood's Carlyle Hotel in New York.

One tactic Ms. Gould's team used was to invite Nick Warnock, the fourth-place winner in the first season of "The Apprentice," to give a presentation to the interns. He gave tips on how to succeed in business, and told of his experience on the TV show.

Competitive internships are an up-and-coming trend and many other large corporations are experimenting with them, Ms. Gould says.

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