The Pledge 5 Foundation, a Gainesville non-profit organization that hosts fundraisers in support of local charities, is using a reality show-based competition to choose the new director of Pledge 5, a position complete with a $46,708 compensation package.
The competition, known as Pledge 5 Apprentice, is a spin-off of the popular reality show “The Apprentice,” said Jason Bowman, founder and president of the Pledge 5 Foundation.
The Pledge 5 Public Service Social, a Paynes Prairie highway cleanup and barbeque, was the site of the kickoff of the Pledge 5 Apprentice competition Sunday.
Contestants were asked to bring their resumes and their game faces for interviews at the Pledge 5 Open Call, the first of which was held Feb. 17 and the second prior to the cleanup Sunday.
Despite the current state of the economy and the great opportunity that the competition presents, the response was less than anticipated. A total of three applicants attended the open calls, Bowman said.
Those who made it through the initial interview round are now required to attend a number of Pledge 5 events, one of which was the highway cleanup Sunday.
At these events surprise competitions will arise as they compete to secure the director position. Applicants will compete until a final elimination when performance on all challenges will be assessed and one competitor is left. The final competitor earns the job.
“I want the right person to take over,” Bowman said. “I think if you hire based on one meeting, you only know part of the person. Seeing them in action gives me the ability to be more objective in my decision making.”
The competitors will attend a number of events from Feb. 20 to April 30, with a pause in the competition for Spring Break.
Contestants will put in 15 to 20 hours a week over the course of the competition.
“The experience of applying for this job is much like an internship,” Bowman said. “Whether they win or lose, competitors take away a great deal of experience.”
Each round of the competition is being recorded and made into webisodes, which began with the highway cleanup. The final segment and final elimination will air on May 1.
