It was a classic Donald Trump “You’re Fired, You’re Hired” theatrical moment that made for the climax of the final episode of season two of NBC’s “The Apprentice.”

The winner was Kelly Perdew, the West Point Army Ranger/UCLA MBA and Law School graduate who beat out Jennifer Massey of Princeton and Harvard Law School.

Jennifer had her moments, though, with a win/loss record of 6-8, but that still paled next to Kelly’s 10-4 tally. Judging by the live Lincoln Center on-air audience poll by final-episode cohost Regis Philbin, Kelly was just as popular as his 71% win-loss percentage. The Donald’s choice was recommended and endorsed by season one and season two Apprentice candidates, former bosses, and the general public, who of course offered their insights on the reality television show.

Final Episode Turning Points

The finale to “The Apprentice” actually started one episode ago. Kelly and Jennifer were each assigned a charity sports event to manage, and each got to pick a team of three previously fired Apprentices to help them. Kelly picked John, Raj, and Elizabeth. Jennifer picked Chris, Pamela, and Stacy.

Kelly’s event was a charity polo match benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Jennifer’s was a charity basketball game benefiting the NBA’s Read To Achieve program. Both candidates got off to rocky starts.

Kelly’s polo match was threatened both by rain and his inattentive team. Jennifer’s basketball exhibition suffered from a cancelled appearance by NBA star Chris Webber and Jennifer’s own unwillingness to cater to her sponsors’ need for lavish attention.

Kelly’s performance got immense aid from the weather. Rain gave way to sunshine and polo was played. Before the big match, Kelly survived tempests over painting his sponsor’s logo on the field (forbidden – it scares the horses), and a near slap fight between teammates Elizabeth and Raj. After polo, crooner Tony Bennett serenaded the 300 millionaires in attendance under a festive banquet tent.

Jennifer’s event, while run efficiently, featured three air balls that cost her the game. First, she failed to meet The Donald’s arriving helicopter, which left the Interviewer-In-Chief confused and lost. Second, she delegated the on court microphone responsibilities to Pamela and failed to stay courtside as Mr. Trump expected her to. And third, her inattentiveness allowed Mr. Trump to re-board his chopper after the event and miss her VIP post-game charity auction, which cost untold big bucks to the Read To Achieve charity and left The Donald feeling unloved.

Once the duo reached the boardroom, Kelly’s star had already risen and Jennifer’s had set.

The audience, and Mr. Trump’s Ice Queen sidekick Carolyn Kepcher, overwhelmingly favored Kelly. While Jennifer laudably deflected Mr. Trump’s withering attacks, she did hear the words “you’re fired,” while Kelly heard the infinitely more pleasing version, “you’re hired!”

Lessons Learned

LESSON ONE Delegate the small stuff – but never delegate The Donald. In her final challenge, Jennifer’s greatest errors were in choosing to sweat the details in the back office rather than coddle the Donald. Jennifer forgot that her event, while important, was only an excuse for a job interview with Mr. Trump.

She neglected to meet The Donald’s arriving chopper, shied from taking the microphone at center court, botched getting Mr. Trump to the post-event VIP auction, and let him leave without saying goodbye. In Mr. Trump’s Trump centric world, Jennifer committed the cardinal sin – she delegated The Donald. Kelly’s reserved box for Mr. Trump had dirty, broken chairs, and although this too stuck in Mr. Trump’s craw, this offense ran second to Jennifer’s disappearing act.

LESSON T WO Education matters a lot, and experience matters even more. Both of season two’s finalists held impressive educational resumes. Between the two of them, they held no fewer than five diplomas from the world’s finest educational institutions. This confirms what we already know – Mr. Trump, like most employers, loves sheepskins.

But 37-year-old Kelly’s victory over 30-year-old Jennifer also proves that experience counts for just as much. Kelly’s military leadership and adventures in entrepreneurship gave him an advanced tool kit that the Ivy League alone cannot provide.

LESSON THREE Remember the words of actress Sally Field when she was at the podium accepting her Oscar? “You like me, you really, really like me.” Well, Ms. Field knew what was important. Being likeable is imperative to being effective with staff, partners, sponsors, and the boss. Kelly won hands down on this personal attribute and Jennifer was poorly lacking. When Mr. Trump was hit with a near tie, likeability was the factor that separated the fired from the hired.

And so, “The Apprentice,” which succeeded in turning the job interview into a spectator sport, finished its second season.

Trump-o-Nomics will be back to this very same paper in a just a few weeks, as we look forward to the start of “The Apprentice” season three on January 20, 2005.

So go take a short rest. And then, be sure to tune in again.

Mr. Whitehead can be reached at trumponomics@aol.com.