What did you think of Donald Trump's Apprentice show?

Somehow, someway in our yo-yo economic climate where corporate terms such as "downsizing" and "outsourcing" make employed Americans shudder, Donald Trump has the country hooked on ... getting canned.

"You're fired!" he announces to one unlucky employee after another on NBC's weekly reality show The Apprentice. Adding insult to getting sacked on national television, The Donald says it with a hand gesture that brings to mind a lightning-quick serpent strike. The stunned employee grabs his rolling suitcase and sulks toward the lobby elevator where it's down, down, down to a waiting yellow cab. No severance. No parting gift.

* * *

Only a half dozen of the original 16 Apprentice contestants remain. Here are how they stack up against each other, in our humble opinion:

•Nick Warnock, 27-year-old sales team leader from Los Angeles: The favorite.

Despite his shortcomings as a salesman, which is supposed to be his strength, Trump seems to have a soft spot for the redhead. He's escaped the boardroom several times, but one more slip-up could cost him.

Edge: His private meeting with Trump inside the palatial penthouse.

•Bill Rancic, 32-year-old entrepreneur and cigar-company owner from Chicago: Mr. Runner-up.

He cleans up like a president but acts more like a VP.

Edge: Everyone likes a nice guy.

•Amy Henry, 30-year-old Austinite who works for a high-tech start-up: The dark horse.

She's smart and has been flawless as a leader and team player. However, Trump has been firing women left and right since he made the teams coed in Week 5.

Edge: She has the respect of her teammates and bossman Trump. Plus, she has Nick wrapped around her finger.

•Troy McClain, 32-year-old mortgage lender from Idaho: A distant contender.

If The Apprentice were set in Atlanta, perhaps his country drawl might be an asset, but we can't picture Mr. Trump hiring Jethro Clampett to run one of his companies.

Edge: He hasn't been close to the chopping block since the first week.

•Kwame Jackson, 29-year-old investment manager from New York: Long shot.

He's made some clear mistakes, such as picking the bizarre artist no one liked, but he manages to keep sliding by.

Edge: His survival skills.

•Katrina Campins, 24-year-old Florida real estate agent: Only if hell freezes over.

She got "duped" as project manager by McClain in front of Trump. And The Donald probably wouldn't hire someone who got outplayed.

Edge: Being embarrassed could work as motivation.

* * *

But before Season 1 wraps up, let's take a look at lessons to be learned on the show. The Donald is ruthless and gives specific reasons for his firings -- from disloyalty to not taking a leadership role. Grasping those workplace messages could keep you from joining the ranks of the unemployed:

Week 1 task: Sell lemonade; David is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Make a solid impression on the boss, and be quick about it. Don't admit to the boss that you wouldn't make a good leader. That's what David did, and he became the first to do the elevator ride of shame.

Week 2 task: Create an advertising campaign; Jason is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Don't play fortune-teller and guess what your client wants. Meet with him face-to-face and ask him. That was Jason's downfall.

Week 3 task: Negotiate lower prices on purchases; Sam is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Whining that people don't respect you just begs the question: Why don't they respect you? Perhaps falling asleep at work and rolling around on the floor has something to do with it.

Bonus lesson: Be sure to take your meds (as directed) if the chemical activity in your brain needs a little regulating.

Week 4 task: Manage Planet Hollywood; Bowie is fired.

Lesson to take to work: If you're going to lie low, at least be smart enough to do your job well enough so you don't become the fall guy. Bowie was in charge of merchandising and he stunk at it.

Week 5 task: Work as flea-market vendors; Kristi is fired.

Lesson to take to work: When you're back is against the wall, stick up for yourself and your job performance. And be careful whom you trust.

Bonus lesson: When your company's money ends up missing, make sure the paper trail doesn't lead to you.

Week 6 task: Secure charity-auction items; Jessie is fired.

Lesson to take to work: If you don't stand up for yourself, who's going to respect you? Not The Donald.

Bonus lesson: What comes around, goes around. The week before, Jessie had turned on her friend Kristi in the boardroom.

Week 7 task: Renovate and rent an apartment; Tammy is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Loyalty may not get you everywhere, but disloyalty can get you canned faster than incompetence. Tammy turned on her team in front of Trump. And that did not go over well with him.

Week 8 task: Sell bottled water; Ereka is fired.

Lesson to take to work: As a manager, never let them see you sweat -- or come unglued.

Week 9 task: Pick an artist and sell his art; Omarosa is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Excuses, excuses, excuses. Eventually the boss will frown upon lame explanations. And forgoing your deadline work for a lunch break will earn you a neon pink slip.

Bonus lesson: Faux concussions and super-drama-queen antics won't fly with the boss.

Week 10 task: Manage a pedicab company; Heidi is fired.

Lesson to take to work: Being abrasive is an asset only when you're scrubbing a grimy tub. It's hard to be a leader when you irritate the rest of the group. And Heidi's continual caustic nature finally pushed Trump over the edge.

Bonus lesson: Applying massive amounts of blue eye shadow won't help your cause.