Participants in this head-to-head job search won’t vie for an employment offer from Donald Trump, but their experience is bound to be memorable nonetheless.

On Sept, 14, the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Young Professionals Connection launched Four Hire!, a competition designed to retain Iowa college graduates through job opportunities in Greater Des Moines. Amy Jennings, the president of YPC, hopes the contest will attract people who would otherwise look for jobs outside the state after college.

“Our mission with YPC is to attract and retain young professionals in the Des Moines area, and we feel like students are an audience that we should be reaching out to,” Jennings said. “This is a way that we can promote job opportunities here and show students what the city has to offer.”

The competition will loosely resemble the hit NBC reality show “The Apprentice,” but several details, such as which companies will participate, are still in the works. Companies interested in participating are asked to submit an application by Oct. 14. The businesses selected will be asked to guarantee at least one job, either an existing one they wish to fill through the competition or a position they’ll create for a candidate who impresses them.

“Mary Stier [the 2005 board chair of the Greater Des Moines Partnership] had the idea for the contest earlier this year and asked YPC if we would be interested in putting some structure around it,” Jennings said. “We liked the concept, and we think students will view it as a unique, fun way to apply for a job.”

Seniors graduating from four-year colleges and universities in the spring or summer of 2006 are eligible to participate. They will submit a short videotape of themselves along with an application. Only 24 applicants will be chosen to participate in the competition. A group challenge, created with input from the participating companies, will be held to narrow the pool of candidates down to 12 finalists, and four will receive job offers in Greater Des Moines.

Jennings expects the program to kick off in January with the selection of contestants. Group challenges will follow over the course of two consecutive weekends, and the finalists will be notified of job offers by the end of February or early March.

Jennings said a Four Hire! committee of YPC members has received interest from a TV station to and is working with a newspaper for media coverage of the event. She thinks the exposure that candidates receive from the contest will be beneficial, whether or not it results in a job offer.

“We are looking for 24 students, and we think they will definitely have an opportunity to catch the eyes of the companies by showcasing their skills, and in doing so, will hopefully end up with positions as well,” she said.

The unusual competition may also work to the advantage of the companies that participate, Jennings said.

“It costs a lot of budget dollars to hire new employees, and we think this will be a creative way for companies to do the interview and see their job candidate in action,” she said. “They can see the types of skills the candidate possess rather than just interviewing them for a couple of hours in a meeting room. Plus, it will be wonderful public relations for the companies with the opportunity to be featured on TV and in the newspaper.”

Applications for companies or students wishing to participate are available online at ypc.dmesmoinesmetro.com.

Young Professionals of Iowa conference

On Friday, an estimated 400 young leaders from across Iowa will convene at the Hotel Fort Des Moines for the second annual Young Professionals of Iowa conference. The event was introduced last year in Ames by Young Professionals of Ames, but the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Young Professionals Connection will host it this year. Lawrence Cunningham, a member of YP Ames and a co-chair for the conference, said the goal is to connect members of young professionals groups across the state and spur development of new groups.

“As a conference, we want to provide the connection and direction to help educate other young professionals groups on what is going on across the state and help them connect with each other,” he said. “New groups starting up can benefit from listening to successes of other groups around the state, and we can find ways to pool resources to have a bigger impact.”

Cunningham said he’s particularly looking forward the CEO panel luncheon.

“These are the people who are being recognized for improving their work environments, and we want to talk to them,” he said. “We want to find out as employers, what they’re looking for in employees, and what is it that we have to do to show that we are ready to make a difference.”

The panel will be composed of J. Barry Griswell from Principal Financial Group Inc., BJ Do from ABC Virtual, Greg Thomopulos from Stanley Consultants, Martha Willits from the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Jeff Stroburg from West Central Cooperative. Mark Vamos, editor of Fast Company magazine, will deliver the keynote address for the conference, and Gov. Tom Vilsack will also address the group.

Breakout sessions will address topics such as becoming more involved in government, understanding and working with Iowa’s unique urban and rural issues, women moving into upper management and how to establish or build an existing young professionals group. Feedback from the sessions will be used to form a new group, Young Professionals of Iowa, a group representing of young professionals across the state.

“As an organization, YP Iowa can serve as a voice – not the only voice, but a voice – to decision makers on what young professional groups in Iowa are looking for from their leaders and lawmakers,” Cunningham said. “We want to have lots of individual groups for young professionals across the state, but we should identify what our collective needs are to keep the momentum moving.”

Anyone interested in attending can register online at www.ypiowa.com.