Confidence, business savvy and good looks. That’s what casting directors for NBC’s hit reality show “The Apprentice” were looking for Thursday as they interviewed about 40 Kansas University alumni.

“Universities are a great resource for us to tap into,” said Kristina McGann, casting director. “Not as many people will show up to these type of closed calls. It’s not really the quantity as much as the quality.”

Thursday’s stop at KU was open exclusively to KU alumni. The directors are winding down their 28-city tour in search of Martha Stewart’s and Donald Trump’s next apprentices.

When Jennifer Lyon heard casting directors were looking in Lawrence, she knew this was an opportunity she wouldn’t miss.

Lyon, a marketing manager for Sprint with a master’s in business administration, is an “Apprentice” fan with a strong opinion, and she sees herself as an “armchair quarterback.”

“I’m sitting there analyzing every move of this season’s ‘Apprentice’ contestants and find myself yelling at the TV,” Lyon said. “My family got tired of me yelling and told me if I didn’t come today I could no longer watch the show.”

Lyon was one of about 40 interviewees who tried to prove to the directors that they were capable of being Trump or Stewart’s next protege.

Other applicants were trying to size themselves up against contestants from the show’s first season.

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“I see myself as a Bill or Kwami kind-of-guy,” said Michael Kricsfeld, a KU psychology alumnus referring to the final two contestants of the first season. “Those guys were down to earth and knew how to have fun with their jobs.”

Directors must narrow the thousands of applicants from their tour to two groups of 16 to 18 people for the upcoming TV seasons.

Both the Trump and Stewart shows have the same concept. Contestants are split into two groups and must outwit not only the opposing team but also their team members. The 16-week televised job interviews will end with Stewart and Trump offering the winners executive jobs with their companies.

Contestants fight for what Trump calls “the dream job of a lifetime,” with a six-digit salary and the instant fame that comes with winning the show.

Thursday’s casting calls started with the directors interviewing the applicants in groups of three or more. After the first group interview, the directors began interviewing the applicants one-on-one.

“We always look for group dynamics. We want to see how they interact with a group because obviously the show is a group situation,” McGann said. “We look to see who speaks their mind with confidence in the interviews.”

McGann will call back those who make the cut for another private interview in Kansas City, Mo., next Wednesday. If that goes well, they will be flown to Los Angeles for finals week, which consists of more interviews. Fans won’t know who is selected until the airing of the shows. Those dates have not been determined, McGann said.

Lyon said she is taking the process one step at a time. What’s matters to her is she gave it a try.

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“I had nothing to lose except my lunch hour,” she said.

Kansas University journalism student Matt Rodriguez can be reached at 832-7154.