Microsoft worker wants to be Trump's 'Apprentice'

Verna Felton already has a job at Microsoft, but the position she really wants is that of protege to Donald Trump.

Verna Felton

Felton, 31, is one of 18 candidates competing on this season's installment of the NBC show "The Apprentice." This year, the show is pitting street smarts against book smarts, with nine of the candidates having graduated college and the other nine having skipped higher education and headed straight into the working world.

Felton falls on the "book smarts" side, having earned a master's degree in business communications before pursuing her marketing dreams at Microsoft.

Officially, Microsoft declined to comment on Felton's "apprenticeship" beyond confirming that she indeed works for the software giant. However, several Redmondites have posted blog items supporting one of their own.

Fellow Microsoft marketer Heather Hamilton said that she figured it was only a matter of time before a Microsoft worker was on the show.

"Well, not only is our candidate for the Apprentice (a Microsoft) employee, she is in marketing," Hamilton wrote in a blog item. "Good luck Verna! I suspect that taping is already complete but we are all rooting for you!"

Other people on Hamilton's blog posted responses wondering whether she will keep her Microsoft job if she wins and whether she will accidentally use Microsoft jargon such as "oof" (that's Microsoft speak for "out of the office").

A blog called Inside Microsoft has been keeping a running tally on all things Verna. Felton is also keeping tabs on her own site. And there is always the official Apprentice Web site, which is hosted by Yahoo.

So far, Felton has survived the first week of the show, though her team did lose to the street smarts group in a contest to see who could sell more Angus Burgers at a Burger King.

OOF = "Out of oFfice"? Urban legend!

I know someone's thinking Microsoft can't even get its acronyms right. Yes, people occasionally say "oof," though it's written more than said. Although OOF _MEANS_ "out of office," I believe it actually abbreviates "out of facility."

My understanding is that we didn't actually coin this rather inelegant locution, despite Microsoft's internal penchant for TLAs (three-letter acronyms); rather, it was a semi-standard term at the time in the paper-based world. (I wasn't on the MS-Mail team, so I can't be positive.)

Verna Felton got lucky this time!!!

I can`t see how Microsoft could afford to have such a weak business manager.She must to be good with numbers otherwise I trully believe that they`re just waisting money by keeping her on such a position.Quitting is the worst thing that a leader could do in stressful situations and she did it!What a shame!

re: Verna Felton got lucky this time!!!

Microsoft makes a habit out of hiring the 'best and brightest' that would rival Donald Trump's standards. I would suggest that there may be a lot of 'Hollywood Drama' in this episode. If you believe everything you see on TV, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.