If you read enough job-search articles, you'll see the process compared to dozens of situations. Who hasn't heard that conducting a job search is like selling? In this analogy, you are the product, the employer is the buyer, and your task is to present the benefits of hiring you.

The analogy that comes to mind these days is the job search as a political campaign. After all, you have the candidate (you), the campaign staff (your network) and the chicken dinners (at the monthly meetings of your professional association).

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The current election cycle especially invites job-search comparisons, partly because it has gone on for so many months. Along with the comparisons come clues about mistakes to avoid in your job search.

The following are a few of the most obvious, which I'm sharing with this caveat: By no means am I endorsing or deriding any candidate with these observations.

On the other hand, if you see similarities between a particular candidate's situation and these job-search tips, the likeness is not coincidental.

1. Check your references. If you can help it, never let others speak on your behalf unless you know what they are saying. Choose alliances carefully.

Most people you list as references wouldn't harm you intentionally, but some may say things in such a way that makes you look bad by accident. Others may have a need for the spotlight and may enjoy the attention they receive from your interviewer.

Choose people you know well, and give them ideas about which of your achievements might be most relevant to discuss.

2. Work to overcome typecasting; don't let others draw the wrong conclusions about your abilities. While this bit of wisdom pertains to any job search, it is particularly relevant for internal searches. Because potential supervisors and co-workers in the new position already know you, you risk being known for your "old" skills and persona, not for the potential you would bring to the new role.

AMY LINDGREN

WORKING STRATEGIES

3. Always be truthful; don't exaggerate. The minute you start overstating things in an interview, a switch goes off in your listener's mind. Skepticism creeps in, and your chances of getting an offer diminish. State the truth clearly (but with the appropriate enthusiasm about your skills).

4. Get your talking points straight. What are your key messages for an employer? What will you bring to the position if you are hired? Are you selling your background and experience or your potential to make a difference?

5. Along the same lines, don't insult your interviewer. Remember that people hire people they like, so your job in the interview is to look for common ground. Any comments that imply a sense of superiority or that you know the best way to do something will be taken the wrong way. At this stage, your goal is to demonstrate capability, but couple it with likability, so no one's toes get trampled.

6. Watch your finances. Job searches, like political campaigns, can be expensive. And, like campaigns, they can be prone to overleveraging in terms of debt.

Don't borrow to finance your search unless it's absolutely necessary, and don't liquidate retirement accounts. Instead, balance the budget by taking a part-time job while simultaneously cutting expenses.

7. Never assume you'll get the position. This is a tip that helps job-seekers more than political candidates. While a candidate must put all the eggs (and then some) into one basket, job-

seekers are well-advised to keep several options in play at all times. Hence, even if you're going in for a third interview at a company, don't turn down another employer's request to meet. As the saying goes, it ain't over until it's over.

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecaree rservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.