By the end of today we’ll know who the next president of the United States will be. As you know, it’s an historic election that’s sure to change the direction of the United States (and perhaps the world).

Millions of people have heard these messages at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. And the winner takes all in the election message game.

In your job search you also need to communicate the right messages!

1. Do you demonstrate that you can relate to the situation, challenges and frustrations of the company you want to work for? You need to demonstrate via the examples you use and your answers to questions, alongside the questions you ask.

2. Do you communicate your message without showing off? We are attracted to someone who is knowledgeable, but don’t appreciate a tone of superiority or arrogance. That will just push people away. Think about the tone you use and the way you describe your examples.

3. Do your messages have energy? As David Ogilvy, the direct marketing guru said, "You can’t bore someone into doing business with you." If your messages are dull, routine and clichéd, people will abandon you in droves. When I’m interviewing people I take account of the way somebody speaks alongside the content of their talk. If they are talking about how they motivate others in a flat and boring way the message doesn’t match up.

4. Do your messages make sense? A message is also an argument or case you are making. If an interviewer can challenge what you say and you can’t respond it’s not good!  

5. Do your messages stimulate emotions? You can’t appeal only to logic, but must speak to the hearts of your prospects. Provide specific examples to support what you are saying. Make it real. How you have helped others, made that sale etc.

6. Are your messages simple and clear? You may be a technical specialist but could well be interviewed by a HR generalist. Can you explain your examples in an easy to understand way?

7. Is your message complete? If you are vague, people may question if you are making this up.

8. Is your message easy to read or listen to? Think back to your application. Is it well laid out with good use of white space? Don’t cram every possible fact into your application, just the key points you need to get shortlisted.

9. Are you persistent? When seeking to move into a new work area, you need to put in the time to talk to others. Get them to understand why you want to make the move, and don’t give up when it is all taking longer than you hope.

10. Is you message authentic? Too many people say what they think the interviewer wants to hear. Understand yourself; be clear why it’s the right job for you, and ensure every way you make contact with the employer supports your authentic self, otherwise there is a sense of indescrepancy and when things don’t match up the interviewer is most likely to reject you.

Based on a marketing top ten list from Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses.

You hope it won’t happen to you, but how can you best deal with the situation if you find your job being made redundant. Award winning career coach Denise Taylor shares some sound thinking.

1: Recognise it will be an emotional time for many
Loss of a job is up there, along with divorce of the loss of a spouse or close relative, so expect to have feelings of disappointment and loss.

You are highly likely to feel sad so take the time to express those feelings – it could be sadness, shock, disappointment, shame, resentment, and anger. Look for ways to let those feelings out or they will fester inside of you. Exercise can often be a good option to take, so go to the gym or out for a brisk walk. You could even considering kicking a cardboard box to release those negative feelings.

2: So much of our identity is tied in with our job
The first thing many people say to us when they meet us is “what do you do” and our salary pays for the lifestyle we have, so money and status are tied in with our job.  Understandably many of us worry over how we will maintain our life style.

Sometimes this can lead to depression which can have a negative impact on our relationships, thus culminating our feelings of a dwindling positive identity.

3: Think about what you want to do in the short and medium term
You need to review your CV and think about what jobs are likely to become available. In the current economic climate, no matter how great you are as an estate agent or banker, if there aren’t the jobs available what are you going to do?

For many they didn’t really get a lot of job satisfaction out of their job and so this can be seen as an opportunity, perhaps not initially, but in time.  

4: Think about how you will spend your day
When you were working it gave you structure to your day, so how will you spend your day. If you have had a decent redundancy pay out you might like to go on a holiday, or it might be right to spend a couple of weeks doing the decorating, but 2 weeks can spread to 2 months.

If you want a new job, this must be where you focus your time.  Looking for jobs on line, but also being proactive – meeting up with people, doing research and getting support from a career counsellor, any and all of these things will help to speed up the process of getting a new job.

5: Don’t retreat
It can be easy to take a step back from the world, and begin to get a bit too introspective. If you are feeling insecure or want to share your concerns, find someone to talk with.  

Don't just think of yourself, I know there is a tendency to focus on us when we are unsure of the future, but also look out for ways to be of help to others.

Let your family know how you are and keep an eye out for them as well. Family members may also feel stressed, wondering if all the bills are going to be paid ok.

6: Think about networking
Building relationships will mean you are known to more people which must be of help to you and your career.  The research says that 70% find jobs via the unadvertised job market and this means going out there and talking with people, meeting people at meetings and events, and specifically seeking out people that you can talk with to find out more about jobs that interest you.

As you get clearer on the job you want the more people that know, the more they can help you in your job search.  

7: Look after yourself
The redundancy is stressful, and it will take a lot of energy and stamina to keep going till you get a new job. You will also want to make sure you are in good health for when you start your new job.  So take some exercise, get out in the fresh air and make sure that you eat well.

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