3. It details your proposed position. Specifically, what your game plan is for joining the company and making things happen. It isn't in response to a current opening you may have seen on the Net or in the paper. You're being totally proactive.

Today's change-an-hour economy and resulting job market is volatile and unpredictable. It's also a great time to move your career forward. When you challenge the relevance of traditional job search strategies and begin utilizing tools and techniques that clearly distinguish you from the pack, most anything is possible, including winning a dream job with a great company during a down economy.

Gordon Miller is a career coach, speaker, and author. He is featured on a new video You're Hired: 5 New Ways to Get and (Keep) a Great Job in a Down Economy. He can be reached at gordonmiller@group56.com or http://www.group56.com .

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.