Written Accomplishments. Write five or six stories about work-related tasks that made you proud. Describe the challenge or problem, your specific actions, and the positive results you produced. These stories can be from any time in your career and any job you've had. These are usually examples of times when you exceeded the scope of your job's responsibilities. Don't worry, I'll show you exactly how to create these, and there are lots of examples coming up.

Verbal Presentations. Prepare and practice a Positioning Statement (also known as a 30-second commercial) about who you are professionally, the industries you've served, and the particular strengths you can contribute to a new employer. When you write it out, keep it brief, and then memorize it so it will always be on the tip of your tongue. You'll also need a Departure Statement, a prepared explanation of why you're no longer with your previous employer, or why you're seeking a new position (even if you're still working). Details on how to craft your specific Positioning and Departure statements are coming up later.

Professional Biography. Write a one-page narrative of your career in the third person—as though someone else wrote it about you. This is no time to be modest, so make it sound impressive. This will be the primary tool you'll use in all of your networking. Somewhere in the middle of the document, create a bullet list of the tangible results you have achieved (which are drawn directly from your accomplishment stories.) Step-by-step details and plenty of examples follow later.

Target Company List. Make a wish list of adjectives that would describe your ideal employer, such as size, location, industry, culture, values, environment, people, and so on. Then research specific organizations that meet those criteria. Create separate folders for each of these companies, and gather as much information as you can. Prepare a list of these organizations, categorized by industry. You'll eventually network your way in to meet with the hiring managers (not Human Resources) at these companies. Complete details on how to assemble this list can be found later.

Contact List. Compile a list of all the people you know personally and professionally. Yes, all of them! Include their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Don't edit the list or make any assumptions about who can or can't help you. The fact is that approximately 80 percent of new opportunities are secured through networking, and a very high percentage of those positions were discovered through people who were least expected to be of help. Your list should number in the hundreds.

Professional References. List colleagues who would sing your praises if asked about you. Contact each of them, and get approval to use their names on your list of references. Be sure to provide these individuals with guidance about what to say when prospective employers call. Also, ask these references to contact you immediately when prospective employers call them. I'll give you several reference strategies later.

Letters of Recommendation. Request letters from four or five respected business associates, printed on their company letterhead (if they can't or won't use corporate letterhead, personal letterhead will suffice). These individuals could be superiors, subordinates, peers, suppliers, clients, vendors, and so forth. Try to mix it up with individuals from various companies and in several different roles. I'll show you exactly how to request these letters and also what sorts of things they should contain.

Networking Script. People often find it difficult to get started with their networking because they feel nervous or afraid of making a mistake. The best way to avoid this problem is to learn the specific steps (the agenda) of a networking discussion—how it flows, what to expect, how to react to the other person's comments, and so on. In addition, it is smart to write out a full script so you'll know exactly what to say and how to say it. By preparing this networking script in advance, you'll feel much more confident and productive in networking. We'll walk through this together, and you'll become comfortable to the point that your presentation will sound natural, compelling, and real—not "canned."

Tracking System. Keep a detailed record in hard copy of your job search activities, including phone calls, meeting notes, correspondence, and follow-up steps. This is vital for planning and assessing your performance from week to week. Use preprinted forms, folders, software programs, and other means of staying organized. I have included some suggested templates, which you can adapt for your own use.

Resume. Make no mistake. You do need a resume, and it has to be great. But it really should be the least-used tool in your portfolio.