My 20-something cousin just returned Stateside from serving in the Peace Corps in Ukraine and Ghana. She's preparing to kick off her DC job search for an international policy position, and asked me for suggestions from my own recession-sparked career change.

Here's the gist of the conversation:

1. Establish a LinkedIn Profile - Immediately make your business skills and experience available for the world to see and build your contacts network. This is not an online resume. This is a networking, promotion tool. For each position (paid or volunteer), briefly summarize your skills and responsibilities. Your profile gives your connections and browsing HR folk talking points to spur that next recommendation or job interview query. Write recommendations for your contacts; they may reciprocate. Update your status weekly. The update appears on everyone else's pages (keeping you fresh in their minds), gives an idea of your business skills and shows activity on your part. As you broaden your online business brand, maximize your exposure by linking to your blog, Twitter and any other online resources. LinkedIn's About is a great starting point.

2. Set Up a Twitter Account for You, The Professional - This is the account where you follow your industry thought leaders, talk with other business professionals, and start building a network in your desired field. Tapping into the Twitter stream of consciousness reveals what these industry professionals are working on, what skills you may need to develop, and how your unique abilities can help solve those challenges. Use an aggregator (like TweetDeck) to manage the wealth of streaming information, and follow Chris Brogan's advice on managing your time.

3. Write Your Resume - This is third because the simplicity, impact and immediacy of the first two rank them higher. Remember, your resume must answer not only the What, but also the So What. Sure you held this position with these responsibilities for this organization---what impact did you have by being there: positive increase, positive decrease, reduced time, improved relationships? Use numbers; 99% of the time.

4. Print Business Cards - Yes, get a card reader/sender for your phone (like Mashable's list), but you also need a hard copy version to fill the gap until we reach the same smart phone saturation point email achieved in replacing hard copy memos and letters. Don't short-change your printed business card with only contact information. Include three bullet points with three-word or less statements of your top marketable skills. Be unique in your list. Your Twitter stream listening post should give you which of your differentiator skills would catch someone's eye. You may also want to include your Twitter account and blog.

5. 10-second Response - Write down and practice saying a 10-second synopsis of who you are, what position you're seeking, and how you're using your three differentiators in whatever you've done recently. You will use some version of this response more frequently than you might expect.

6. Start a Microblog - You have great thoughts. You are the only one with your life experience and, therefore, your perspective in your industry. Writing your thoughts down builds your own understanding of your perspective and gives others the opportunity to expand your thinking. It's also another way employers can learn more about you and encourage a job contact. Simple tools like Posterous and WordPress make it easy to post content and distribute across multiple social media.

7. Network in Person - Join an organization with other professionals and build those personal relationships. Make it easy for your contacts to remember you and recommend you to others by defining yourself using your 10-second Response. Once you've built a relationship, ask if you can connect on LinkedIn. Twitter is a more open network and enables a connection without necessarily developing a relationship first. Larger metro areas often have a Young Professionals group, like this one in DC.

8. Volunteer - Take your focus off yourself and give of your business talents or personal abilities to a nonprofit organization. You'll help make the world a better place, and just might build your career skills and form beneficial relationships in the process. Seek out your favorite charity or check with your local United Way for a list of area nonprofits.

9. Above All and More Than Anything Else - Be yourself, be honest and be optimistic.

What else would you add to help a 20-something find her next marvelous career?