A year ago, it wasn't unusual to hear about a former short-order cook with only a high-school diploma working as a network technician and earning four times his previous annual salary. But as the economic downturn and dot-com fallout continues, these success stories are becoming more legend than reality. Still, IT job seekers can do plenty to make themselves more attractive in this slower hiring market.

Active IT job candidates -- those who are just out of college or recently laid off -- must aggressively market themselves to employers. "Give thought to what you've done," says Bill Coleman, vice president of compensation for Salary.com. "Why should your target employer care? You must prove your worth and do your homework on companies you might want to work for."

Passive candidates -- those who already have a job but are open to offers -- should also be prepared, experts say. IT workers at a small company or start-up, for instance, shouldn't become complacent, according to Coleman, because layoffs can be sudden. "Keep your résumé up to date and your options open and continually upgrade your skills. It's the best way to stay attractive to recruiters," he says.

All job candidates should remember that technical skills are only part of the picture, says Phyllis Klees, a principal with Deloitte & Touche's Human Capital Advisory Services, San Jose, Calif. "It's a good idea to accentuate decision-making skills, and brush up on written and oral communications if you want to snag the best jobs," she says. "It's not just about programming anymore." (Click here for more job-interview tips.)

And a job seeker should leverage his or her contacts, especially at a company where the candidate wants to work. "Be specific. Tell your contact what type of job you want, and ask if he or she knows anyone who might be looking for that type of talent," Coleman says.

In today's tighter IT job market, younger employees with less experience and less formal education are becoming more vulnerable. Those who have never worked in a market where supply exceeds demand haven't felt the pinch until now. Unfortunately, "Generation Xers" -- those aged 17 to 34 -- have largely been labeled as lacking loyalty and discipline, recruiters say.

And then there's the job-hopping trend, which is often viewed as a strike against younger workers. Ten years ago, the average number of job changes in a career was 2.5. That number now hovers at six job changes per career. In 10 years, the average is expected to jump to 10, Klees says. That number could decline, however, if the economic slump were to drag on, she says, but that's not likely.

Experience, training and education are a job candidate's best weapons for finding work. And those employees with jobs should focus on keeping one's nose to the grindstone. "Now is not a good time to kick back and not produce," Klees says.

Above all, experts say, if you don't have a job, don't panic. Plenty of good-paying IT jobs are still out there. But unlike last year, job seekers may need to work harder to find exactly what they want.