The first step is simply defining exactly what it is you need in terms of investment income.Contrary to a common way of thinking, not all dividend stocks are the same. That's a good thing, though. After all, no two income-minded investors are exactly the same either. It takes a varied collection of dividend-paying tickers to meet each and every income seeker's needs at a degree of risk they can live with.To this end, here's a closer look at three very different dividend stocks that serve very different purp ...