Enlivening a job hunt

A job search in this downtrodden economy can be so frustrating that some people are throwing in the towel. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, nearly half of a million of the roughly 9 million unemployed people in the U.S. became so discouraged that they stopped looking for work over the past year.

“Steadily sending out resumes and cover letters that fall into the hands of indifferent recruiters, making phone calls that seldom get returned, and begging for jobs you didn’t even want can be extremely demoralizing,” says Tony Lee of CareerJournal.com, the Wall Street Journal’s executive career site.

CareerJournal.com offers the following tips for reenergizing a job hunt:

* Create a breakout strategy. If you keep doing the same thing in the same way you may get the same discouraging results.

* Revisit the basics to see what isn’t working. Revise your resume and rethink your career goals and strategies.

* Cast a wider net. Consider how to use your skills in different ways or different positions.

* Think about making a career change. Research the job market to see what areas best fit your talents and needs.

* Don’t go it alone. Find or create a community that will support you in achieving your job search goals.

For more information about CareerJournal, go to www.careerjournal.com