The first step to kick-starting a search is to recognize you may have problems you aren't aware of and to act as quickly as possible to resolve them. This way, you won't have to undo mistakes you've made inadvertently -- for instance, needing to change your image with networking contacts and employers.

"Don't wait a year to get feedback," says Janet Scarborough, a career coach with Bridgeway Career Development in Seattle. "It's much more effective to do it right the first time."

If you've been feeling depressed or defeated, your first goal should be to improve your outlook. Here are the steps career counselors suggest to reviving a job hunt:

1. Improve your state of mind. Physical activity helps improve mental well-being, so start exercising or going for walks if you aren't already doing so. Be sure you schedule time to be with friends and family, or simply spend time with a pet. Above all, don't stay cooped up in a home office for eight hours daily. "It's important to get out there and be around other people," says Nancy Collamer, founder of Collamer Career Consulting in Old Greenwich, Conn. "Many people just withdraw from their social life and that adds to the depression."

2. Join a job-search group or form one yourself. Create a group of advisers for yourself. Seek feedback on your progress and be available to give advice to others. You may gain valuable information and insights. Moreover, being around other people is an antidote to depression.

3. Accomplish something worthwhile. If you're feeling like you have no control over events, choose an activity or task you've been meaning to do and finish it. The chore needn't be related to your career or job hunting. It could be as simple as cleaning out a closet or painting a room. Ms. Collamer knows one job hunter who trained for and ran a marathon during his unemployment. The mere act of accomplishing something will make you feel better about yourself and more in control, says Ms. Scarborough.

"I say, 'Do better now and feel better later,' she says, "but people fight me on this. They say, 'I don't see how this has anything to do with my job search,' but it does. They gain a sense of autonomy and feel better, and that affects their job search."

4. Volunteer. Helping others or working on a cause you care about can help you feel more upbeat. One job hunter who was out of work for 18 months always worked as a volunteer with his state's highway patrol on Friday evenings, says Ms. Collamer. "He told me, 'This is the one night of the week when I feel like a productive human being,' " she says. "It's incredible how many people feel volunteering is a win-win situation for them."

Volunteering offers other benefits: You'll meet people who might become valuable career contacts.

5. Create structure for yourself. Each week, create a schedule outlining your goals for that week, and make sure you accomplish them. Do the difficult tasks first and reward yourself when you accomplish them with enjoyable activities, such as going to a movie with a friend. Your sense of well-being will improve as you reach these goals.

6. Follow through. Act on the suggestions you receive from advisers. After determining your focus, prepare a resume that targets these goals. Ask your advisers for feedback on your marketing documents. Research companies and hiring managers in your targeted industry and approach them directly. Some candidates find that writing a personal letter, then following up with a phone call, is easiest.

7. Spend the majority of your time on the most productive tasks. Limit your Internet activity to a maximum of about 15% to 20% of your search time. You may not realize that applying for jobs posted on the Internet decreases your chances of being hired because the competition is greatest for these positions. Contacting hiring managers personally increases your prospects because fewer people are likely to do so. To ensure you don't stay on the Internet too long, set a timer for your allotted length and turn off the computer when the timer goes off.

Meanwhile, increase the time you spend networking. Joanne Nix, president of A Great Resume in Van Buren, Ark., says her clients often tell her that "their network is dead" because the people they know have lost jobs or no longer work in the same industry. She tells them about "six degrees of separation," the concept about everyone in the world being no more than six people away from knowing everyone else in the world. "I try to get them to understand that there are infinite ways of talking with people," she says.

Develop networking contacts by asking everyone you contact if they can suggest names of others for you to call. Offer to discuss what you've learned about the job market with people you talk with.

8. Don't expect quick results. Candidates who are committed to hard work are more likely to persist in the face of adversity than those who don't realize the challenges they face. "A job search is more like a marathon than a sprint," says Ms. Scarborough. "You have to pace yourself because you're at risk of crashing and burning, and then you might not do anything for a month or two."