Many high-level, successful executives find that looking for new positions is the hardest job they've tackled in their long careers.

It can be so tough on their egos, in fact, that some give up entirely if their initial efforts are unsuccessful.

Career counselors say that discouraged executives may not realize that the best way for them to find new positions isn't like the methods used by other job hunters. This means they need to conduct their job searches differently as well.

"Executives don't look for jobs in the traditional way," says Carrie Straub, a career consultant and coach with Resources for Success in Portland, Ore. "It's going to be through their connections. The public job market is rarely the avenue for them."

Whether you're job hunting due to a layoff or are unhappy where you are and want a change, it's important to understand what's holding you back. Here are typical issues causing executives to stall in their job searches and ways to address them:

One of the biggest problems that thwarts executive job hunters is not knowing what type of work they'd prefer to do. They may be dissatisfied in their current roles but don't want to research a field that would interest them more because it would mean taking a step down. Or, they may be so well paid they can't leave without jeopardizing their standard of living or marriages, says John Hall, founder and counselor with Hall Career Services in Irvine, Calif.

He recounts the example of a client who wants to leave the family's commercial real-estate firm where he's worked for the past 12 years. However, the executive earns well over six figures and will have difficulty breaking into a field that will pay him as much initially, says Mr. Hall.

"That will be the hardest part of all," says the career coach. "It's very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce your current income in a new field."

Over time, though, executives who are willing to accept less pay to gain experience in a new field can match or surpass their prior incomes. A nuclear engineer who wanted to go into energy marketing earned an M.B.A., but to break into the field had to take a marketing job that paid $50,000 annually -- $100,000 less than he had been earning. A decade later, he's now vice president of marketing for a training firm and earning much more than his last salary as an engineer, says Mr. Hall. "Unfortunately, his marriage didn't survive when he took the hit," he adds.

If you are committed to changing careers, outline a plan to achieve this goal. Start by investigating new fields through informational interviews. You also might take some assessment tests to see what interests you and then determine how to transfer your skills and abilities to the new field. Create a five-year timeline, with measurable milestones along the way.

Fear of the unknown is a powerful impediment to executive job hunts. This fear can take many forms. Some executives don't believe they'll find a job that can replace what they do now, no matter how much they dislike it. They also may believe at some deep level they aren't competent and that they're lucky to be where they are.

In counseling sessions, many executives talk about wanting to start new careers and the kind of training they might need to enter them. But if offered jobs in their old fields, they quickly give up the dream.

"Most of the problems I see relate to dissatisfaction," says Mr. Hall. "Most careers happen by accident. People go from job to job to job. Executives talk about wanting different careers but in the end, they just take another job."

Executives who haven't looked for work in years may be frightened by media reports about layoffs and lack of hiring due to the recession. The reality is that new jobs are still being created, particularly at small companies, but it takes more time to find them, says Marky Stein, a San Jose, Calif., author of "Fearless Interviewing" (McGraw-Hill, 2003).

"They are fumbling because of terror that they won't find a job at their level in this economy," says Ms. Stein, "but I see people from when they're laid off to when they're employed, and the only variable that's changed is time."

Ms. Straub had been helping a high-level executive map out what he wanted to do later in his career when he abruptly lost his job. During the three months since, the executive has been reluctant to look at other options because he believes what happened to him was unjust. "He's still stuck in the 'shoulds' and is clinging to his former status," she says. "He could do many things, but this is keeping him from looking at what he's good at and who will buy it."

Granted, the nation's unemployment rate has held steady at 5.6% in recent months, and the unemployment rate for professionals and managers was 2.9% in June, according to the BLS.

Yet a poor hiring environment doesn't hurt unemployed executives uniformly. Those who are resourceful, flexible and confident can find work in any labor market, says Russ Jones, a principal of First Transitions, an outplacement and coaching firm in Oak Brook, Ill. It just may take them a bit longer in a down market, he says.

"Candidates who have positive attitudes, good presentation skills and track records of achievement will do better than those who lack these attributes," says Mr. Jones. "They also don't pay attention to negative statistics, rumors and hearsay."

Reluctance to network wholeheartedly -- calling every contact who might be helpful and every person subsequently suggested by these contacts -- is the biggest problem career counselors face when working with executive clients.

Executives find networking distasteful because they think of it as asking for favors or jobs. Their mistakes include not calling enough people, not calling the right people, not knowing what to say when talking with contacts and not following up.

"An executive will ask his friends, 'Do you know of any jobs?' and then stop," says Fred Coon, Phoenix-based author of "Ready, Aim, Hired: Survival Tactics for Job and Career Transition" (GAFF Publishing, 2003). "They don't know how to network properly or manage their networks properly."

Ms. Stein says when she asks groups of job hunters if they're networking, everyone raises their hand. But when asked if their networking has been helpful, none raise hands. The reason is that they're networking only with other unemployed people, she says. One good way to meet employers and get interviews is through making cold calls, Ms. Stein says. "It's a recession-proof strategy," she adds.

Ms. Straub notes that the high-level executive who lost his job has been networking - but only on a social level with acquaintances who associate him with his former position. He's not talking with people who could help him find new opportunities to use his management or industry skills.

To get more out of networking, expand your list to include a wide range of contacts. You also must learn to discuss your situation with contacts in a way that makes you seem confident and curious and not like a supplicant, says Mr. Jones. "Don't just say, 'I'm calling to network,' " he says. "It shouldn't be the contact's job to figure out how to help you."

Develop a statement that quickly describes why you're calling and what you want. For instance:

"Frank, thanks for giving me this time. I have been happy with XYZ company, but I'm planning to leave. I wanted to let you know and discuss my future plans with you. Right now, it's important for me to find an organization that's aligned with my strengths."

"Stan, refresh me. What are you looking for?"

"There are several directions I'm thinking about, so right now, my full-time job is to figure that out by talking with people like you. Is there a time when I could meet with you next week to discuss this?"

Even if the company isn't hiring, informal meetings are good ways to learn about new business developments. With no pressure on them to hire you, contacts will be inclined to suggest new avenues or people you can meet with.

Other solutions include volunteering to help a nonprofit in your area of expertise or a professional association. Working with a nonprofit is a good way for technology-industry executives to gain credibility with firms in established industries and vice versa, says Ms. Straub.

"People who became executives by working in the technology industry often aren't viewed as having long-term staying power," she says. "Their problem is building credibility, so I urge them to work for a nonprofit or gain visibility in an association."