After nearly two years of job hunting interspersed with free-lance work, a former vice president of a New York-based public relations firm made a tough choice. She took a lesser position as an associate at a different New York PR firm.

"I made the tradeoff of being underemployed in order to be employed," says the executive, who asked not to be named. "It's a kick in the gut that I had to do it, but I'm not the only person I know who's had to make that decision, and, in this economy, I think people see it as a valid decision."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't measure underemployment, so there's no way to know how many people have taken jobs with lesser titles, responsibility or pay than they had before being laid off or quitting to join start-ups that fizzled, as the PR executive had done. Still, career coaches, outplacement counselors and leaders of networking groups say such downward mobility is very real in this "jobless" recovery.

"It's usually a matter of checkbook pressure," says Ed Pospesil, a recruiter with Bruner Consulting in Darby, Conn., and founder of the Technology Executives Networking Group (TENG), an online networking forum. Job hunts often outlast severance packages and unemployment insurance, and when that happens, he notes, "People say, 'I want cash flow now, and I'll worry about my career later.' "

Many people had to make this choice after losing jobs in the recession of the early 1990s, but not all of them regained their earlier career levels, says Mr. Pospesil. "Some people moved on afterward and saw their careers flourish, others got stuck," he says.

He can't point to a job situation or set of qualities that makes certain executives more likely to bounce back. But downshifting a career requires a huge adjustment in even the best situations. "Some people are comfortable making this decision," he notes. "Others are ashamed that they've made this compromise and want to keep the job a secret. They'll even drop out of a professional group like TENG at a time when it could really help them."

If you've opted to take a less senior job, the following tips can help you to maintain a positive outlook and improve your chances of springing back to your prior level.

When considering step-down jobs, "look at the opportunity first and the title second," advises Damian Birkel, founder of Professionals in Transition, a job-search support group in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Ask yourself if the position has positive aspects: Will your responsibilities be comparable to your previous job, despite the less-senior title? Is there a new element -- a shift to a new industry or niche or a different type of working environment -- that will make it a learning opportunity? Are you getting yourself inside a company that's known as a great place to work?

"A lot of taking a lower position is mindset," Mr. Birkel says. "There are absolutely going to be tradeoffs. Can you live with the tradeoffs and concentrate on learning and doing your job? Or are you going to spend your time doing the loser's limp?"

Discussing where a job might lead is an important part of any job interview. Don't be afraid to ask about promotions or raises for which you might be considered if you learn the job faster, produce more or otherwise excel in the role, say those who've been in this situation.

For example, the New York PR executive agreed to accept less money than she'd previously earned in exchange for several performance-based raises that should land her back in her desired salary range within a year. "The idea is that we're a young, growing company, and as the business does better, I'll do better," she says.

Treat your boss with special care. "If you go in knowing you'll feed and care for your manager, and how you will do it, you'll succeed," Mr. Birkel says. He speaks from experience. After he was laid off as a merchandising manager at The Fuller Brush Co., then a division of Sara Lee Corp., the company rehired him a few months later as an assistant merchandising manager in its apparel division. In his new role, Mr. Birkel says, "I still thought like a manager. [That] helped me to understand what my manager needed and what would make him look good, and that, in turn, made me look good."

Mr. Birkel viewed the job as a cross-training opportunity. He completed his day-to-day work quickly, and then boned up on the division's different product lines ("Marketing a bra is different from marketing a panty," he notes) or made contact with former colleagues elsewhere in the company. His willingness to learn, combined with his prior experience and contacts, turned him into a reliable troubleshooter.

"If there was a problem or a reorganization, I got moved over to deal with it," he says. "I got rotated through the entire organization, which was great experience. And I really believe that flexibility helped me to survive the rounds of downsizing that came later."

But demonstrating that you're highly capable without appearing impatient with your job -- or a threat to your boss -- isn't easy. Christine Glasco, a vice president with Drake Beam Morin' s Center for Executive Options in Dallas, recalls how one executive who took a lesser job excelled at sharing his knowledge without pointing out others' shortcomings.

"He never said, 'Let me tell you what I think we need to do here,' " she says. Instead, he couched his input with questions. "He'd ask, 'Are we looking at all the possibilities for this situation? Have we considered this option and, if not, should we?' He came off looking like an elder statesman."

Even if your diplomacy skills are top-notch, you'll sometimes know more than your boss and need to stay silent about it. A former sales director for a chain of hotels who took a position as sales director for a single hotel now reports to a general manager instead of being able to make decisions autonomously. The New York-based woman, who asked not to be named, says she sometimes feels "demoralized" when her boss makes decisions she disagrees with because it merely wastes their time.

As an example, she says that when problems come up with customers, she's volunteered to contact higher-level decision-makers with whom she's previously worked, but her manager hasn't accepted her offer. "Say we weren't getting a sale closed with Ann; I would go to my boss and say, 'In my old job, I sometimes had better luck negotiating with Marge. If it will help us, I'll get in touch with her or introduce you.' "

After her boss declined the offer, "I had to remind myself that it isn't my show this time around, and it's her call to make, and I'd let it drop," says the executive.

Realize that this job isn't forever. "You have to remember that you have 40, 50, even 60 years, to work. This juncture is a small piece of the big picture, and you're doing it at a time when people can sympathize," says Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach based in Long Beach, N.Y.

Tell yourself and others that while you needed to accept your current role because of the economy, it offers unexpected benefits and growth opportunities. "A backward move is career suicide only if you think it is and are defensive and evasive about it," says Ms. Brown-Volkman.

Consider preparing a 90-second commercial summing up why this move worked for you, says Ms. Glasco. This way, you won't be caught off-guard not knowing what to say at conferences, social gatherings or to colleagues you haven't seen in a while.

Mr. Pospesil recommends taking a similarly direct approach with your resume so it doesn't seem as though you're trying to hide anything. "Put down what you have to in terms of dates and titles. Then be specific about problems you were given, solutions you came up with and increased revenues, savings or sales that resulted," he says.

When you're ready to start job hunting, realize that some human-resources and hiring managers won't consider you for higher-level positions because you took a step back, says Mr. Pospesil. But you won't have to worry about such people "if you network in through a colleague who, titles aside, will make the case for your capabilities," he says.

In the meantime, strengthen your future efforts by going to seminars, training sessions and conferences for people at your prior level, "even if you have to pay for it yourself," Ms. Glasco says. Many people who take a step back don't want to interact with others, but now is the time to join or chair committees or otherwise get more involved with a professional organization.

"All of these things are ways to show your best side, keep up your contacts and network into that next position," she says.