Long months of fruitless searching can leave a jobseeker emotionally exhausted. From all signs, there are lots of tired folks out there. Some 90 percent of Americans surveyed said it’s a bad time to find a quality job, according to a Feb. 2009 Gallup poll.

With unemployment reaching its highest level in more than a quarter century – 8.9 percent nationally in April 2009 – looking for a job is tough work and “it’s not necessarily fun,” says J. G. Woodward, author of “Cut the Fluff for Job Seekers,” (Invincible Publishing, 2009). Nonetheless, there are ways to make job hunting more interesting, Woodward says.

If you are unemployed, chances are it will take longer than you might like to find a new job. As summer approaches, consider some practical ways to pace yourself, reenergize and bring new resolve to your job hunt.

Begin by taking a look at a very important person: you. Woodward says online career-interest inventories can be both fun and useful. “Everyone likes to talk and learn about himself or herself,” she says. “I think it can generate possible courses or jobs that never crossed your mind, which can be invigorating.” She suggests Self Directed Search, www.self-directed-search.com, which costs about $10 and takes 20-30 minutes. The quiz helps match your personality and interests to appropriate careers.

Take steps to get in touch with others. “Create a job- search group and go somewhere fun, like a coffee shop,” Woodward says. “Meeting with other people who are in the same environment and can support you is the best way to keep your spirits up.” Job search groups and unemployment support groups can offer understanding that can be difficult to come by. “The job search can feel extremely alone and lonely so it’s important to have others who are job searching to support you,” says job coach Joel Garfinkle, founder of Garfinkle Executive Coaching and Dream Job Coaching, Oakland, Calif. “They will know what you are going through, the challenges you are facing and will support you when you most need it.”

To get started, gather other job hunters by posting advertisements on bulletin boards at the local, free job services agency, on college campuses, in restaurants and coffee shops and at online sites like Craigslist. Once you get connected it’s easy and fun to exchange job leads, network and even swap tips on how to answer interview questions that have been tripping you up.

Garfinkle also recommends reenergizing your search by writing out small, achievable goals, like making phone calls, networking and sending out résumés. Intermediate goals can help keep you engaged in the job search and build momentum, which will in turn produce a more fruitful search. He suggests that you give yourself rewards when you achieve something so you feel good about the process. “It’s so easy to make the entire job search about one thing – getting a job – without celebrating the incremental success along the way,” he says.

If the days of searching begin to feel long, remember this: there are still jobs available and you are not alone. As you learn more about yourself and get connected with people, the opportunities will come. “There’s never a reason to lose hope. You have things that make you stand out and when you apply for an interview that’s what’s going to get you that job,” Woodward says.

“Even if you feel despair and want to give up, it’s vital that you that you continue to believe in yourself,” Garfinkle says. “It only takes one company with one opportunity to get a job.”