In the words of American singer-songwriter Randy Newman, “It's a jungle out there.” A stagnant economy, an unemployment rate exceeding nine percent and fourteen million unemployed Americans looking for work, presents one of the most challenging environments for job seekers in decades. The uncertain economy has made hiring managers jittery and cautious. Competing candidates are just as qualified as you are, or more so. And more than ever before, companies are now dispassionately evaluating candidates based on their ability to contribute to the bottom line.

How can you hope to stand out in such a brutal environment? You have already faithfully posted hundreds of resumes on job boards, drafted dozens of cover letters, joined professional social media sites and leveraged your extensive network of friends, family and business associates. But, still no bites. What now? You may need to take a step back and reassess your strategy and approach. Below are five strategies to recharge your job search.

1. Conduct a Thorough Self-Assessment

In between carpet bombing job boards and recruiters with resumes, and informing everybody under the sun that you are in the market for a job, have you taken the time to develop a coherent plan? Have you taken stock of your goals and unique skills, including failures and successes? Once you figure out what makes you tick and what makes you happy and fulfilled in the workplace, you are better equipped to sell yourself effectively. If you need help conducting a self-assessment, consider hiring the services of a professional career coach. Oftentimes, it takes an objective third party to help you see the light.

2. Narrow Your Search

Try significantly narrowing the scope of your job search to a unique niche within an industry or types of companies. Instead of searching for a job, any job, as a software engineer for example, consider focusing on specific niches that you can claim to have an expertise in, such as financial services companies or mobile phones. Or focus on young startups, instead of fortune 500 companies. Once you identify an appropriate niche, you can start targeting specific companies and decision makers with strategically crafted resumes. A targeted, focused job search can give you a competitive edge.

3. Do Your Research

You took a hard look at yourself. You narrowed your search and targeted a niche. Now what? It’s time to identify a list of potential companies and start Googling like mad. Check the company websites for job postings and to get a sense of a company’s culture. Create a list of decision makers for each company and learn more about them using Google, people search engines, such as Pipl and LinkedIn. Once you have learned all you can about decision makers and identified hiring managers and their contact information, it’s time to get cracking.

4. Uncover the Hidden Jobs Market

There are jobs out there for the taking, but you have to find them first. Many companies don’t advertise their job openings on external job sites. Some firms only post job openings on their company websites. Others fill jobs using recruiters, word of mouth or through professional networking channels. It’s up to you to be proactive and send dynamite, quantitative ROI-based resumes and targeted cover letters to the companies you wish to work for. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a waste of time to approach a company with no advertised job openings. If you did your homework, you should know the ins and outs of a company and what their needs are. Be bold and make a targeted pitch. You may be exactly what a hiring manager is looking for!

5. Expand Your Networking Groups

You’ve heard it a million times: networking is the key to a successful job search. Have you done all that you can to grow your network? Online networking is a fabulous way to develop contacts in your industry and establish credibility, but don’t overlook getting out there and meeting with people face-to-face. Attend workshops and conferences where you can mingle with peers and perhaps learn of an unadvertised job opening. Consider donating your time to a worthy cause. You never know what sorts of valuable contacts you may develop. Finally, look into career services and networking opportunities available through your college alumni association. You may no longer be in the vicinity, but alumni groups maintain online networking groups, have active LinkedIn groups and listservs that you could tap into.