DEAR JOYCE: I was a manager in a company that was sold in the spring. After a six-month bout of frustrating unemployment, I'd really like to get back to work. At 57, this is the first time I've ever had to look for a job -- until now, jobs came to me. Help! -- J.H.

Are significant numbers of successful professionals accustomed to being wooed by attentive employers now being forced to learn how to dig in and master the arcane nuances of an effective job hunt for the first time in their careers?

Maybe so. Anecdotal stories I'm hearing from friends and e-mails I'm receiving from readers are fueling my hunch that virgin job searches by experienced people are on the rise, especially among those whose birthday candles illuminate entire rooms. Debra Feldman, an executive talent agent (jobwhiz.com) based in Greenwich, Conn., designs and personally implements campaigns for re-entry senior-level executives; she's also noticed that possibility.

"The game is new for seasoned executives," Feldman says. "Today's environment is not always welcoming for even the most successful, passionate, capable and proven individuals. Established networks that once were the source of lucrative deal options and secretive networking inquiries are not delivering good leads. The executives are stumped for the first time in their careers by challenges that were never a problem."

So what's the answer?

Although many of the executives' once-reliable contacts have retired or left the field, getting back into the job market is still all about connections, Feldman says. The difference between old and new networking is how purposefully you grow your network of connections and how you leverage it.

"It's not only what and who you know, but who knows what you know," Feldman advises when encouraging returnees to engineer new networks. "Making extended efforts to reach hiring decision makers (versus screeners in HR) is more productive when you think in terms of relationships, not transactions."

Here are some of Feldman's suggestions for re-entry candidates:

-- Stay positive. Job search is a marathon, not a sprint.

-- Differentiate and specialize. Trying to be something to everyone often results in being nothing to anyone. Illustrate capabilities with examples of concrete solutions.

-- Target specific employers. Go after employers who are able to appreciate your background and recognize complementary qualifications.

-- Put skin in the game. Show confidence in your ability to deliver value by suggesting a heavy portion of performance-dependent compensation.

-- Show, don't tell. Prepare presentations, white papers, supportive reference dossiers and other career management documents that unmistakably prove your strengths to decision makers. Increase your visibility and credibility by publishing, commenting on blogs, posting on online forums, and attending and presenting at conferences.

-- Seek contacts, stay connected. Find out who you need to know -- research speakers, trade publications and online resources to connect with current industry thought leaders. Cultivate contacts likely to generate job leads.

-- Communicate your value with consistent messaging. From resumes and cover letters to online bios and profiles, all must tell employers about the strengths and trustworthiness that make you the first-choice, go-to expert.

-- Connect with targeted company insiders. Making a friend who can walk you down the hall to the boss's office is the best way to be one of the first to learn about and be presented for an unpublished opportunity.

-- Initiate contact with hiring decision makers. Call outside of typical business hours. Use postal mail creatively to attract attention. Leave enticing voice-mail messages communicating what's in it for the employer.

-- Follow up on connections. Be courteous and respectful while preserving leads to new opportunities. If you're not persistent, someone who does follow through is likely to get the job offer that's perfect for you.

Even when you've been a twinkling executive star in your industry, you may be a newbie in today's harder-than-anticipated job hunt -- especially when you have a break on your resume. To get back into the game faster, understand that challenge and deal with it.