Niche Job Boards Filling a Need

With the increasing use of the Internet for purposes of job-seeking---and by employers searching for just the right candidates, there is a growing trend toward the use of niche job boards. The relative popularity of these services, particularly compared to the more general job boards, is fueling expansion of Internet use in the re-energized employment market.

Examining shopping trends and the popularity of boutique clothing stores, it's easy to understand why these boutique job boards are attracting so much attention----and will continue to do so.

Recent research revealed that niche sites that specialize by career field or industry, and those that specialize by geographic focus, are favored by 78 percent of corporate employment specialists. Only 17 percent of the respondents preferred general job boards like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, and only 3% selected their organization's own website.

On the job-seeker side of the picture, studies indicate that more candidates get jobs through niche sites than through comprehensive job boards. Candidates prefer to use niche sites catering to their region or work discipline to avoid wasting time exploring opportunities that don't fit who they are or what they're looking for.

Employers can selectively target specific job advertisements to their identified candidate audiences. With online advertising costs on comprehensive job boards becoming increasingly expensive, human resource executives want to gain a stronger return on their marketing investment.

Some niche sites enable employers to find a particular type of candidate. For instance, recruiters seeking military veterans and people who are anticipating leaving active duty use VetJobs, the largest military related job board. Other sites specialize in the senior executive levelpositions: Netshare.com and ExecuNet for senior executives. Looking for retirees or seniors who want to keep working? Visit Retired Brains.

Some niche sites operate with career focus, too. For building trades, go to ConstructionJobs.com. People interested in sales use AccountManager.com, SalesJobs.comand MarketingJobs.com. IT-related jobs are found at ComputerJobs.com, ComputerWork.com, and DICE.com.

People who speak Spanish or Portuguese link with employers at LatPro.com. For a comprehensive listing, see the WEDDLE's