I grumpily survey my Monster resume stats. Despite my diligent efforts (like updating resume every day to ensure high circulation), only 12 people have looked at my resume since I posted it six weeks ago. For a moment I’m afraid that I’m just not qualified, that my resume sucks, that I’ll never find another decent job again. As usual, my friends come to my rescue. It turns out I’m not alone. Several friends who are also using major job search engines have the same complaints, and my friend Celeste, who recently found a high paying job working in marketing, has a solution. “Potential employers get lost sifting through resumes on the bigger sites. It’s a better idea to find a job board that plays up to your individual skills. The employers who go to that site obviously value your skill above all, and are probably willing to pay for it.”

Apparently more and more people have the same idea as Celeste. Specialized, or ‘boutique’, job boards are a growing trend.

“Providing employers with a specific resume pool is not a new idea. Headhunters have been around since the 50’s or before, but they only accept resumes from top executives. The internet has opened up the doors to the rest of the workforce, who are beginning to understand that their own skills are often just as specific and merit the same kind of specialized services.” says Joyce Svitak, who started BilingualCareer.com in 2003. Joyce’s site operates the same way Monster does: jobseekers get free services, but corporations pay money to have access to a pool of applicants who are more closely matched to their profile.

Not bilingual? About.com and other directories offer forums for almost every thing under the sun. Most professions have affiliated professional associations, which range from the broad (Professional Association of Teachers) to the obscure (The Northern California Book Publishing and Marketing Association). Association websites generally have links to specialized job boards, discussion groups, and other skill appropriate job forums.

Shortly after talking to Celeste I luck out and find a job through a specialized job board. I tell my unemployed friend Candy about this.

“That’s all very well for you, but what about a job board for my special skills...um...blogging? eating too much pasta? reading comics?”

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