• Posted by: Staff Editor
• In: Business Professional

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We all can agree that the information age is upon us—with websites popping up and spreading like wildfire daily, you can learn almost anything imaginable by surfing the web. Despite the great amount of knowledge and experiences available to us at the push of a button the infinite information accessible on demand in cyberspace can seem a bit daunting.

The beauty of the Internet is that there is something out there for everyone. So affiliate yourself with online communities that relate to your own interests, location, and industry.

Why try to embrace the entire Internet when a localized more efficient option is awaiting your login and password? You can get more bang for your buck and a greater sense of belonging by becoming a member of a niche online community. And many online users have already discovered the benefits of taking this route.

One great way to benefit from the use of niche online communities is when looking for a job. There are many sites out there that cater to specific industries or geographic locations and can provide you with more targeted jobs, information to help you learn about your industry and overall career advice.

Beyond.com, the world’s largest network of online niche career communities, powering more than 15,000 sites, recently polled its members to learn, “How many online job boards do you have your resume posted on?” Of those with their resumes posted online—they were then asked, “Which type of job board has proven to be most effective?”

With over 6,500 business professional respondents, an astounding 66 percent of participants reported having their resumes posted on 3 or more online job boards. And of the presently active job seeker resumes, nearly 54 percent have their resumes posted to niche geographic and industry specific job boards.



Naturally, the desired outcome of any job seeking individual is to quickly and efficiently land their next job while meeting a certain personal criteria—thus posting resumes to generalized job boards may no longer be an effective stand alone solution for job seekers. Over the past year, there has been a growing trend towards the use of niche specific job boards; however, most job seekers will agree that it is still important to diversify and not only use a variety of different job boards, both niche and general, but to also supplement a job search by attending career fairs and networking whenever possible.

Niche job boards can be a successful tool for business professionals who are:

• Looking for Local Jobs - If you’re like most, finding a job that doesn’t require relocation or a hefty commute time ideal. With no relocation needed, geo-targeted job boards advertise jobs located in your own backyard.
  
  
• Interested in a Specific Field or Industry - Ever receive a job alert for a position completely unrelated to your skill set? That won’t happen here—niche by definition is “a position suitable or appropriate for a person or thing.” There are many niche job boards that can get your resume in front of employers who are seeking your exact skill set.
  
  
• Want to Closely Match their Level of Experience - What is more frustrating than searching through jobs in which you are either overqualified or underqualfied? Niche job boards can offer specialized jobs that meet your skill level.
  

Before you flood generalized online job boards with your resume, learn to market your skills and abilities in a more targeted manner. Consider using a niche job board approach to further your job seeking objectives. For more information on utilizing niche career boards please visit our network page to learn more about the benefits of online niche communities.