It would be easy to say that your next job can be found on one of the major job boards on the Internet. But I'd be lying.

Despite wishful thinking and all the letters you write me asking, "Where can I find a list of jobs in my field?" you won't find most job openings listed anywhere. Not on the Internet, in newspaper ads or with recruiters.

Especially today. It's simply not feasible for most companies to post all their openings at a place like Monster.com. For one thing, it's gotten extremely expensive. It costs an employer $225 to list a job for 28 days and $750 to have access to the resume data base for three months on one such job site. Most have similar fees. That adds up. And even though things are picking up, employers aren't in a hiring frenzy, so they aren't posting a lot of jobs.

Finding a job is still a matter of common sense. Which means you must tap many resources. Talk to real live people. Target a list of companies in your industry. Go to their websites and check out their job listings-where not every job will be listed either. Write letters to these companies and follow up.

Part of your strategy can be to check out niche sites that focus on your field or area of interest. It doesn't hurt to cover all your bases. You have to subscribe to-actually pay money-to some of these sites. And none of them will list every job either.

Having said that, here are some of those niche sites I've discovered that focus on specific situations people have asked me about-to supplement your other job search activities:

• christianjobs.com is a website that helps Christian employees and Christian job seekers find each other.

• work-at-your-home.com, homejobstop.com, homeworkers.com, homeworker.org cater to people who want to work from home.

• a2zmoonlighter.com focuses on people looking for freelance work or extra income.

• jobsInSports.com and workInSports.com say they offer information on jobs in the sports industry. However, these jobs are not necessarily "sports" jobs, per se. For instance, a job featured on workInSports.com was a marketing director job for Fox Cable Networks. A sample job on jobsInSports was that of a software support trainer. These jobs might be in an organization that is in the sports industry only.

• workamper.com has news on part time and full time jobs in the great outdoors and more--resorts, national and state parks, marinas, forests-even circuses. Resortjobs.com features jobs with ski resorts, camps, national parks, cruise ships, restaurants and hotels.

• blackeoejournal.com focuses on minority professionals-those just out of college as well as those with more experience.

• bluecollarjobs.com offers information on construction and industrial jobs.

• spacelinks.com tells about jobs in the space industry.

• woman's-work.com posts information on professional jobs with flexible schedules and telecommuting, part time, job share and work-from-home opportunities.

• eslcafe.com posts teaching jobs in North American, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.

• entertainmentcareers.net posts entertainment positions and internships in studios, networks, production companies, animation, record companies and radio stations.

Peruse and apply, but don't expect miracles. There are thousands of jobs that won't be listed here. Many jobs are still lurking in the heads of business owners who haven't written out a formal job description. But they're thinking about what they need and will know it when they see it. That's why the majority of the time you spend in your job search should be sitting yourself down in front of people who may need someone just like you.

© by Andrea Kay