Job Sites 2.0 Update

Om reported this week that Jobster is going through a tough period.

Jobster, a Seattle-based job-focused vertical search engine, is mulling a big round of layoffs and may cut up to half of its 145-strong workforce, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans.

According to John Cook, the issue is a quest towards profitability.

Goldberg (CS: Jobster's CEO) uses the words profitable or profitability half a dozen times in the memos, saying at one point that "we are committed to building a profitable company in 2007." He adds that "official news" will be released in the new year and asks employees to "please try to stay as focused as possible."

The interesting part of this news is that it highlights the lack of success stories in Jobs 2.0.  The Ladders, seems to be kicking butt in the $100K+ area, and I hear Accolo is doing well, too.  But, there has not been a serious challenge to the reigns of Monster.com and Hotjobs.  Jobster, Indeed or SimplyHired are not wowing people the way many expected them to.  I'd say the biggest careers story is Craigslist, but we all know their semi-business ways.

I must say I am surprised.  However, the social side of the careers marketplace has not been fully explored yet.  I expect a player in 2007 to make a lot of noise by taking some well explored Web2.0 tricks strongly into the jobs area.

I would bet that LinkedIn is pleasantly surprised by its jobs-related revenues.

Comments

[Baris Karadogan]

Cem,
Very interesting point. I've seen a number of job sites that leverage some form of SN. I'll keep a closer look at them in 2007.

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