With the unemployment rate around 10 percent, a growing number of people are

scouring the Web for work. But those surfing the big job boards like Monster.com are facing long odds; last year just 7 percent of hires came from boards, according to a survey by recruiting firm CareerXroads. Still, that s not to say the Net is a job dead zone. Where to look:

Go to the source

Company Web sites are one of the biggest sources of new hires, second only to personal referrals, according to CareerXroads. For job hunters casting a wide net, LinkUp.com aggregates postings just from company sites and updates them automatically so people don t waste time applying for positions that have already been filled. Many companies also allow seekers to sign up for extra services; employers like accounting firm Deloitte and energy company Royal Dutch Shell send out e-mail job alerts and offer an online feed that provides real-time updates directly from their sites.

Network on the Net

By now many job seekers know the importance of using networking site LinkedIn, but experts say a growing number of employers are also trolling for hires on traditionally nonprofessional sites like Facebook, where they can post jobs for free. And just keeping in touch with friends can pay off; employers are now trying to mine their employees personal networks for talent by adding tools that allow them to post listings to their own social-networking pages. Good people know good people, says Shelly Holt, a recruiter at Concur Technologies.

Think small

Not all job boards are a waste of time. In fact, experts recommend niche boards, which zero in on a specific industry. The Web site InternetInc.com, which compiles a list of boards by career field, is one place to get a sense of the niche options. Of course, some industries are better represented than others: Nonprofits, for instance, offer a range of boards, while a search for more general categories, like management, can come up empty. Experts also suggest skipping pay-for-use job boards, which often claim an inflated number of listings.