ONLINE JOB SEARCHERS GO HOLLYWOOD WITH SHOWBIZ.COM.

Byline: Virginia McCrum Staff Writer

PASADENA - Showbizjobs.com is keeping Hollywood hopefuls buzzing with new gigs, but don't bother calling for an office visit.

The virtual recruiter has relaunched its Web site to provide businesses with more administrative and professional support job candidates.

The online entertainment industry firm that grossed nearly $650,000 in 2000 has been working behind the scenes since 1995. It was founded in Los Angeles and moved its headquarters to Pasadena in October.

``We're a virtual company,'' said Paul Buss, 37, the firm's president and co-founder, who works out of his home in Dallas. ``We've always been headquartered in L.A. or the surrounding area because of the industry.''

Showbizjobs co-founder Jim Kocher, 38, helps run the company from his Pasadena home - the firm's headquarters - as vice president of client relations.

``Because we're smaller, we're able to provide a higher level of customer service,'' Kocher said. ``If they have any problems, when they call here, they'll actually talk with me.''

Buss and Kocher credit the company's low overhead as the primary reason Showbizjobs has excelled in the market, attracting up to 9,000 daily visitors and more than 400 paying clients.

``We're always in competition with the big boys, Headhunter.com and Monster.com, but we're serving a different niche,'' Kocher said. ``We also have small overhead and are not pouring tons of millions of dollars into advertising. That's why people keep coming back.''

Although it is free to search on Showbizjobs.com, it costs $125 for businesses to post a job listing on the site for 30 days and $35 for six months for job-seekers to become premium members and post their resumes.

``Some people get confused and think we're a full-service job-placement service,'' Kocher said. ``But as far as the job seeker is concerned, we're exclusively on the Internet.''

Although the site primarily posts jobs from niche boutiques to entertainment giants and other niche markets across the region, Pasadena- based technology companies such as idealab! and Citysearch.com, and Caltech also take advantage of the service.

``We've received tons of resumes through the site, and the quality of candidates is great,'' said Maria Manning, senior associate of staffing and development with Citysearch.com. ``We look more for the new-media aspect of it, and we've filled two of the three positions posted from the site's applicants.''

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(color) Jim Kocher oversees client development for Showbizjobs.com. from his Pasadena home. The virtual recruiter has revamped its Web site.

Walt Mancini/Staff Photographer