Guru.com is broken

I'm researching how to hire high-end consultants online.  And wow, Guru.com is a horrendous tool. 

When you post a job there you are inundated with cut-and-paste applications from distant countries, who have a questionable relation to the problem you posted.  But if you try to apply for a job as a consultant you encounter massive roadblocks - you can't apply for a job unless you have checked off that particular skill set, you must create a separate profile (an re-upload all your info) to add that new skill set, and you have to buy a new membership ($25/mo) for each skill set.  Anyone with options will leave this game fast.

By way of explanation - as a consultant, the different skill set categories for social media marketing strategic consulting might be "business consulting", "marketing and communications", and "websites - web 2.0".  Uploading profile info is a day-long process that must be replicated from scratch for each new category.

So is it any wonder that the majority of people who apply for your gig are desperate people who will work for cheap (they had nothing better to do than drag themselves through the onerous uploading process? 

And is it any wonder that you will have to find your consultant the old fashioned way - through asking a friend?

And is it any wonder that the people posting gigs there offer $250 or less for jobs like "create and manage a social media website for our membership base for one year"?  What sophhisticated social media consultant would want to work for this kind of pay?

I'm looking at a startup in this space, not sure it will be any better in the end.  LinkedIn maybe a good way?  How are others solving this problem?  Anyone with a top shelf management consultant background (who isn't a programmer) making money doing this?

Comments

[Jon]

guru does well for its intended purpose...making money for its owners/operators. My experience is the same as yours...not enough credits to do anything. Try vWorker.com (used to be rentacoder). You can specify that only people from a certain region can only bid on it.