That was Mark Rogers' experience: Within a year of snagging his first directorship, he was tapped for five more. He started BoardProspects, he says, because "while I was still looking for my first seat, I ran across so many qualified, talented people who were looking, too. There just was no direct, efficient way for us to connect to the boards that had openings to fill." Anne Fisher has been writing "Ask Annie," a column on careers, for Fortune since 1996, helping readers navigate booms, recessions, changing industries, and changing ideas about what's appropriate in the workplace (and beyond). Anne is the author of two books, Wall Street Women (Knopf, 1990) and If My Career's on the Fast Track, Where Do I Get a Road Map? (William Morrow, 2001). She also writes the "Executive Inbox" column on New York City entrepreneurs for Crain's New York Business.