In the UK alone there are around 15 million people using the Internet to look for a job. This figure will no doubt continue to grow in the future.

Before the Internet it was so much easier to work out where jobs were likely to be advertised. They were typically published in newspapers or trade magazines and journals. Today it is totally different. With well over 1,000 job sites in the UK alone, and more than 40,000 employment related web sites worldwide, finding the right job online can appear a complicated and time consuming process. Don’t worry though - the guide is here to help you! 

All successful job hunting activities need planning and research. This also applies to looking for a job on the Internet, especially as things move at a far quicker pace. You are able to find out about new jobs on a daily/hourly basis rather than waiting once a week for the jobs section of a newspaper to appear. 

Just as there was no single method for finding a job before the Internet existed there is also no single method for finding a job online. Each job seeker will have their own unique requirements based on different levels of background and experience. 

What Are You Looking For? 

Before going through the process of searching for a job it is important to have an understanding of the type of job you are looking for. Be as clear as possible about your preferences for the industry sector, geographical location and your salary requirements. Without having a clear objective you could waste a lot of time visiting web sites that are not relevant to you.

Ask yourself some basic questions based around these main areas: 

·         What do you want to do and what can you do?

·         Who would you ideally like to work for and in which industry sector?

·         Where do you want to live and where do you want to work?

Once you are clear about these areas it will help you when you start searching the relevant job sites and company web sites.

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© Mike Taylor 2009– Extract from the new job hunting book - “How To Find A Job Using The Internet - www.OnlineJobHunting.co.uk