Over the years, the job hunting market has had many different faces: there was the simple tradition of family businesses, the word of mouth phenomenon, and the 'I've got connections' club. However, with the creation of the internet came internet job sites which threw the market wide open and, in a sense, put everyone back on the same level. Though there are undoubtedly still a privileged few who are able to get a job through their connections, what sites like Reed.co.uk and Monster.co.uk have done is to make the job market more accessible to people who may have had a harder time searching for jobs before.

            Online job sites seem to know what they're doing – they're easy to navigate and usually come complete with sections on career advice, interview tips and even CV assistance. For anyone new to the job hunting market, it's an easy way to introduce yourself to the basics – follow this up with a few face-to-face enquiries and you're well on your way to getting your first interview. Sites like Reed.co.uk can also introduce you to the various different industries that are out there, and help you to figure out which particular sector you'd be interested in working in. Once you've decided, then there are easily accessible lists of current jobs, each usually with a description of the role and an idea of what kind of employee the company is looking for.

            The internet has also facilitated self-advertising in the jobs market – sites like Gumtree.co.uk not only have posts from people looking for employees, but also from people stating their skills and looking for an employer. The success rate of these posts is hard to gauge, however the fact that people are advertising themselves and their skills demonstrates the way in which the internet has changed the job hunting market – people are becoming more resourceful and confident, and competition is rife. To stay ahead of the game, you can also make use of sites like www.timesonline.co.uk – in their life and style section is a tab labelled 'career and jobs', which takes you to a wealth of articles including 'how to' guides, 'what not to do' guides, and various lists of top employers.

            The beauty of the internet is that everything is at your fingertips, and this can now be applied to the jobs market as well. With resources to aid you in your research, to coach you in your presentation, and to provide you with current vacancies, there really is little that the online world of job hunting fails to offer. Most job hunting will end in face-to-face interaction so it's best not to rely too heavily on technology, but as a base for further investigation the internet does job hunters proud.