Who leads the way in on-line recruitment?

Jobsite.co.uk
Jobsite (previously known as GoJobsite) is the most experienced and successful of UK on-line recruitment sites. It is an easy-to-use site, with a fast search and a good selection of quality jobs. It allows you to upload and email a free-form CV thereby giving you the potential to really sell yourself and your personality. Jobsite also undoubtedly has the best jobs-by-email service of all the job boards, giving the best matches and a large number of positions.

Most jobs on this site are agency-advertised so you will receive plenty of calls from consultants, and the functionality on the site is good.

Monster.co.uk
Monster is owned by a large company called TMP and they are the biggest on-line job board in the world. Monster's core market is in the US; their UK site is not as advanced in terms of features and hence not the UK's leading site (see Jobsite above). It is, however, worth a look as it has lots of vacancies and a high proportion of those are from direct employers (not agencies).

Totaljobs.co.uk
Totaljobs is one of the big UK players, owned by Reed; they probably have the most jobs advertised. The jobs, however, are a mixed bag and the feedback from applications can be slow.

The site is easy to use and I like their shopping basket feature which allows you to browse and store jobs that interest you for later.

Fish4jobs.co.uk
Fish 4 is great for regional jobs around the UK, 'local jobs for local people'. It gets its vacancies from a load of local newspapers so there are heaps on there. As you would expect, the jobs range from top-end managerial positions to work for cleaners and call centre staff.

Workthing.co.uk
Workthing is owned by the Guardian newspaper and advertises most of the appointments a day or two after they appear in the hard-copy paper. It is particularly good for direct employer jobs, specifically media industry vacancies. Unfortunately, the website is often cripplingly slow and the search is a bit weird.

N.B. All of the sites above are members of the Association of On-line Recruiters (AOLR) which makes them reputable, and you can be sure that they won't be wasting your time and effort for jobs that have already been filled or never existed. For more information go to: http://www.aolr.org/

The best of the rest

CWjobs.co.uk
IT specialist site and also owned by Reed

Jobserve.co.uk
The original IT specialist site, one of the oldest and most respected. Certainly the place to look for IT jobs and it's expanding rapidly.

Other ways of finding work on-line:

• If you are currently employed, check your own company's intra or internet site for vacancies.

• Make a list of companies you would like to work for, visit their websites and see if they have positions advertised. Or find the contact details on-line and send a speculative letter/email to the personnel officer. Career Consultants' hard-copy CV is ideal for making speculative applications.

• Make a website with your CV on it that will be picked up and listed in a search engine like Google.

• Sign up to receive jobs by email from a job board.

• Try international job sites if you are tempted to live and work abroad.

The internet offers a host of recruitment possibilities but do not limit yourself to the internet alone. Above all, make sure that you are selling yourself effectively and that you have the best possible CV. In addition, do check the trade press and the broadsheets. Many people find their next job through a contact they have made, so make sure you also speak to everyone that could help you.