Where to find that perfect job

Although the vast majority of employers now use the Internet for recruiting, traditional recruitment methods such as local, national and trade press are still important. So too is word of mouth. All this means that in order to job hunt successfully, you must be prepared for a thorough investigation of a range of media and contacts.

Check out the following sources of jobs (and be prepared to use them all).

Online:

• totaljobs.com lists around 70,000 jobs across 28 sectors. New jobs appear each day and you can apply online. You can also register your CV for employers to view and research companies in the sector in which you are interested. Try our salary checker to see how much you can expect to earn in a particular job type.
  
  
• totaljobs.com is one of many job sites that are springing up run by publishers, recruitment consultants or independent operators. Unlike totaljobs.com, most specialise in one or two sectors such as finance or IT. Internet sites are just part of the matrix at the moment but, as more people gain Internet access, they are an increasingly significant part of the jobseeking process.
  
  
• Corporate web sites. As well as using jobs boards such as totaljobs.com, many companies list vacancies on their corporate web sites. Some encourage you to apply online, while others prefer traditional, postal applications.

Press:

• Trade and professional press is often driven by recruitment advertising and can be a good source of jobs. Newspapers provide a simple measure of the health of the jobs market - the thicker the magazine, the more jobs there are likely to be featured. Check out magazines such as Computer Weekly, Caterer and Hotelkeeper and Personnel Today.
  
  
• National newspapers again rely on income from job ads. Some specialise in particular sectors, such as the Guardian, which has cornered the market in media jobs (Monday) and public service jobs (Wednesday). Others, such as the Daily Telegraph are a good source of sales and general management jobs. The Sunday Times is a must for those hunting the top executive positions.
  
  
• Local newspapers - not surprisingly - are good for local jobs but probably not the most senior or specialised posts. Figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggest that four in five organisations use the local press to recruit for certain jobs.
  
  
• Recruitment consultants - in some sectors more than nine out of ten jobs are filled with the help of a recruitment consultant or agency. They tend to specialise in particular industries or occupations so it is worth getting to know those in your sector. Be sure they have your CV and information on their database. Consultants make their money from employers who ask them to help fill a job, not from you the potential recruit, so their first responsibility has to be to those employers. Nonetheless, they need you and lots like you if they are to keep their clients happy.
  
  
• Speculative applications - if you think a firm might have a vacancy coming up or you would particularly like to work for it then send in a CV and covering note to its HR department. Three in five employers claim to recruit candidates who send in speculative applications.
  
  
• Communicating with former colleagues and bosses is a valuable way of knowing what vacancies might be coming up in your area. And if you've done a good job before, they will come looking when they need your skills again. But this does not mean you won't be competing for a job on the open market. The job could well have been advertised externally too. Check out totaljobs' guide to perfecting your networking skills.
  
  
• Recruitment fairs - major employers attend both graduate fairs and specific industry fairs to fill vacancies and to promote themselves to potential recruits. Make sure the fair is relevant to you and that the employer you're looking for is going to be there. Most fairs will have a web site you can visit, with a list of exhibitors, directions on how to find the fair and tips on what to do when you get there.

More on surviving the job hunt.