Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers

As the competition for jobs gets tougher many are advocating switching the job search towards using new technology.

If your field is something like PR and marketing, then a video that highlights your personality and ability to innovate can help you stand out, but it is a good idea to consider what profession you are job-hunting in and to carefully script whatever you plan to say before going anywhere near a camcorder.

Now that internet use is so widespread, however, it could be argued that posting a CV online puts candidates in the same places as a huge number of competitors and it is possible that an individual will find it hard to stand out, especially in a crowded area like secretarial and PA skills.

So posting the CV - even if the agency then e-mails job alerts - and hoping a busy employer will find you among many others is unlikely to be enough.

Many job hunters are, however, turning to social media to help them stand out. Some are using video websites like You Tube to post presentation videos in which they are the star! That's fine if it's a well constructed, well filmed video and you have the confidence to talk to a camera, but it is a bit of a gamble.

People make judgements on all sorts of things, like appearance, voices, accents, often without really being aware of their biases and prejudices. Then there is the dilemma of whether to make the video stand out by being a bit quirky or amusing, probably not a good idea as humour too is very personal and perhaps could be seen as inappropriate in the job search context.

Some people are posting presentation videos on video websites like You Tube, highlighting themselves as the star!

Facebook's pages for businesses might prove useful for posting your business skills and contact details. If your dream career is to become a.

On the other hand, the professionals' networking site LinkedIn has become a key place for business online networking, making connections and promoting one's CV and skills and increasingly companies are believed to be searching there for appropriate candidates when they have vacancies.

Online recruitment through social media, especially using the professional networking sites, can make sense for the employer wanting to keep costs low.

If your dream job is to become a top PA, it may be a good idea to use the professional networking sites, but personal contact will still be important and a good recruitment agency, preferably one that specialises in that particular sector and has the client contacts, and gets to know both the candidate's skills, personality and profile as well as having a good relationship with and knowledge of its clients is still going to be one of the many routes to finding the position the candidate wants.