The competition for jobs is fierce these days, but fortunately, job seekers can utilize the Web to help land a great position. Most employees know the basics of how to use online resources, regularly searching openings or posting résumés on sites like www.careerbuilder.com and www.monster.com. While these sites are excellent places to start, social networking sites can also help connect the right jobs with the right people.

It is a common misconception small town businesses cannot put up a fight against their Fortune 500 city competitors. But a company with access to the Internet has access to the same market. Kelsey Research found that 70 percent of consumers go online first when looking for a business. Their research also showed that only 1 percent of respondents have never used the Internet to research, then purchase offline from a local business.

Working offline is a convenient timesaving trick for those who want to perform some tasks without an Internet connection.

Each time you open your e-mail program (such as Outlook Express) or visit a Web site, the information you access can be stored on your computer and saved for future use. This allows you to retrieve e-mails or Web sites you have previously downloaded or visited and perform some tasks offline.