Advances in technology have changed almost every aspect of our everyday lives, from shopping and banking to dating and education.

Finding and securing a job is certainly one of these aspects. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the new ways in which we use technology to find work, especially if you’ve only recently qualified, or you’ve been out of the game for a while.

But don’t worry, technology is designed to help you. Use these tips to get ahead.

Take the hard work and long hours out of your job search

You can use websites such as LinkedIn Jobs, Monster, Indeed and Simply Hired to look for jobs for you. Simply set up a search including criteria like your job title, salary and where you live, and the website will send you email notifications (or an alert on your phone if you’re using the app), every time something new comes up that fits these criteria. It makes looking for work on the go extremely easy, and you won’t miss out on potential opportunities.

Use innovative apps to match you to job opportunities

There are a few innovative new apps out there that can match you with job opportunities almost like a dating site. PCMag.com recommends three particularly clever apps which match job seekers and employers for exciting opportunities which may not come up on a regular job search.

Anthology –  Fill out a profile with your experience and interests, and Anthology will try and match you with your next employer. The app says it is ‘for people who are “open to opportunities” but aren’t necessarily looking hard for their next position.’ However, it’s worth checking out if you’re in the market for a career change.

Savvy – This app and website is geared towards female professionals. It allows you to create a profile and set preferences such as salary, benefit preferences and company culture. It then ‘works constantly behind the scenes to score the best opportunities for you. [They] lobby employers on your behalf and they reach out to you with job offers.’

Switch – Just like Tinder, Switch requires you to swipe left or right to indicate whether you’re interested in a job or not. Employers do the same thing at the other end with candidates, until a match is found. It’s incredibly easy to use, and lets recruiters use the on-line chat feature to talk to you and set up interviews.

Shape your online brand

It’s likely that any potential employers will research you online before they even meet you. 80% of employers will have Googled you before an interview, which means that the first impressions you make via your social media profiles and activity are vital for success in today’s job market.

The easiest way to check what employers can see about you is to Google yourself. What do the results say about you? Remember that any activity you do online, on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Facebook, YouTube and more, can all be found very easily.

You should make sure that any online behaviour, such as drunken photos, either doesn’t exist, or is well-hidden behind Facebook security settings and the like.

You can also curate your social media activity to present yourself to the business world in a way that makes you an attractive employment prospect. You should not only be using your LinkedIn profile as an attractive online CV, but utilising your other platforms to present an ‘online brand’ which consists of your beliefs, passions, lifestyle, etc. What do you want potential employers to know about you? Use this to shape your profiles, and post regular content that supports this image.