The Internet is becoming an essential job-search tool. Understanding how it works and its advantages and disadvantages will be helpful to the job seeker. The Internet represents a powerful, fast-changing fluid source of information although it is not without its difficulties and frustrations. Those using the Internet should be aware of the following caveats:•The Internet is an ever-changing medium. Sites that are here today may be gone tomorrow.•The Internet is becoming more and more commercial

an analog modem. Check with your telephone company to see if residential ISDN or DSL lines are available in your area. These lines are much more expensive than the regular lines used by analog modems and may not be available outside the United States. Important Note If you have or are planning to take your Macintosh computer abroad, you should check with the Embassy to find out if the local Internet service provider can support the Macintosh system. You might also consider taking a laptop computer rather than a desktop model. Desktop computers are more fragile and likely to be damaged during a move. (For more information about using a computer abroad, see Chapter 7, Employment Abroad .) When your computer is connected to the Internet over your telephone line, the line is busy and no telephone calls can get through (like having a couple of teenagers at home). Family rules are often made as to when and how long the computer can be connected (especially if the Internet service provider charges by the hour). If you plan to use the Internet extensively, you should consider installing a dedicated telephone line for the computer. Internet service providers (ISP) can be one of the following: •A major online service such as America OnLine (aol), CompuServe EarthLink, Microsoft Network (MSN), Prodigy, Web TV, or World Net (See Chapter 13, Resources and Bibliography for contact information.); •A national Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as AT&T Worldnet, Mindspring, Netcom, or Sprint; and •A regional or local ISP. Online services are easy to connect to (free software is readily available); they provide special features available only to their subscribers; they have large technical support staffs; and they usually offer a free trial period. On the other hand, because of their size, subscribers can have difficulty logging on during peak hours and may have difficulty reaching the technical support.

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