The Evolution of Job Seeking
Historically, job seeking relied on networking, and family and friend referrals, with the first recorded resume being created by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1482.
The advent of the UK press in the 17th century enabled job seekers to gain access to a wider selection of opportunities and was the primary way that employment was found for many years.
The 2nd World War created an acute shortage of labour due to soldiers going to war and recruitment companies started to set up around 1939 to tackle the issue. Recruitment agencies have evolved over the years and in the UK, it is estimated there are now over 30,000 recruitment agencies.
The fundamental change to job seeking occurred in 1990 when the internet arrived opening-up access to a global job market and by 1994 Monster Board (monster.com) launched the world’s first online job board. By 2000, job seekers could upload their CVs electronically online. Job boards have continued to grow and develop over the years, and it is estimated there are now over 50,000 globally.
In 2003, LinkedIn established a business networking platform which enabled job seekers to build a business network and indirectly promote themselves to a professional network. LinkedIn saw the opportunity to move into the recruitment market and now offer Job seekers the ability to flag to employers that they are ‘Open to Opportunities’.
In 2024, Jobs 2U Direct (jobs2udirect.com) launched. The platform enables job seekers to promote their profile confidentially & anonymously to employers. This reversed the traditional recruitment model, and for the first-time enabled the 33 million people in permanent employment to proactively promote their profile to employers without fear that their employer will find out.