Even the sceptics do not deny that some business activities are going to be profoundly affected by the Internet. Recruitment looks like a case in point. Research by the Association of MBAs, Business Schools, Universities, Colleges, etc shows that MBA and other students are conducting their job searches by looking in the first instance at the Web sites of potential employers, whereas only a year ago they used to send for their brochures or mail out speculative letters.

To judge by the comments of careers advisers in business schools, and indeed in universities in general, few employers have cottoned on to this trend. This is confirmed by a trial surf of a few sites - many are little more than on-line brochures, and job advertisements on the Internet are simply electronic versions of classified ads.

There are some notable exceptions. For instance, some of the consultancies not only include a lot of information about themselves and the possible career paths of their staff, but even include a test that acts as a kind of pre-application screening device. However, most Web sites are poorly designed and do not begin to take advantage of the potential of the Internet.

What will its effect be on classified advertising? Some say that it will strengthen the hand of HR people in capping rates charged by national newspapers. And what about recruitment in specialised skills? Will the Internet will give employers direct access on a global basis to job-seekers in highly specialised fields?