The utilisation of social media is becoming more and more important to network, research and plan your career. There is a raft of sites and tools available for professionals, which not only help you in seeing which areas are actively hiring, but also help you understand which companies or jobs suit your career aspirations.

Mathew Gollop, group managing director of ConnectedGroup, is a huge advocate of social media as part of your proactive job search or reactive career planning. "In today's market, social media isn't just useful - it is essential," he says. "Be online and fully represent your professional self, but be mindful of how your personal profile is perceived."

Making use of online recruitment portals is a good way to understand the businesses which are hiring and of targeting specific jobs that you can apply for. What's also important is that these tools give you an understanding of the recruiters which specialise in your space. Don't forget to proactively reach out to these recruiters and build a relationship for the future.

Another important tool is LinkedIn, which remains one of the leading professional networking sites for financial services globally. What's interesting is that many groups do not use the tool to its full potential and in turn are missing out on interesting opportunities.

Creating a profile that ensures maximum coverage and traffic is essential. If you don't know how to do this effectively, make sure you go over the hints and tips in LinkedIn's help section, which can help you create and maintain a professional profile.

Kate Harper, director of financial services – Hong Kong, ConnectedGroup