Are you applying for jobs that really suit you?

Making the decision to find a new career: sounds fairly straightforward doesn't it? You may be able to update your CV, write a cover letter and send it out to prospective employers, but do you really want the job you're applying for? Does it suit your needs, and can you see yourself doing it for a while? If the answer is no, and you've just applied to several positions to gain employment as fast as possible, then it may be time to stop and think about what you really want. After all, even if you do get the job, you may find yourself looking for work again in six months time when you find it's not what you were really looking for in the first place.

Throw in a move abroad into the mix, and things then get a whole lot more complicated. The last thing you want is to give up your home, job and friends to relocate overseas, then find out six months later that it's not what you really wanted after all, and you want to move back. The cost, not to mention the emotional upheaval, probably isn't something you want to be considering at such an important time.

So before you send off that CV, you may want to consider the following points that will help you decide if the position is right for you:

- What type of person are you? Do you find it easy to follow instructions, or do you want to be the one in charge? Can you see yourself working in an office, or do you want a more active role?

- Are you ambitious? Applying for a job where there isn't any prospect of progressing will end up frustrating you if you want to develop your career.

- How do you cope with competition? Does it motivate you to work harder or is it something that puts you off?

- Do you consider job satisfaction to be important? If the answer is yes, then a job that you dread going to each day probably isn't for you.

- Do you intend to continue in the same type of employment? If you were an engineer in the UK, do you want to continue that profession when you move to another country? If not, you may need to consider starting a new profession at a lower salary point, or even completing some courses before you start.

- What skills do you have? Take some time to write these skills down: you may realise you have the right qualifications to try something new, or apply for a more qualified position with a bigger slary and better benefits.

- Is there a market for your skills in the area where you want to live? You may be the best mechanic in the country, but if there are no jobs in the place you want to move to, it may be worth considering a different location or a change in career direction.

Once you've worked out the answers to these questions, you will hopefully be in a better position to find a job - and location - that's right for you. Over on the Acorn Global website there is a great selection of jobs available, and further information on getting the career you really want.

Helen Lock