How to Build a Career Wishlist
This article is part of the Your Next-Move Profile guide.
A career wishlist is not a dream job description. It is a structured, realistic, prioritised picture of what would make your next role genuinely better than your current one — across all the dimensions that matter to you.
Step 1: List every dimension that matters
Start by listing every element of a job that affects your working life and satisfaction:
Pay, total package, hours, shift patterns, on-call, overtime, travel, patch size, progression, training, qualifications, culture, management, team, employer stability, site or environment, relocation, work-life balance.
Do not filter at this stage. List everything.
Step 2: Rate each dimension
For each item on your list, answer two questions:
- How important is this to me? (Essential / Important / Nice to have)
- How satisfied am I with this in my current role? (Satisfied / Neutral / Dissatisfied)
The items that score "Essential" and "Dissatisfied" are your primary wish list items — the things that most need to be better in your next role.
Step 3: Translate ratings into specifics
Convert your prioritised list into specific, measurable targets:
- Not "better pay" — "minimum £X per year"
- Not "less travel" — "maximum X miles from home"
- Not "career progression" — "a defined route to [role] within [timeframe]"
Step 4: Rank and share
Rank your items in order of importance. The top three or four are your non-negotiables. The rest are preferences.
This is exactly the structure Optio’s wish list captures — giving employers a precise picture of what it would take to attract you.