What are you actually looking for?
It is easy to start applying and much harder to stop and think first. Half an hour spent working out what you want tends to save weeks of interviews for roles that were never right.
None of this is fixed. It is a starting position you can revise as you see what is out there.
Worth thinking through
You do not need neat answers to all of it. Rough answers are enough to make the search sharper.
The work itself
Which parts of your current job would you happily do more of, and which parts drain you? Job titles vary wildly between businesses; the tasks are what you actually live with.
The environment
Small team or large one, quiet office or busy front of house, formal or relaxed, structured or make-it-up-as-you-go. Plenty of good roles fail on this alone.
The people
Who do you want to be working alongside, and what kind of manager gets the best out of you? Being trusted and left alone suits some people and unsettles others.
The direction
Is the next move about steadying things, broadening what you do, or stepping up? All three are legitimate. They lead to different shortlists.
The practicalities
Commute, hours, working pattern, holiday, notice period and the salary you realistically need. These are not unromantic details; they decide whether a job stays enjoyable.
A job that looks right on paper can still be wrong on a Tuesday morning.
The parts people leave a role over are rarely in the job description. They are the pace, the atmosphere, the manager and how much say they have. Those are worth naming for yourself before you start.
Two useful questions
Non-negotiables
What would make you turn a role down even if everything else looked good? Usually there are only two or three. Knowing them keeps you from being talked round.
Trade-offs
What would you give a little on for the right role? A slightly longer commute for better work, or a smaller title for a better team. Deciding this in advance beats deciding it in an offer conversation.
Speak to us
If you would rather talk it through than write it down, that is what the first conversation is for.