Eigenstates of second-quantised electronic Hamiltonian can be represented on a register of qubits. Currently, the dominant approach to preparing those qubit states is via variational optimization of parametrized quantum circuits. Although the basic building blocks for quantum circuits intended to prepare electronic states have been identified, optimal assembling into circuits with beneficial properties remains an unsolved question. Ideally, quantum circuits are shallow and have a low parameter count while also showing sufficiently fast convergence when their parameters are optimized for given electronic systems. We will see design principles and heuristics targeted towards electronic structure.