Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
Are you completely confident in your education and skills training? If not, where are you weakest?
What are your negative work habits (for example, are you often late, are you disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor
at handling stress?
Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of
public speaking would be a major weakness.
Internal negative aspects that are under your control and that you may plan to improve
Lack of Work Experience
Low GPA, wrong major
Lack of goals, lack of self-knowledge, lack of specific job knowledge
Weak technical knowledge
Weak skills (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork)
Weak job-hunting skills
Negative personal characteristics (e.g., poor work ethic, lack of discipline, lack of motivation, indecisiveness, shyness, too emotional
Examples:
I have a strong, compulsive need to do things quickly and remove them from my "to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work
suffers as a result.
This same need to get things done also causes me stress when I have too many tasks.
I get nervous when presenting ideas to clients, and this fear of public speaking often takes the passion out of my presentations.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective. Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do co-
workers consistently outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
Opportunities
Now, once these Strengths and Weaknesses have been defined, the next step is to look at opportunities. Opportunities come out of the specific
strengths of the individual as well as the role that the person is expected to play. Some pointers that help identify opportunities are:
Considering the strengths, what areas of the current role, and other related roles can the person play well?
Are there other processes in the business model where the individual's strengths can be leveraged?
What trends can the individual help the organization take advantage of?
Imprints Personality Development Program
65, Lal Niwas, Sardarpura, Udaipur - 313001, E-mail- imprintspdp@gmail.com
Imprints Personality Development Program
When deciding the performance targets for the individual, stretch goals that centre on a person's opportunities which are likely to
energize and excite the individual.
Positive external conditions that you do not control but of which you can plan to take advantage
Positive trends in your field that will create more jobs (e.g., growth, globalization, technological advances)
Opportunities you could have in the field by enhancing your education
Field is particularly in need of your set of skills
Opportunities you could have through greater self-knowledge, more specific job goals
Opportunities for advancement in your field
Opportunities for professional development in your field
Career path you've chosen provides unique opportunities
Geography
Strong network
What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people via the Internet?
Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
What trends (management or otherwise) do you see in your company, and how can you take advantage of them?
Are any of your competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take advantage of their mistakes?
Is there a need in your company or industry that no one is filling?
Do your customers or vendors complain about something in your company? If so, could you create an opportunity by offering a solution?
You might find useful opportunities in the following:
Networking events, educational classes, or conferences.
A colleague going on an extended leave. Could you take on some of this person's projects to gain experience?
A new role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like public speaking or international relations.
A company expansion or acquisition. Do you have specific skills (like a second language) that could help with the process?
Also, importantly, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities – and look at your weaknesses, and
ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.
One of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating their smaller clients poorly.
I'm attending a major marketing conference next month. This will allow for strategic networking, and also offer some great training
seminars.
Our art director will go on maternity leave soon. Covering her duties while she's away would be a great career development opportunity
for me.
Threats
When looking at threats, ask:
What areas of the current role are likely to be compromised if the individual is put under stress?
What skills is the employee lacking?
What are the impediments to gaining more skills?
What trends could cause harm?
Negative external conditions that you do not control but the effect of which you may be able to lessen
Negative trends in your field that diminish jobs (downsizing, obsolescence)
Competition from your cohort of college graduates
Competitors with superior skills, experience, knowledge
Competitors with better job-hunting skills than you
Competitors who went to schools with better reputations.
Obstacles in your way (e.g., lack of the advanced education/training you need to take advantage of opportunities)
Limited advancement in your field, advancement is cut-throat and competitive
Limited professional development in your field, so it's hard to stay marketable
Companies are not hiring people with your major/degree
To construct your own SWOT analysis to set a course for your career planning, examine your current situation. What are your strengths and
weaknesses? How can you capitalize on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses? What are the external opportunities and threats in your
chosen career field?
Strengths Weaknesses
Internal positive aspects that are under control and upon which you may Internal negative aspects that are under your control and that you may plan
capitalize in planning to improve
I Work Experience Lack of Work Experience
N Education, including value-added features Low GPA, wrong major
T Strong technical knowledge within your field (e.g. hardware, software, Lack of goals, lack of self-knowledge, lack of specific job knowledge
programming languages) Weak technical knowledge
E Specific transferable skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, leadership Weak skills (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork)
R skills Weak job-hunting skills
N Personal characteristics (e.g., strong work ethic, self-discipline, ability to Negative personal characteristics (e.g., poor work ethic, lack of discipline,
work under pressure, creativity, optimism, or a high level of energy lack of motivation, indecisiveness, shyness, too emotional
A Good contacts/successful networking
L Interaction with professional organizations
Opportunities Threats
Positive external conditions that you do not control but of which you can Negative external conditions that you do not control but the effect of which
E plan to take advantage you may be able to lessen
Positive trends in your field that will create more jobs (e.g., growth, Negative trends in your field that diminish jobs (downsizing, obsolescence)
X globalization, technological advances) Competition from your cohort of college graduates
T Opportunities you could have in the field by enhancing your education Competitors with superior skills, experience, knowledge
E Field is particularly in need of your set of skills Competitors with better job-hunting skills than you
Opportunities you could have through greater self-knowledge, more Competitors who went to schools with better reputations.
R specific job goals Obstacles in your way (e.g., lack of the advanced education/training you
N Opportunities for advancement in your field need to take advantage of opportunities)
A Opportunities for professional development in your field Limited advancement in your field, advancement is cut-throat and
Career path you've chosen provides unique opportunities competitive
L Geography Limited professional development in your field, so it's hard to stay
Strong network marketable
Companies are not hiring people with your major/degree
Benefits of a SWOT
It is simple and encourages collaboration among employees
Develops strategies and strengths to achieve your goals
Shine amongst your friends and colleagues, for best job prospects
Indicates your present position on the path of success
Better understand who you really are as a person
Enhances your carrier, personality and life
Measures your chances of reaching desired goals
Maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses
Explores and enhances your hard skills and soft skills
It give you an insight into your personality traits and preferences
Focuses your Attitudes, abilities, skills, capacities and capabilities
Give you an insight into your personality traits and preferences
It is both cost and time effective
It explores and integrates information both from internal sources and from external sources and is highly flexible
Most businesses are efficient in analyzing their internal strengths and weaknesses but are not efficient with analyzing the external
opportunities and threats and where they stand in relation to it. It is here that SWAT analysis is useful. It causes businesses to look
beyond and to strategize accordingly
It presents information about the industry in a structured manner, and aids in the formulation of effective strategies
Helps focus effort on areas that give competitive advantage
Gives an insight with regard to threats and how to react proactively to them and to convert them into opportunities
SWOT analysis also helps to leverage team dynamics because when building a team of people with identical roles, it helps to have people
with complementary SWOT profiles; thus providing for team synergy as well.
Imprints Personality Development Program
65, Lal Niwas, Sardarpura, Udaipur - 313001, E-mail- imprintspdp@gmail.com
Imprints Personality Development Program
It is a great team-building tool, since it involves every member of the team in the planning process.