SWOT Analysis
Overview
Write a detailed analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs)
related to your writing abilities.
Audience
Professor Rick.
Goal
To self-reflect.
Skill
To analyze one topic from all angles.
Length
At least two pages. (As long as your assignment extends onto two pages, you’re fine.)
Guidelines
1. You’re required to use the writing center for this assignment. Failure to do so will result in
an automatic “F.”
2. To make sure you get an appointment, I strongly encourage you to schedule one in advance.
3. When scheduling an appointment, you’ll fill out a form. Make sure to check the box, “Would
you like a report to be sent to your instructor?” If I don’t get a report, you’ll earn an
automatic “F.” (The report will arrive after your appointment and contain info such as what
you discussed, how long you met for, when you met, and whether your meeting was
synchronous.)
4. Remember to bring the assignment sheet (this document) to your appointment.
5. I’d prefer that you visit the center not with an outline or a draft but with a completed SWOT
analysis. You’ll benefit the most by engaging with substantive edits to your work rather than
brainstorming ideas.
6. Similarly, you’ll get the most out of your appointment if it’s synchronous rather than
asynchronous. The ability to ask questions in real time as someone edits your work will help
you understand those changes.
7. Just because your tutor tells you to do something doesn’t mean you must do it. At least once
a semester, after I return a graded paper, a student says, “But the writing center said I should
do it this way.” As always, you are responsible for your own work.
8. Favor quality over quantity. I’d prefer that you describe two, say, weaknesses in depth rather
than breezing through four. (This is the most common mistake students make on this
assignment.) Be reflective. Elaborate. Cite specifics. Make sure you go far beyond the
sample template I’ve written below.
9. Avoid excessive self-praise. At this point in your life, are you genuinely “great” at X, or are
you “good” (which is still significantly above average)?
10. Minimize adverbs like “very” or “definitely” (for example, “I’m definitely creative at writing
very clever puns”). Remember what Stephen King said: “The road to hell is paved with
adverbs.”
11. Avoid clichés. For example, do commas flummox you? Then don’t just say, “I struggle with
punctuation.” Explain why. Maybe your middle-school teacher never taught you properly, or
you think the rules are too subjective. After reading your analysis, I should remember one
story that’s unique to you.
Template
Aaron Sorkin
Professor Jonathan Rick
English 394 (1701): Business Writing
SWOT Analysis
December 12, 2015
If I Spent Less Time on Twitter, I’d Be a Far Better Writer
Summary
I’m a strong writer. I write with verve and wit, and my work entertains as much as it educates.
Yet my transitions could be less formal, and I often ramble instead of cutting to the chase.
Strengths
1. Energy. I write with passion, and it shows.
Weaknesses
1. Diction. I agonize over finding the perfect word, instead of considering the big picture.
2. Speed. Some of my colleagues can crank out op-eds in an hour. I’m lucky if I can do it in a
day.
Opportunities
1. Word of the Day. In high school, I was obsessed with language. In fact, I wanted to become
a lexicographer, and so dedicated myself to augmenting my lexis (that is, learning new
words). Today, this thirst has gone dry.
But the cause is not lost. M-W.com, the company behind the official Merriam-Webster
dictionary, offers a daily email that will introduce me to one new word a day. Best of all, this
service is free.
Threats
1. Twitter. I spend too much time tweeting about frivolous material.
