Applying SWOT Analysis in Your Career Planning

02 June,2023  |  By Brainwonders

SWOT ANALYSIS IN YOUR CAREER PLANNING

A person is more likely to succeed when he uses his potential to the fullest extent. Similarly, knowing about the weak points will help you eliminate them and generate fewer problems. But, how to know about these strengths and weaknesses?

The answer to this is a successful SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

A SWOT analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses of the internal and external surroundings, as well as opportunities and threats in the external environment. SWOT analysis works best when diverse groups or voices within an organization are free to provide realistic data points rather than prescribed messaging.

Consider the framework of your SWOT analysis in the table below:

INTERNAL	Your strengths	Your weaknesses
EXTERNAL	Opportunities in your career field	Threats in your career field

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?

INTERNAL	STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES
	Internal positive qualities that you have influence over and can use in your planning. Professional Experience Including value-added aspects in education Exceptional technological expertise in your field (e.g. hardware, software, programming languages) Communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities are examples of transferable skills. Personal qualities (such as a strong work ethic, self-discipline, the ability to work under duress, inventiveness, optimism, or a high level of energy) Having a good network/successful networking. Interaction with professional groups (interaction with professional organisations).	Internally bad factors that you have control over and may intend to improve Inadequate Work Experience Low GPA, incorrect major Goallessness, a lack of self-awareness, and a lack of specific job expertise a lack of technical expertise. Weak abilities (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork) a lack of job-searching abilities Negative personality traits (for example, a bad work ethic, a lack of discipline, a lack of ambition, indecisiveness.
EXTERNAL	OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS
	Positive external circumstances that you cannot control but can plan to take advantage of Positive developments in your field that will result in increased job opportunities (e.g., growth, globalization, technological advances) Opportunities in the field that you could have if you improved your education Field, in particular, is in desperate need of your abilities. Greater self-awareness and more clear professional goals could open doors for you. Possibilities for career progression in your field Professional development opportunities in your field. The career path you've chosen offers you a variety of choices. Geographical information is a solid network.	Negative external circumstances over which you have no control but can mitigate the impact Negative trends in your field that are reducing job opportunities (downsizing, obsolescence) Your generation of college grads is putting up a fight. Competitors with better abilities, knowledge, and experience Competitors who are better at job-hunting than you Competitors who attended schools with a stronger track record. Obstacles in your path (for example, a lack of advanced education/training required to capitalise on opportunities) Advancement in your field is limited, and it is cutthroat and competitive. You have a limited amount of professional development in your sector, making it difficult to stay marketable. Companies don't want to hire somebody with your major or degree.

A personal SWOT Analysis Test looks like:

Strengths:

• I am very creative. I often impress people with my work.
• My Communication is flawless and every client agrees to my proposals.
• I am confident in everything I do.
• I am determined and disciplined.

Weaknesses:

• I am short-tempered.
• I get nervous when facing an audience.
• I am a procrastinator.

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Opportunities:

• Covering duties of your senior.
• Participating in conferences and meetings.
• Participating in training seminars.
• Taking a project as the leader of the group.

Threats: 

• The presence of a strong competitor.
• Overworked because of staff shortage which affects the quality of work.
• Slow market growth which leads to cutbacks in staff members.

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However, if you are unsure then you must try to answer the following questions successfully.

Questions For Strengths:

• What advantages do you have over others?
• What personal resources can you access?
• What do other people see as your strengths?
• Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
• What values do you believe that others fail to exhibit?

Questions for Weaknesses:

• 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?
• What are your negative work habits?
• Do you have any personality traits that hold you back in your field?

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Questions for Opportunities:

• What new technology can help you?
• Is your industry growing?
• Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
• What trends do you see in your company, and how can you take advantage of them?
• Do you have specific skills that could help you with the company expansion and acquisition?

Question for Threats:

• Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects or roles?
• Is your job changing?
• Does change in technology threaten your position?
• Is there any obstacle at work which could become a threat if not controlled?

You might also want to ask yourself some important questions, derived in part from an essay by Dave Jensen, managing director of Search Masters International, to further clarify your list of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Examine your personal perceptions of your strengths, but also imagine yourself in the shoes of a potential employer as you analyse your strengths. Be ruthlessly honest and realistic with yourself while avoiding false modesty. Begin by developing a list of adjectives that characterise you; many of these features are likely to represent your strengths. One of your biggest assets could be your enthusiasm for your task.

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To perform a SWOT analysis:

• Your objectives must be clear.
• You must gather all the resources.
• You must compile ideas.
• Create four boxes and label each one of them with strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Add your strengths and weaknesses accordingly.
• After finishing the diagram, analyze it.

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Learning to "follow your happiness" should be an important part of career management. Some people know what kind of work will make them happy from an early age. For others, a process of evaluating interests, talents, personality, learning style, and values leads to self-knowledge that leads to work fulfilment.

Consider using some of the tools provided in Career Assessment Tools and Tests to help you examine and explore your career options. Respond to the results of one or more of the tests. Are the outcomes in line with your overall aims and expectations? View what prospective employers would consider being areas where you could improve when examining your limitations. Facing your flaws now might offer you a major advantage when it comes to career planning. As humans, we have a tough time identifying our areas of weakness. However, this evaluation aids in identifying areas where we may need to improve.

Use of SWOT analysis for students:

• Understanding yourself better
• Building on strengths
• Eradicating weaknesses
• Leveraging opportunities
• Counteracting threats
• Time management
• Jumping from one completed goal to another
• You can be better than your colleagues.
• Shows where you currently stand on the path of success.

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If you recognise a skill that is important in your chosen field but that you lack, you must take efforts to improve that competence. Past performance evaluations, as well as your grades and teacher remarks from school, provide useful information. Go to Career Exploration Resources for a comprehensive list of websites that will help you explore trends and learn more about external possibilities and risks in your chosen industry. It's also useful to run a search of "hiring patterns in ______" or "employment trends in ______," filling in the blank with your job field, in online databases such as ABI/INFORM, Business News Bank, and Lexis/Nexis (typically available through library Web sites). Print materials, such as newspapers, periodicals, and trade publications, should not be overlooked.

Self-awareness is one of the factors in a SWOT analysis. There are traits that an individual does not have complete awareness about. To get a complete report including your multiple intelligence, personality traits and learning styles contact Brainwonders to get your DMIT done today.

SWOT analysis FAQs:

1. What is the frequency of performing a SWOT analysis?

Answer: A sword analysis must be formed a couple of times a year and if your growth is more rapid or volatile then we must be doing it even more frequently.   

2. What are the limitations of SWOT analysis?

Answer: A SWOT analysis does not prioritise issues and does not provide solutions or  alternative decisions. It can generate too many ideas but not help you choose which one is best.

3. Can SWOT analysis reveal your threats?

Answer: A SWOT analysis identifies your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to assist you and make strategic plans and decisions.

4. What is missing in SWOT analysis?

Answer: Some people say 'C'  is missing in a SWOT analysis which stands for Customer or Career depending on the field of work the candidate is in.