Managing Your Career

w w w . w o r k p l a c e - l e a r n i n g - s o l u t i o n s . c o m

2013

Personal S.W.O.T. Analysis

Reference Materials Used from www.MindTools.com

Workplace Learning Solutions LLC

“The first essential in a boy's [girl’s]

career is to find out what he's [she’s]

fitted for, what he's [she’s] most

capable of doing and doing with a

relish.”

Charles M. Schwab, American Industrialist

Introduction:

The key to a successful career lies in knowing what you are good at and what you like to do,

and then putting all your energies into becoming the best at what you do.

S.W.O.T. [ing] yourself can be one of the most revealing things you’ll ever do for yourself.

Not only will you have clarity about your strengths and developmental needs, but you will

also be able to identify where the opportunities are for you, and also identify and address

any threats that might interfere with your success.

The following exercise is a personal S.W.O.T. analysis. Review the sample S.W.O.T on page 3

and the list of questions on page 4 to prepare you for a thorough self-analysis. Complete

your analysis on pages 5 and 6.

Below is a sample S.W.O.T Analysis. Review it for ideas of what your completed analysis might look like.

What are your STRENGTHS?

Example:

 I'm very creative.

 I often impress clients with my ideas for

their brands.

 I have great communication skills

 I relate well with my clients and teammates.

 I have the ability to ask key questions to find

just the right marketing angle.

 I'm completely committed to the success of

a client's brand.

What are your WEAKNESSES or “AREAS

OF OPPORTUNITY”?

Example:

 I tend to move too quickly to complete

task which often impacts the quality of

my work.

 I often stress out when I have to juggle

multiple responsibilities.

 Presenting to a room full of people really

makes me nervous and causes me great

anxiety.

What OPPORTUNITIES exist for you?

Example:

 The company is expanding by entering new

markets creating new openings and the

potential for promotions.

 Attending industry conferences to expand

my network and take advantage of training.

 A recent vacancy in my department has

allowed me to step into a leadership role,

which is a great career development

opportunity for me.

What are the THREATS to your success?

Example:

 My colleague absolutely enjoys being in

the limelight and he is my competition

for the regional opening when the

company expands.

 Stepping into that leadership role has

significantly increased my workload and

as a result my “regular” duties are

negatively impacted.

 The company is considering relocating

the office and if that happens I could be

out of a job as I won’t be able to follow.

On this page are questions you might ask yourself to help you identify your specic strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats.

What are your STRENGTHS?

Consider these questions:

 What are you good at?

 What skills, certifications, education, and

connections do you have that make you

valuable to an employer?

 What do you do better than anyone else?

 What have others told you about your

strengths?

 What are your proudest achievements?

 Which of your qualities, characteristics

and/or values set you apart from your

peers?

 How do you use your personal network to

strengthen your center of influence?

What are your WEAKNESSES or “AREAS OF

OPPORTUNITY”?

Consider these questions:

 What things do you not like to do?

 What work tasks or projects do you hate

getting stuck with?

 What do your boss and co-workers think

you could do better?

 Is there any training or education you need

in order to advance further in your career?

 Do you have any undesirable work habits

(such as tardiness, disorganized,

impatience, difficulty working with others

etc…)?

 What personality traits do you have that are

preventing you from advancing the way you

would like?

What OPPORTUNITIES exist for you?

Consider these questions:

 How can advancements in technology help

you in your career?

 How can you maximize social media and

your network to advance your career?

 Are there ways you can take advantage of

growth in your industry or the current

market?

 What current trends foretell possible future

opportunities and how can you take

advantage of them?

 Is anyone you work with currently making

mistakes that could be potential openings

for you to shine?

 Is there a need that you have identified

within the company that no one is filling?

 Do your customers complain about

something that you feel you have the

perfect solution for?

What are the THREATS to your success?

Consider these questions:

 What are some obstacles you have to

overcome that could impact your ability to

be successful?

 What does the internal competition look

like? How do you stack up against your

competition?

 What economic factors could affect your job

or the demand for the job you currently do

or service you provide?

 What changes are on the horizon, and how

will those changes affect you?

 What is your relationship with technology

and how relevant is developing technology

to your career?

 Which of your weaknesses could present a

threat to your career if not properly

managed?

Using the example on page 2 as a sample or template, and using the list of questions on page 3 for idea generation,

complete your personal S.W.O.T analysis. Be candid and honest to ensure you have the best insights into your career.

What are your STRENGTHS?

What are your WEAKNESSES or “AREAS OF

OPPORTUNITY”?

What OPPORTUNITIES exist for you?

What are the THREATS to your success?