An effective process companies use to assess themselves and their competitors in order to

formulate new strategies is by contacting an analysis called “SWOT”. This exercise is not just for

businesses. It can also be useful for jobseeker and those who want to to improve their job

position.

After you define your career goals the next step is to understand more about yourself. This is

where SWOT takes place. If you never heard of it SWOT stands for:

– STRENGTHS (Internal)

– WEAKNESS (internal)

– OPPORUNITIES (external)

– THREADS (external)

This process captures information about your internal strengths and weakness as well as external

opportunities and threads. So, what does it mean? Is to treat your career as a business and

yourself as a competitive product.

How a SWOT Can Help you Land Your Dream Job

List down your strengths

Picture yourself as a competitive product in marketplace. List down your strengths and know how

these will help you to be more confident in an interview or when looking for a job promotions. In

addition, listing down things beforehand you will have an easier time in the future to recall them

again. Here are few things you can ask yourself:

– What are the professional qualifications/certifications you have that makes you stand out from

the rest?

– What projects/campaigns have you successfully completed?

– Do you have prowerful industry contacts? This is useful for areas like advertising, marketing.

– What do others think for your strengths?

WEAKNESS

Second step is to identify your weaknesses. SWOT is used to improve yourself. Identify

weaknesses is the best way to improve and gain an opporunity for growth. Questions you can ask

yourself

– Do you have the necessary skills/qualification to be succesful?

– Do you have bad habits? Frequently late, poor communication skills?

– What others think about your weakness?

– What can you improve and be more efficient?

By identifying Strengths and Weaknesses can help you to be prepared for an interview and track

your performance. You can always recall your list and see what did you improve so far and what’s

remaining. In addition, comparing both, can help you bridge the gaps between them and help you

prepare for the position which you aspire.

Opportunities

Opportunities comes in different shapes and forms. Sometimes passes by you without noticing

them. So here are few things to look at:

– Is there a new technology or industry trend that you can make use and benefit in the future?

– Is there any changes in your industry that you can take the advantage?

– Can a new skill give you a competitive advantage? E.g pick up a new language?

– Is there any new project in your company that you help your career?

Threats

Be aware of them! As previously mentioned you need to thing yourself as a competitive product. In

this way you will make it easy for you to identify threats which are things like:

– Is popularity of new technologies or demise of old technologies threatening your career? E.g

Software Developers, make become stale because they didn’t get the time to spend and learn

latest technologies.

– What are obstacles that preventing you from achieving targets?

– Is one of your peers or colleagues doing better job than you? Are both of you fighting for the

same position?

Find a Personal Swot Analysis Template here!

So if you need a little boost in your job search or obtain a promotion, try use the personal SWOT

analysis exercise. Going through this exercise helps you to ensure that you are prepared for an

interview or gain a promotion. This exercise will prepare you for an interview and gets you ready to

answer the tough questions such as “Describe your biggest weakness”). SWOT is there for you to

sharp you strenghts, improve your weakness, identify opportunities for development and over

threats.