In the world of business, a SWOT analysis is commonplace, allowing companies to improve their positioning, boost sales, and overcome obstacles. However, a SWOT analysis can potentially help you advance your career.
By conducting a personal SWOT analysis, you can gather critical insights about where you stand as a professional, giving you information that you can use to grow and develop. If you’d like to learn more about how a personal SWOT analysis can boost your career, here’s what you need to know.
What a SWOT Analysis Involves
SWOT is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. By outlining your traits and capabilities using those categories and assessing the potential paths ahead and the challenges you might face, you can effectively plan to advance your career.
The Benefits of Conducting a Personal SWOT Analysis
When you conduct a personal SWOT analysis, you give yourself a clearer picture of where you stand professionally. Additionally, you become more aware of your merits and shortcomings, as well as the opportunities and challenges that exist on your current path.
In turn, the result of your personal SWOT analysis makes career planning easier. You can account for all those pieces of information, leading to wiser choices. Additionally, you can find ways to leverage more of what you bring to the table, as well as enhance your capabilities in ways that lead to the best possible outcome.
How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis and Advance Your Career
If you want to conduct a personal SWOT analysis, the first thing you need to focus on is remaining honest. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so it’s critical to factor in where you shine and where you struggle. Otherwise, the exercise isn’t effective.
For your strengths, identify skills, traits, and knowledge areas that help you thrive in your field. When it comes to weaknesses, outline skills, attributes, or knowledge you don’t possess that potentially hold you back. That includes those that limit your potential in your current role or that prevent you from progressing in your career.
The opportunities you want to discuss typically include the unfulfilled needs of your employer or within your industry. One example is emerging technologies or skill areas that aren’t widely present among members of the niche workforce you’re a part of, as acquiring the related capabilities opens doors. You can also consider whether you have personal resources, such as a network or money to invest in further education.
Threats include changes or obstacles within your industry or field that may inherently limit you. For example, if technology renders part of your skillset obsolete, that’s a potential threat.
By collecting all the information above, you can use it to plan for career advancement. You can identify skill areas that are worth sharpening, allowing you to avoid threats and capitalize on opportunities. In turn, that makes you a more vital employee or job candidate, making it easier to maintain your career trajectory.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, The Squires Group wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
