Even with the best intentions, organising your ideas, goals and interests around your career pathway is no easy job!<\/p>\n
One thing we\u2019ve learnt is that having the right tools and resources is crucial if you want to focus on proactive steps forward and get some clarity over where you\u2019re at versus where you want to get to.<\/p>\n
You might have come across SWOT already in your academic endeavours – we know it\u2019s not everyone\u2019s favourite tool – but hear us out!<\/p>\n
If clarity over your next steps and what you need to focus on NOW is what you\u2019re after, a SWOT analysis could be just what you need.<\/p>\n
The idea of a SWOT analysis originally came about as a business strategy tool to help organisations uncover areas of improvement within teams and service delivery.<\/p>\n
What began as a helpful business tool is now used widely in all kinds of areas, including personal development and career coaching, to help give individuals a birds-eye view of where they\u2019re at and how they might make positive changes to keep working towards their goals.<\/p>\n
SWOT stands for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Carrying out a SWOT analysis seems super straightforward but can be tricky once you start getting stuck in – which is probably why so many people steer clear of them if they can!<\/p>\n We promise that the more you do them, the easier they get, and the more you\u2019ll start to see the value they can have in helping you to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n Below we\u2019ve broken down how to conduct a SWOT Analysis for your career journeys and the type of things you can include\/reflect on within each section.<\/p>\n First up, you want to have a goal in mind for your SWOT Analysis. Some examples of a career goal<\/a> might be:<\/p>\n Your strengths are – probably predictably – all the good things you\u2019ve already got going for you. These will probably be dependent on the goal, but you can include as many things as you think you\u2019ve got down.<\/p>\n For example, if your goal is to land your first job, some strengths could be:<\/p>\n Strengths are usually internally focused – meaning they\u2019re things you have control over. While you might need external support to achieve them, you\u2019re the one who has to take action to get them in place.<\/p>\n Weaknesses are the things that might hold you back or are areas where you need to focus improvements on.<\/p>\n\n
How Do You Conduct a SWOT Analysis?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Mapping Out Your SWOT Analysis<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Strengths<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h5>\n