Well known, classic and one of the most widely used, the Stanford SWOT analysis looks at four aspects of a business or, as you will read in this article, four aspects of an individual. However, it is better known in the business world. In this article you will learn how to use it for yourself and how to put together a personal SWOT analysis!
The SWOT analysis was created in the 20th century by Albert Humphrey and quickly became one of the most popular methods. Its advantages are its simplicity, practicality and fairly quick, visible results. It was originally designed to analyse shortcomings in the existing planning of companies. The aim was then to create a change management system.
Table of contents
Personal SWOT analysis and what it consists of
It consists of 4 main areas:
- S stands for STRENGTHS,
- W stands for WEAKNESSES,
- O stands for OPPORTUNITIES,
- T stands for THREATS.
When using it, keep in mind that there are no exact instructions on what to put into each area or quadrant. A personal SWOT analysis reflects a person’s specific situation, their way of thinking, how they perceive fear and what they think of themselves. No approach is wrong as long as it truly reflects your attitude to the situation.
A SWOT analysis is divided into four quadrants. On the left side we record positive or helpful factors, and on the right side the negative or harmful ones. You try to make the most of the positive aspects and build on them, while eliminating the negative ones as far as possible and preparing for them. The top half deals with the internal or inner nature of things (in other words, matters you can influence directly), while the bottom half deals with external or outside influences, which are often the environment we have to react to or adapt to.
If you use a SWOT analysis for the job market and job opportunities, it might look something like this… Let’s look at it a little differently than usual and focus on ourselves!
How do you do a personal SWOT analysis?
Reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses is an important step in self-discovery. How do you put together a SWOT analysis? It is important to be honest with yourself and give yourself objective feedback. This may not always be easy, but it is definitely worthwhile for you. To evaluate your SWOT analysis, you can follow the questions below, which will make questioning yourself easier. Some questions are a little personal, which will help you get to know yourself better.
Strengths
When assessing your strengths, consider not only your education, work experience or references from your managers, but also activities that your CV may not necessarily include. Interesting hobbies and interests, soft skills, your way of thinking and even your level of English. Write down in this box everything you can offer the job market and defend in a job interview.
If you are thoughtful and like this about yourself, if you are persistent and can see everything through to the end, these are strengths! They can also include management skills, even if you have never worked as a manager. If you think you have them, write them down. Be objective, but believe in yourself. Strengths are not only those you have already had the chance to show in your life. You will soon find out why.
Sample questions:
What do I do better and faster than others?
What do my friends and colleagues see as my strengths?
What strengths do my managers think I have?
Which of my achievements so far am I most proud of?
Do I have any advantages over others? (education, experience, contacts, etc.)
Weaknesses
For weaknesses, assess not only what you are not good at and what is not your cup of tea, but also where you lose your flow. Activities that do not energise you, where you lose focus, become scattered and take a long time to finish. These are often activities that leave you mentally tired once you have finished them, and completing them does not fulfil you. If you know you are great at maths, but it is also a subject you wholeheartedly hate, it will be one of your weaknesses, because if you spent your time on such activities, you would not be happy.
Sample questions:
Which tasks and things do I avoid most often?
What shortcomings and mistakes do others often point out to me?
Do I have any counterproductive habits? (lateness, disorganisation, etc.)
What causes me the biggest problems at work?
Opportunities
Opportunities can take many forms. What is an opportunity for one person may be a threat for another, so do not forget that. Do not rely on general opinion and do not follow what would satisfy the people around you. For one person, earning money is an opportunity. For another, it is being happy at work, which does not necessarily go hand in hand with it. Trust your gut feeling, what motivates you and what you could achieve if you focused on your strengths.
Sample questions:
Can I make my tasks easier with apps or technology?
Can I somehow solve the things our customers complain about?
Are there any changes happening at work that I could take advantage of?
What are the weaknesses of our competitor?
Threats
The last area is threats. A threat can also be anything that frightens you or makes you nervous. What change would you find unpleasant? Define what threatens your mental wellbeing. Recognise work situations in which you do not feel comfortable. For an introvert , even the “risk” of business negotiations after a change in job focus can be a threat. Moving to an unfamiliar city. Not making full use of your potential.
Sample questions:
What do I see as the biggest obstacles in my work?
Do I have any rivals at work who compete with me?
Are there any new demands and requirements in my field that I do not meet?
Could any of my weaknesses turn into a threat?
How do you evaluate a SWOT analysis?
Evaluate your results using two popular methods: comparison, or turning negative results into positive ones. Comparison means that you bring together and compare all the categories and decide on your next steps. When turning negatives into positives, develop your skills through education or find a creative way to turn a weakness into a strength.
For example, a SWOT analysis may have revealed that you are sociable and introspective, or that an isolated work environment may not suit you. This could lead you to aim for a position in sales, where your extroverted personality will allow you to shine. You can also update your CV so that it reflects what you have discovered about yourself and represents your desired career path.
SWOT analysis as a source of insight
What is the result? Awareness. A personal SWOT analysis defines exactly the scope of your thinking about a specific situation. Give yourself the time and space to write down everything that matters to you. In the end, you will find out for yourself how you feel about that particular situation and how you want to act in it. Trust yourself, your intuition and your feelings. No method will give you a definite result and opinion. Deep down, a person always knows what is good for them and what to avoid.
A personal SWOT analysis can also point you towards a better job or your dream job. You will discover your own talents and weaknesses. This allows you to learn new skills or apply for positions where you can use your strengths and where your weaknesses will not come to the surface.
Doing a truly good and objective personal SWOT analysis is not easy at all. It will depend on your level of self-assessment and self-reflection. Be sure to also ask the people around you for their opinion, as they can open your eyes in certain respects and help you correctly name specific strengths or weaknesses.
Try your own SWOT analysis for a specific situation. You can use our table.
What now?
Once you have completed your personal SWOT analysis, it is essential to act on the results you have uncovered. Do not let the time you invested in the analysis go to waste, but decide to take action.
- First of all, look at your list of opportunities and start pursuing them. These are the so-called “low hanging fruit”, in other words the most easily achievable goals, which can quickly start moving you forward. Create an action (but realistic) plan for how to start turning these opportunities into reality.
- Watch out for the threats you have identified and either minimise them, take steps to prevent them from happening, or turn them into opportunities. Nothing is black and white, and what looks like a threat may actually be an opportunity in disguise.
- Capitalise on your strengths. Your strengths are the path to success, so develop them and enjoy them. Your strengths are the best route to flow, and flow means you enjoy what you do, you improve, you take pleasure in life, and it is probably the path where you can be better than the people around you.
- Be aware of your weaknesses, but do not beat yourself up over them. Everyone has some weaknesses. You can either try therapy or start working on them in another way, or accept them as part of who you are. Shadow work can be a useful approach.
Once you have created an action plan, do not forget to track your progress. Set up measures and keep working towards achieving them. Step by step, you will get where you want to be if you stay committed.
To make this process easier, you can use a wide range of tools available online or apps you can download.
