A guide to the SWOT analysis

1. Personal SWOT Analysis
S.W.O.T stands for STRENGTHS, WEAKNESS,
OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS
All images courtesy of [freepik.com]

2. All images courtesy of [freepik.com]
STRENGTHS
When you identify your strengths, ask yourself
these questions:
• What advantages do I have that others don't have?
(e.g. skills, certifications, education, or connections)
• What do I do better than anyone else?
• What personal resources can I access?
• What do other people (my friends, my lecturer) see as my
strengths?
• Which of my achievements am I most proud of?
• What values do I believe in that I think others should too?

3. All images courtesy of [freepik.com]
WEAKNESS
When you identify your areas of weakness, ask
yourself these questions:
• What tasks do I usually avoid because I don't feel confident doing
them?
• What subject/s do I tend to struggle with?
• What are my negative habits?
(e.g. am I bad with time, am I disorganised, do I have a bad
temper, do I freak out when I am stressed?)
• What do I wish I was better at doing?

4. OPPORTUNITIES
When you identify potential opportunities, ask
yourself these questions:
• What can I learn more about (like technology) that could give me
the competitive edge when I go for an interview?
• Do I have a network of strategic contacts that could help me, or
offer me good advice?
• What things am I really good at that I could use to my
advantage?
• What is going on in the industry I am interested in? Could I be
more aware of industry trends etc.?
All images courtesy of [freepik.com]

5. THREATS
When you identify possible threats, ask
yourself these questions:
• What obstacles (personal or work-wise) are preventing me from
being the best I can be?
• Is there a gap in my skills-set that could make me lose out on a
job opportunity I would really love?
• Am I really honest about my areas of weakness?
• Could any of my weaknesses become threats?

6. Personal SWOT Analysis
It takes courage to look at yourself, your actions &
reactions…
Think about these 4 things carefully; be honest
with yourself and set down a plan of action!
All images courtesy of [freepik.com]

7. References
Quast, L (2013). Forbes: How to conduct a personal SWOT analysis.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/04/15/how-to-conduct-a-personal-s-w-o-tanalysis/> Site updated [26 August 2013]. Accessed [23 August 2013].
All images courtesy of [freepik.com]
Note: All images acknowledged as specified by the relevant CC regulations