A SWOT analysis is an incredibly simple, yet powerful tool to help you develop your skills whilst also taking the time to celebrate your talents.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and is traditionally done in a two by two grid format.

Strengths and weaknesses are internal things that you have some control in like qualifications, interpersonal skills, knowledge and experience.

Opportunities and threats are external things that are outside of your control like peer competition, promotions and industry changes.

Doing a SWOT analysis will give you the tools to strategise your next steps to develop your career further. You might think you already know the answers but when you really get thinking about it, you should discover some things you hadn’t considered before.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when doing a SWOT analysis...

Strengths

- What are my talents?

- What qualifications enable me to do what I do?

- Are there any skills I bring to the team that are unique?

- What qualities do I have?

- What experience do I have that has helped me to develop?

Weaknesses

- What things do I find challenging?

- Do I have any personal traits that are affecting me in my career advancement?

- What’s stoping me from progressing in these areas?

- Do I have the necessary qualifications/skills to progress further in my career?

- Do I have any bad habits?

Opportunities

- Are there any significant changes in my industry that I can take advantage of?

- Are there any promotions/ job opportunities that I’d like to apply for?

- Are there any training or courses available that I‘d like to do?

- Is there any funding available that could help me to progress further in my career?

- Are there any external factors that could help me achieve my goals?

Threats

- Are there any barriers in my job?

- Do I have any colleagues that are going for the same job vacancy as me?

- Are there any changes in my industry that could put my job at risk?

- Is the company I work for at risk of selling or closing?

- Are my needs being met by my employer?

Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, you can spend some time coming up with a plan to help you progress. Think about how your strengths can help you take advantage of those opportunities and how you can use them best to fight against the threats.

Have a think about what you can do or what you need to help you work on the weaknesses. The first step is recognising them. The next step is to improve them! Make an action list and plan this into your next year. Have a think about what steps you can take each month and set yourself some SMART goals to work towards each quarter.

Happy Planning!