SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is often used in business for strategic planning.  In it, you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  It is a framework for analysing factors that can have an impact on your career.  See the chart below for instructions on how to complete your own SWOT analysis.

SWOT Analysis Questions - Job to Career

Questions to ask during a SWOT analysis

Strengths:

What current strengths do you have?

What formal and informal education have you completed?

What wins have you had in your job history?

What transferable skills do you have?

Weaknesses:

What are the knowledge gaps you need to fill?

What people are missing from your network?

What things do you need to improve about yourself?

Opportunities:

Where do you have opportunities to grow?

Where can you invest more time into building your career?

How can you update your personal brand to be more marketable?

Threats:

What personal traits do you have that could harm your career progression?

What mistakes have you made in your career history?

What barriers do you have to remove?

Career Action Plan

Now that you’ve assessed yourself and completed your SWOT plan, it’s time to create an action plan for moving from your job to your career.  For each of these questions, you should create a goal, using the S.M.A.R.T. method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).  

1. How can I continue to develop and promote my strengths?

Ask yourself: What strengths will best help you propel forward into a career?

Example: I am good at leadership but want to be better.  I will apply for Executive Leadership certificates to learn how to lead at a high level by the end of the 3rd quarter.

2. What weaknesses must I overcome and how?

Ask yourself: What weaknesses have I identified that I can improve now?

Example: I want to get into interior design, but don’t have any connections to interior design firms. I will connect with five local interior design firms and interview their owners within the next month.

3. How will I invest in opportunities to fill any gaps?

Ask yourself: How can I invest my time or resources into improving myself?

Example: I’ve invested in an online course but haven’t taken the time to complete it.  I commit to spending 1 hour per day to work on the course until it is finished.

4. How will I remove barriers in moving to a career?

Some common barriers that prevent us from creating and reaching goals are procrastination, fear, lack of accountability, and shooting for perfection (which, by the way, does not exist).  So, for this question, ask yourself: how can I be intentional about removing something that has been in my way?

Example: I often create goals but do not follow them through because of procrastination.  I will find an accountability coach to walk me through this process.

You should now have four clear goals that tie directly to your career aspirations and that will move you closer to moving from a job to a career.

Summary

By now, you should better idea of your passion and what drives you, a strategic roadmap to get you from job to career, and S.M.A.R.T. goals to get you there.  Moving from a job to a career may not be easy, but it is possible once you know what you need to do to move from one to the other. Remember, you do not have to stay in a job that won’t move you further – you have the power in your hands to build a career you love.

The #1 skill needed in the future of work is to be able to know yourself and talk about your strengths.

References

The Enneagram Institute. https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/

“SMART Goals: – How to Make Your Goals Achievable”. 2020. Mindtools.com. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm.