Personal SWOT Analysis - Case Study Example

Running Head: PPD for Business Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: University: Date Assignment is due: Personal SWOT analysis Strengths Good grades Highly ambitious Good interpersonal communication skills Enthusiastic and willing to take challenges Good problem solving skills Opportunities The growing industry trends Promising demand for new expertise Specific job openings Possibility of a referral to a highly placed contact Reviving economy Weaknesses Inadequate working experience Limited network Inadequate management skills High level of ambition Unrefined career path Threats High number of business graduates Increasing demand for working experience Changing trends in the market that may affect employers Evolving technology Personal attitude of company decision makers Discussion Strengths Good grades: I have consistently recorded good grades and I therefore believe that this is a major strength for me in a market that is highly competitive. Good grades often represent a person’s cognitive ability and are highly considered during any job interview. According to Griffin (2004), adequate knowledge ensures that a person can effectively handle assignments within their line of duty. Highly ambitious: I consider myself to be very ambitious and I strive to meet my goals whenever I undertake any endeavor. I consider this a great strength as it proves effective in achieving my goals. Good interpersonal communication skills: My communication skills are well developed and I believe that I can express my ideas in a logical manner both verbally and in written form. Communications skills are a combination of verbal, written and listening skills and therefore a person cannot be deemed to have proper communication skills if he does not possess these attributes (Adair 2009; Hansen & Hansen, 2010). Outstanding interpersonal skills: In a world where the world has become continually interactive and where organizations are increasingly employing a multi-cultural workforce, it is important to have exceptional interpersonal skills (Hansen & Hansen, 2010). I am glad that I can easily interact with people of all ages and origin. Enthusiastic and willing to take challenges: I consider my unending enthusiasm for life and my daring attitude as a strength that allows me to face challenges as they occur. Subsequent evidence indicates that the jobs are becoming increasingly challenging and that only those who are braced for the challenge are likely to succeed (Nicholas, 1998; Careerbuilder, 2010). Good problem solving skills: Organizations are seeking candidates who are not only well qualified but who are tolerant to challenges and have exceptional capabilities to deal with everyday problems in the course of their jobs (Simonsen, 2000). I am well endowed with problem solving skills and can attest to this through various problems that I have helped to solve Weaknesses Inadequate working experience: Having been a student, I have not managed to acquire the much needed experience that employers ask for in job interviews. Notably, most employers are seeking highly qualified and experienced employees because they want to minimize the training costs (Croucher, 1994). Further, experienced employees are said to be more refined, given that they have been in the industry for sometime and can therefore deal with challenges effectively. Inadequate management skills: I have not been able to perfect my management skills, mostly due to lack of experience in an organization where I was required to manage activities done by my colleagues. This is unfortunate, given the current increase in demand for candidates with good management skills (Bloch & Bates, 1997). High level of ambition: While this could be considered a positive trait, it has often impacted on my performance because I tend to work too hard to achieve my objectives. I am too determined to clear my “to-do list” such that it affects the quality of my work at times. I also feel particularly stressed when there is a lot to do as I try to finish as quickly as I can. Unrefined career path: Due to the uncertainty in the job market, one cannot really be sure of which job they will land. It has reached a point where people no longer select jobs because you may say that you want to be an accountant yet you lack a job in the field (Satterthwaite & D’Orsi, 2002). This has impacted on my ability to define my career path effectively. Opportunities The growing industry trends: The business industry is growing at an alarming rate as entrepreneurs continue to invest in new businesses (Sydney, 2003). This means that more and better jobs may be available for take up in the next few years. Promising demand for new expertise: With the rising number of new industries and the highly dynamic market needs, companies will soon be demanding new expertise which would give individuals in my line of study more opportunities in the job market (Tieger, 2001). Specific job openings: New jobs open up everyday and these are an opportunity for job seekers like me to get their dream jobs. Possibility of a referral to a highly placed contact: A highly connected person could play a significant role in ensuring that I compete well in the job market (Christine, 2010). Such a contact may be referred to me by a relative or friend. Threats High number of business graduates: The number of graduates from colleges and universities is overwhelming. As a result, the market is really competitive such that only individuals with extra qualifications are able to get jobs easily (Kroeger & Thuesen, 2002). This is a threat to me in the process of job seeking. Increasing demand for working experience: It is notable that employers are now demanding more working experience from candidates. Given my situation, I might find it challenging in the job market. Changing trends in the market that may affect employers: market trends including the need to cut costs and the implementation of sophisticated technology has led to major employee lay downs and consequent decrease in the demand for employees. Such changes highly threaten my career life. Evolving technology: The changes in technology spell the need for employees to familiarize themselves with sophisticated technological systems. I must therefore identify such developments in order to work on my knowledge. Action plan A thorough insight into my competitiveness in the job market would reveal that I would need to put in more effort in order to improve my capabilities. This action plan details what I intend to accomplish; with an objective of strengthening specific skills, adding more skills into my strengths quadrant, eliminating or minimizing my weaknesses, pursuing opportunities and protecting myself from threats. The number of candidates seems to have outgrown the number of vacancies in the country hence the need to distinguish oneself from the rest of the graduates (Kroeger & Thuesen, 2002). I intend to take up a short management course that will help in acquiring management skills that are increasingly growing in demand. This will take a span of six months starting from January 2011. Further, I will commit myself to attend special management seminars that are conducted within the school setting during the next semester and by various entrepreneurs. I need to familiarize myself with various skills including people management skills, account management skills and general leadership skills. I must also seek to familiarize myself with recent technologies in the market so that I can easily fit into the organization. In order to achieve this, I will dedicate three weeks for each activity, which I will undertake during after-school hours starting on 15th January 2011. Differentiating myself from the rest will not only involve improving my knowledge but will also require me to work on my personal capabilities, attitudes and confidence. I will achieve this through scrutinizing my personality and seeking professional intervention in improving my personality. I will also ensure that I constantly participate in forums within the school so as to build my ability to handle responsibility and solve everyday problems. Experience emerges as an important characteristic for candidates who are seeking employment. It is therefore important to try and gain experience however small it is. Before I can clear school, I could seek for an internship in a local organization without necessarily asking for payment as suggested by Loretto (2008). This will enhance my chances of garnering some experience to get me started in my job search. I will continue to work in the organization even after school as I try to get a permanent job. Furthermore, it is easier to get a job when you are already working elsewhere (Croucher, 1994). I could also try my best to get a position in the company I will be working for during my internship and thus win the hearts of the management into employing me. Even where a person deems to be an expert, there is a limited possibility being perfect in the skills that one possesses. Accordingly, one must keep upgrading his or her strengths with time (Schein, 1990). Personally, I would like to improve my communications skills and people interactions skills as I have realized that these are very vital in any organizational setting. Further, I am aware that new challenges emerge each day and one must effectively device ways of mitigating them. I intend to read numerous books on effective communication. Some that I have found particularly interesting include ‘”Effective Communication: The Most Important Management Skill of All” by John Adair and “Effective Communication” by Caputo John, Jo Palosaari and Pickering Ken. References Adair, J. (2009). Effective Communication: The Most Important Management Skill of All. Australia: Pan Macmillan Bloch, S. & Bates, T. (1997). Employability: how to get your career on the right track. London: Kogan Page. Careebuilder. (2010). 2010 college graduates to face a highly competitive job market. Retrieved on November 16, 2010 from http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=pr564&sd=4/14/2010&ed=04/14/2010 Christine, I. (2010). Analyze your career with a personal SWOT. Retrieved on November 16, 2010 from http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/analyze-your-career-with-a-swot/article.aspx Croucher, B. (1994). How to succeed in a highly competitive job market: a comprehensive workbook for executives. London: Kogan Page. Griffin, L. J. (2004), Your Career: How to make It Happen. Mason, OH: Thomson/South Western Hansen, R. S. & Hansen, K. (2010). What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job-Seekers. Retrieved on November 16, 2010 from http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html Kroeger, O. & Thuesen, J. (2002). Type Talk at Work: How the 16 personality Types Determine Your Success on the Job. New York: Dell Publishing. Loretto, P. (2008). Employers seeking candidates with experience. Retrieved on November 16, 2010 from http://internships.about.com/b/2008/04/03/employers-seek-candidates-with-experience.htm Nicholas, L. (1998), The Pathfinder: How To Choose or Change your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success. New York: Fireside. Satterthwaite, F. & D’Orsi, G. (2002). The career portfolio workbook: using the newest tool in your job-hunting arsenal to impress employers and land a great job. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Schein, E. (1990). Career Anchors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Simonsen, P. (2000). Career Compass: Navigating Your Career Strategically in the New Century. Palo-Alto, CA: Davies-Black Publishing. Sydney, R. (2003). Choice Points. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black Publishing. Tieger, P. D. (2001). Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type. New York, Little, Brown and Company. Read More