There are a lot of methods for finding a job, but SWOT analysis is the one you should be using. SWOT analysis can help you come up with a plan that will take into account all factors when looking at your options. You can use it whether you’re unemployed or just unsatisfied in your current position.
What is SWOT Analysis?
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It helps you to look at what kind of skills or talents you can bring to the table (Strengths), what challenges might exist in new positions (Weaknesses), whether there are ways that you could improve your current job (Opportunities), and potential dangers you could face in a new position or field (Threats).
When you’re looking for a job, it’s important to have all of your bases covered. With SWOT analysis, you can make sure that you’re looking at the big picture and considering all of the facets that will go into your new job and your future, including the financials.
Using SWOT Analysis For Your Job Hunt
The first step is to create a document that you can work on regularly so that you can keep track of all of your notes as you go through the process. In the document, layout two columns: one for strengths and another for weaknesses.
For the strengths column, you’ll want to list out everything that could be seen as an asset for you in a new job. This might be things like your degree, your years of experience, or the fact that you’re bilingual. The weaknesses column is a little more difficult because it’s not always easy to see our own shortcomings. But, for example, you might list things like “I’m a perfectionist” or “I have a hard time saying no.”
Once you have your columns filled out, it’s time to move on to the next step. This is where you’ll want to do some research on potential job opportunities. You can use online resources like Indeed to search for jobs in your area that you might be qualified for. Look at the details of each position and then determine whether or not there are any gaps that could be filled with what you’ve listed in the “strengths” column about yourself.
You can also use LinkedIn to look through connections of friends, family members, and other people you know to see what kind of opportunities they know about. Finally, talk with your career counselor or a professional who can help you to determine if there are ways that your strengths could be used in each position.
In the next column, which is the weaknesses one, write down anything that’s listed as a requirement for a new job that you don’t have. For example, if a qualified candidate is required to have a master’s degree and you only have a bachelor’s degree, that would be listed as a weakness for your application.
In the opportunities column, write out anything you’ve noted in your research that might improve things about your current job. For example, maybe the job you want requires more hours but your current employer doesn’t offer overtime. Or, maybe the company has an inter-office lunch and learn program that you’ve been wanting to participate in for a while.
For threats, think about anything that could hold you back or harm your chances of getting hired into a new role. For example, you might have a few negative things listed in your work history. Be honest with yourself about how these things could affect your future opportunities.
When you’re done, go through each job that you’ve linked to and write down the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with each one. Then consider which of those will be most important for you when you’re making your decision about which job to pursue.
If you’re still feeling lost, don’t worry! Here are a few questions to ask yourself that can help to get you started:
- What are my passions?
- What am I good at?
- What do I want in a job?
- What do I need in a job?
- What are my goals?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can start to match them up with what you’ve learned from your SWOT analysis.
One thing you could also do is to use a free SWOT analysis template. This way you won’t be forced to write everything down by hand or make a table from scratch. Venngage, a free infographic maker, allows you to choose from a wide range of SWOT analysis layouts. All you need to do is create an account using your email to easily get access to their templates. Here are a few SWOT analysis examples from Venngage.
The job hunt can be a long and difficult process, but using SWOT analysis can make it a little bit easier. By taking the time to assess your strengths and weaknesses, you can find the best opportunity for yourself. What are you waiting for? Make your SWOT analysis with Venngage today and get that job!
