SWOT was developed as an effective technique by Albert Humphrey. SWOT analysis is a method of calculating your potential that helps in career selection and education. It is an organizational module but is widely used on an individual basis by students and professionals to map their strengths and aptitude for a particular profession.
To evaluate your true potential by this method, the one prerequisite is 100% honesty. SWOT can simply be explained as follows –
S for Strengths
These include jotting down attributes, attitudes, and skills that you possess, that will help in achieving your career objective. For example, if you want to be an engineer, your strengths can be technical knowledge, good at mathematics, analytical mind, etc.
W for Weaknesses
These are the attributes, negativities, and backdrops or weaknesses, that will hinder your following of the goal. These are harmful to your career objective. Like in the above example, weakness in the field of engineering can be a problem in understanding physics.
O for Opportunities
This should include all the opportunities that the job scenario, the particular industry, the market, the demand for the industry, provides to you. These are external factors, unlike the other two, which are internal and highly personal factors. These are not under your control at all. These will help you achieve your objective as they act favorably for you. Such opportunities can include a rise in demand, lots of job openings and companies, high salary for that job, etc.
T for Threats
This is the exact opposite of Opportunities. These act as deterrents or hindrances to your goal. They can stop you, demotivate you, or even damage your chances of success. And these are not for you to rule or change. Common threats include lack of jobs, low salary package, weak education system, orthodox outlook, etc.
The SWOT Analysis helps in deciding your course of action and making the right career decision. It helps in planning the steps to be taken. It also aids in crisis management. Educationists suggest that all students who are about to pass out from school, or graduation colleges, and are at a stage where they have to decide what their future course of action should be, should give ample time for an individual SWOT Analysis and then go ahead with their decisions.
