Personal SWOT analysis

Personal SWOT analysis

 Identification of one’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are essential in today’s corporate world. For employability purposes, it important that an individual has an awareness of his or her strengths. An individual with an understanding of their strengths and opportunities in their careers means that they have an idea of how to go about their tasks at work. Strengths and opportunities inspire confidence and understanding of the different tasks at work. Strengths and opportunities guide an individual in their daily activities at work. An individual would know how to juggle with each task awarded to them at work. An individual with an idea of their weaknesses and threats in their corporate world means that they can be able to focus more on these areas in order to improve and overcome these threats at work. This paper outlines my strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats that exist in my corporate world.

Strengths

On a personal level, I have always had the strength of having an open mind. I am open minded and always open to new ideas. My ability to have an open mind enables me to have other abilities of creativity and innovativeness. These three strengths of open-mindedness, creativity, and innovativeness have given me an advantage over my colleagues. Being open minded means that I am always open to new ideas. This trait enables me to handle any situation at work. Being open to new ideas means that I am able to adapt to any situation and style of work at any time. This adaptive skill makes me flexible and ready to handle new challenges and responsibilities at work. In this constantly changing world, this adaptive skill is very important in my journey of fulfilling my career aspirations.

Advancement in my career also depends on my abilities of innovation and creativity. I am being innovative and creative means that I have the ability to effectively and efficiently apply my education at work. Innovation and creativity allow me to come up with new and effective ideas in my line of work. These abilities, therefore, makes me different from my colleagues. I am able to develop useful ideas that make me efficient at work. These traits of innovation and creativity will also go a long way in helping out in my career advancement. Through these abilities, I will be able to have a rapidly advancing career compared to those of my colleagues at work.

Weaknesses

In an organization’s view, weaknesses are those drawbacks that prevent an organization from implementing their strategies. This means that weaknesses prevent an organization from attaining its goals and mission. This definition of weaknesses also applies to individuals. An individual’s weaknesses are those factors that can prevent an individual from achieving their career objectives as planned. Weaknesses also prevent an individual from standing out or becoming competitive with others.

In this dynamic and highly competitive world, individual weaknesses are inevitable. It is impossible for an individual not to have any weaknesses. This is because a strength could easily change into an individual’s greatest weakness in this dynamic nature of the corporate world. Technological advancements and innovativeness easily render some skills obsolete, making the individuals with these skills incompetent. My greatest weakness has been drawn from a strength I possess. This weakness is over-commitment to a goal or mission at work.

My open-mindedness leads me to follow an idea to the later. When I believe that an idea is the best course of action for dealing with a situation, I tend to pursue that idea too much. I follow the ideas to the extent of becoming inflexible. If the idea was not the best course of action in the situation, a lot of damage would be done. I will have wasted a lot of time and possibly a lot of resources pursuing the wrong idea. I believe that the best way for me to deal with this weakness is by making a list of all the possible ideas first before making a decision on the one to act on. I should learn and practice to prioritize my ideas at all times.

Opportunities.

Opportunities are those situations that can come along and gives an individual or an organization a chance to achieve more goals. Opportunities can come along in an individual’s career in many ways. An opportunity can present itself when one encounters difficulty in dealing with a situation. This gives the individual an opportunity to develop a new idea of dealing with such a situation. The individual might come up with an idea that might become the best idea of dealing with the situation at that moment. Individuals can also create opportunities themselves. This is another way opportunity comes up.

For me, at the moment, the opportunities I have eaten those opportunities I create myself. I have always had the aim of creating opportunities for myself and utilizing these opportunities created as best as I could. An opportunity that I have utilized is the opportunity of an education. Education is the opportunity I am facing at the moment, and it is an opportunity that could help me advance my career. I could have made a choice of not going to college, but when the opportunity presented itself to me, I made it my mission to complete this course with the aim of making great advancements in my career. This opportunity so far has exposed me to the knowledge that will greatly help in my career advancements.

Threats

Strengths are those obstacles that might come between an individual and his or her goals. Threats are normally the external factors that might present a challenge to an individual in the process of achieving and accomplishing personal goals and missions. Threats might affect an individual directly or indirectly. Direct threats affect an individual at a personal level, while indirect threats are the external threats that affect the industry at large.

The greatest direct threat that I face at the moment is the change in completing my studies and performing well in the process. I face a threat of not completing my course or not doing well in my course. This threat can prevent me from achieving my goal of advancing in my career at a faster rate than others. This threat is best dealt with by working hard. I am confident that the focus I put towards the completion of my course is enough to see me through the process and that I will attain excellent grades that would enable me to advance and fulfill my career aspirations.

Another threat that I face indirectly is the stiff competition that exists in the industry. A lot more individuals have the same career aspirations as I do, and this presents a competition in my corporate world.  Many individuals in my field are at a similar position I am at the moment. These individuals have the same capabilities as me, the same education level, and experiences. The only way to deal with this threat is by ensuring that I perform well in my studies for me to stand out among my fellow professionals now and in the future.

STAR plus portfolio

Situation one: Responsibility

Situation

The situation happened whilst we were in an office meeting at a company where I was attached after my first year of study. The people involved in this situation were the customer care supervisor and the staff. The problem began when one of the customer care staff did not report to work that morning. The staff had been involved in a medical emergency and therefore had to take an emergency medical leave. This situation came at a difficult time as the other customer care staff was also on leave that week. The notice was so short that the other staff on leave that week could not get recalled to work on time. The manager asked for a volunteer to take up the position, but the other staff was so cough up in their departments that none of them could volunteer. I was the only option left to fill up the position. My role was to learn quickly and fill the position of customer care staff.

Task

My task was to learn as quickly as possible the responsibilities associated with the position. This was a very difficult task, as this position was out of my line of work. Moreover, I had never done a customer service task before. Accessing the situation and looking at how busy the other staff was, I realized that I had to step up and help out the organization to the best of my abilities. The manager briefed me on the responsibilities expected of me. I was to serve to walk-in clients and help them out with their needs. I was also expected to handle the call center some other time in the week.

Action

It was clear to me that the task required me to be available all week long. It was only a Monday, so the first action I did was canceling out the plans I had for the weekend. I had to clear all the schedules I had for my free time during the week. This is because the job required a lot of commitment and focus. The staff who was supposed to take me through the job and work in shifts with me was on leave. I also had to use all my free time in trying to learn how to handle the situations associated with the job. I went to the extent of taking a short online lesson on customer care. The lesson helped me a lot as I got an insight into how to conduct myself through the customer service provision.

Another action was to work with the manager closely. During the day, I ensured that I kept a record of all the difficulties and problems I encountered at work. In the evening, I would discuss these issues with the manager. The manager made a great deal in contributing to the smooth transition to a new and short term role. In a few days, my tasks and responsibilities were running smoothly, an indication of a good job.

Result

At the end of the week, I found that all the customers were satisfied with the customer care desk. This was an indication of success. The feedback from the customers to the manager all week was outstanding and encouraging. This was my first success in the position of staff.

Reflection

The whole situation taught me about responsibility. I had to take up a responsibility no one else could. While some of the staff were really busy at their departments, it was clear that others used this as a scapegoat. This is because taking up responsibility, not familiar to them was a problem for them. I stepped up, took the responsibility, and I am glad to say that the result was a success.

Application

The situation gave me insights on responsibility, which I will never shy away from taking it up. In my future career, I can say that I don’t shy away from taking up responsibilities that I feel I can handle.

Situation two: Problem-solving

Situation

While at work in a company I volunteered in during my first year in school here in town, I could not help but notice that two of some staff in the accounting department were not getting along. I could notice this since I was a bit close to the two of the staff, for they would help me most of the time during my time at the company. Even though their behavior had not yet had an effect on the performance of the company, I felt that the situation could get worse and have an impact on the company. Their actions could cost the company or even could cost them their jobs if found out.

Task

Considering that their behaviors could bring dire consequences to the company and to them at an individual level, I felt that it was my responsibility to resolve the conflict between the two members of the staff. I felt that the two members of the staff had to be brought together if we all had to work together as a team. Since I was close to the members of the staff professionally, I felt that I could resolve their conflicts silently and amicably. My task was to bring two members of the staff into speaking terms by listening to their issues carefully. My task was to bring the two individuals to work as a team.

Action

The first action I had to take was to find out the main problem between the two members of the staff. I sat with them down in private and at separate times and asked them what the issue was. One of the staff with the issue was shy about coming out clear about the issue. After explaining to them how the situation was slowly becoming open and clear to everyone, he finally opened up. The other staff member with the issue was open and explained to me the issue. It turned out that the issue between the two members of the staff was just a miscommunication.one of the staff member felt that the other colleague was not focused on his work. He felt that his colleague does not carry out his task efficiently. The inefficient work leads to the workload which has to get handled by the other staff member in the department.

After gathering the information about the issue between the two, I sat the two staff down in a private room and explained to them the importance of getting along. They talked about their problem at length while I oversaw the conversation.

Result.

In the end, they sorted out the problem and began working together as a team. The result was a success, both to the company and to the staff individually. They could now work in peace without pressure.

Reflection

What I learned from the whole situation is that sometimes we have to solve the problems we see at work. Problem-solving skill is an essential skill that an individual should possess and exercise everywhere and anywhere.

Application.

In my future career endeavors, I will always seek to apply problem-solving skills, not only for work but also for conflict resolution among my fellow staff.

Situation three: decision making

Situation

The situation happened long before I joined college. I was doing my final year in high-school and seated in class when a fire alarm sounded. Swiftly, I got out of my class, which was in the third flow of a five floored building. Halfway down the stairs, I realized that some of the students on the upper floor of the school were still seated in their classes, going about their normal businesses. They were completely ignoring the fire alarm. It was important that the students left quickly, for they were on the uppermost floor of the building. The fire was not yet visible to them as it had started at the gym, which was at the right corner on the ground floor. I had to do something, or the students could seriously get hurt.

Task

Halfway down the stairs, I quickly figured that I had the responsibility of making the students aware of the fire. I had to make them take the fire alarm seriously. My task was to force the students out of their classes and safely through the fire escape. There were some department offices on the fourth floor and to my surprise, the staff in the office had not yet come out of the offices. It was, again, my responsibility to force them out of the offices and get them safe.

Action

The staff on the fourth floor and the students in the upper floor of the school block were clearly ignoring the fire alarm. Them ignoring the fire alarm was not their fault, though. Most of the time, the alarm had gone off because of someone carelessly smoking in a non-smoking zone. Many times in school, there have been situations of false alarms. This is the reason why the students and the staff in the school ignored the fire alarm. They thought that the alarm was again a false alarm. I had to make them aware that this was not a false alarm. I, therefore, ignored the school policy and shouted at the top of my voice that the alarm was real, and there was a real fire. Some of the students shouted back from the window, telling me to shut up. I did not relent from shouting until I caught their attention. At last, some students saw the smoke, and they started storming out of the classes. Soon, all the students and the staff were out of the building before it was too late.

Result

The result of my action was a success. The decision I made, the decision to go against the school policy and scream at the top of my voice bore fruits. In the end, all students and staff in the building were out safe.

Reflection

What I learned from the situation is that it is important to have the ability to make split-second decisions in any situation. In an organization, an individual with the ability to make fast decisions can help their companies out of hard situations.

Application

The situation though me the importance of possessing a skill of decision making. In the future, I would not shy away from making split-second decisions that I believe could help out in a certain situation.

Situation four: openness to change

Situation

The situation occurred in the company I got attached during the second year of my studies. Halfway through my stay at the company, a new and inexperienced manager was appointed. The manager had never served in such a senior position before. At first, her appointment as the manager was a good feeling for the employees in the company. They realized the importance of having someone new in the team. Soon after her appointment, the new manager affected some changes within the company. Most of the employees failed to realize the importance of having changes in the company. They were against these changes and were not shy to show their dissatisfaction with the manager. These employees were no interested in the changes out of fear. They have had no confidence in the new manager, for she was inexperienced.

Task

For me, I realized that the changes that the manager was keen on making could have positive impacts on the company. I had an open mind, and I believed that the manager should be given a chance to try and bring the company to a better position. I have always believed that changes in any organization are important for growth. Any organization that wishes to grow should be able to embrace internal changes. I, therefore, had the task of bringing the other staff in the company to an understanding of the importance of change. I had the task of convincing the employees that the manager should be supported in every decision that she makes in order to encourage growth within the company.

Action

With the aim of bringing on board the employees who were against the changes proposed by the manager, I began by identifying those employees who supported the new changes proposed by the manager. These employees realized the importance of change and had a positive reaction to the proposed changes by the manager. I then brought together these employees and made them aware of the importance of bringing the other employees on board. I tried as much as possible to make them aware of the advantages of getting the other employees to share the same views we did. With the help of the manager, we agreed that these employees from every department should have departmental meetings with their colleagues. In these meetings, the employees shared the ideas and talked openly. Resistant employees were made aware of the importance of change in the organization.

Result

After the meetings, to my surprise, all of the employees were in agreement. Although others came on board reluctantly, most of the employees realized the importance of change. They decided to give the manager time and a chance to make the changes. They worked with the manager in the implementation of these changes in the end.

Reflection

The whole situation made me understand the importance of open-mindedness at work deeply. If all the employees were against the changes brought by the new manager, the result would have been a tragedy for the company.

Application

The situation made me aware of the importance of open-mindedness and change in organizations. I, therefore, embrace open-mindedness and change at all times, for this is essential for growth.

Situation five: strict deadlines

Situation

I experienced the situation at my time in school when I had to deliver a project on time. This was as part of my coursework in school. I had to conduct quantitative research that had the aim of determining if loyalty amongst customers improves or decreases among those companies who use the internet compared to those companies which do not utilize the use of the internet. My project was sponsored by a company here in town interested in the results. The company, however, had a tight schedule, and I was required to deliver the findings and conclusions of the project in a month.

Task

My task was to find out if companies who use the internet, especially social media, influence customer loyalty. I had to carry out quantitative research on the matter. The research was supposed to be done thoroughly and with a conclusive result. The research was to be compiled and typed. The challenge with the project was that the completed project, including the findings and conclusions, had to be done in exactly three weeks. This was a very tight deadline considering that I was not yet familiar with the quantitative techniques of gathering and analyzing real data.

Action

My major goal was to provide useful information to the sponsor company and to the school on time. This means that I had to make myself familiar with the different research techniques and, more importantly, plan well for my time. I realized that the only way to beat the deadline was to plan well and conduct my research in an efficient way. The first action I did was making myself familiar with the quantitative methods of research. I did a lot of research online and with the help of the school library. This study session helped me to pick the most efficient method of carrying out quantitative research. I then planned for my time and ensured that every single task in the project is completed at the stipulated time. I listed down all the essential aspects of the project and then stipulated time to each aspect of the project. The stipulated time for all the aspects or activities in the project was within three weeks. This ensured that no task or activity in the project was given an appropriate length of time.

Result

I was able to provide the sponsor company with useful data, analysis, results, and conclusion of the project within the stipulated three weeks. For me, this was a great achievement considering that I had never conducted quantitative research before. I can say that what helped me out the most in dealing with this strict deadline was time management. The feedback from the company and from the school was positive and very encouraging.

Reflection

What I picked up from the situation is that the most important and efficient way of meeting strict deadlines was thorough preparation and time management.

Application

In my future work, I will be sure to beat the strict deadline by applying the techniques picked from this situation. I would be sure to prepare myself for the task accordingly alongside applying time management.

Situation six: teamwork

Situation

During my second year of school, I volunteered at a private accounting company here in town. The company was a small start-up that only had few employees. During my time, there was a project that had stalled for a long time that involved the installation of accounting software at a client’s place. The main problem with the project was the lack of coordination between the IT department in the company and the accounting staff. The client had contracted the accounting firm to make an installation of accounting software at the client’s place. The client had seen the need to move from traditional manual accounting system to the modern computerized accounting. The project has stalled in the company for a long time for the system had to get installed by the IT staff while the accountants did the configuration work and update of the stock and client’s employees’ data. These activities in the project had to get conducted simultaneously. The IT staff and the accounting staff, therefore, had to work as a team. The workload in the company, however, could not allow both of these staff to have similar free time.

Task

As an attaché, I had the task of bringing both of these department’s staff to work as a team. I had to find the time in which both of these staff members had some free time to travel to the client’s place. Most importantly, I had the task of making both of these staff to realize the advantages of teamwork for this would not be the only project that would require them to work as a team.

Action

The first action I took was to make the two teams realize the importance of teamwork. I first spoke with both of the department’s supervisors and made them understand the importance of teamwork. They agreed with my idea of them working as a team for the benefit of the company. We then adjusted their schedules and came up with an amicable time where both of the teams would visit the client.

Result

The problem got solved, just like that. The two departments were too busy to realize that the only way to deal with the problem was to sacrifice some time and work as a team. In the end, the two department supervisors and staff solved the problem easily and learned the importance of teamwork.

Reflection

Even though I was not among the teams who had to work as one team, I realized the importance of teamwork. Working as a team makes work easier and enables companies to deal with difficult problems. A team brings together the ideas of many individuals that help the company a great deal.

Application

The situation made me realize the importance of teamwork, which will be the basis of my career in the future. For any organization, teamwork is an important aspect for it to be successful. Difficult situations and problems best get solved with the help of a team. This is because ideas are brainstormed, and the best idea gets picked as a team