Have you ever conducted a SWOT Analysis to help you set your corporate strategy?
The good news is a SWOT Analysis on yourself and your potential future employers/divisions/functions can be the key to career success and satisfaction.
Here is how it works. Reflect on your relevant and sustainable transferable skills or Strengths (S). This is your internal analysis; don’t worry about your Weaknesses. Next identify the five most likely employers/divisions/functions that you might work for in the future. Once this is done, conduct an external analysis of their Opportunities (O) and Threats (T). Finally, do a complete mapping of how your Strengths match up to their Opportunities and Threats. You might notice that I have left out your Weaknesses (W). Identify what they are, but do NOT work on them, find others who can perform what you are not good at with ease.
You can then determine whether you have sufficient strengths to make a difference in any of those first five options. If you see career potential, you will have insight into writing resumes or cover letters or having conversations and interviewing for some of your options.
Putting It Into Action:
By the end of the week, identify five different options for your career. Conduct primary and secondary research on each of the career options, focusing on their market opportunities and possible external threats. By the end of next month, have your strengths matched to each opportunity and threat. Determine which options you will pursue. Put together an Action Plan with milestones and target dates. These suggestions are applicable for both positions within and outside of your organization.
With you along the path towards success,
Joseph