Knowing yourself (self-knowledge) is all about developing a true understanding of yourself in terms of:
- Your skills (what you are good at)
- Your educational background (what qualifications you have)
- Your interests (what you enjoy doing)
- Your values (what would give you satisfaction in your career)
- Your personality (what kind of person you are).
The word SWOT is an easy way to remember the four steps involved:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
By answering key questions, you can:
- Set your PERSONAL GOALS
- Make important DECISIONS
- Put YOUR PLAN into ACTION.
The 4 Stages involved:
1. Strengths
- What do I do well?
- What resources can I draw on?
- What do others see as my strengths
2. Weaknesses
- What could I improve about myself?
- Where do I have fewer resources than others?
- What are others likely to see as weaknesses
3. Opportunities
- What opportunities are open to me?
- How can I turn my strengths into opportunities
4. Threats
- What threats might harm me?
- What is the person competing for the same job as I want doing about it right now?
- What threats do my weaknesses expose me to?
‘I’ve trained myself to illuminate the things in my personality that are likable and to hide and protect the things that are less likable.’ – Will Smith
