• Watch the video below
• Prepare your assignment in Microsoft Word. Under each heading , ( Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) write a paragraph of no less than 5 sentences that
discuss each. Please use the questions below to guide you. You can discuss your own
factors that relate to you or use the questions below. Response under each heading
should be written in paragraph form.
Personal Reflection Questions
Strengths
1. What professional qualities do I have? – Try to be as specific as possible. Remember a time
when you worked or was engaged in a project at school and what abilities did you exercise then?
2. What do I do well? – Is it easy for you to study languages, math or science? Can you cook,
paint or repair cars? Write down all the things you are good at although they may seem irrelevant
to the job you are looking for.
3. What is the level of my education? – Think of all the courses you took during your studies.
What did you enjoy? What could be useful for your future career? Does your education give you
a competitive advantage against others in the same field?
4. What is my biggest achievement? – Try to remember a time when you were extremely proud of
yourself. What did you do? How did you do it?
5. What personal qualities do I possess? – Do you friends come to you for advice? Are you an
outgoing person? Or maybe you are stubborn but in a positive way (let’s call it persistent ;).
Weaknesses
1. What do I not do well? – Maybe there is a specific thing you know you can’t do. For
example, I am terrible at mechanical tasks.
2. What can I improve? – Think about the things you’d like to do, the qualities you’d like to
have. What can be improved and how?
3. What tasks do I usually avoid doing? – The fact that you do not want to do something may
mean that you do not enjoy doing it.
4. What are the roots of my failures? – Try to figure out what are the reasons behind any failure
you may have experienced in the past. What did you learn from it?
Opportunities
1. What trends do I see in my professional area? – What are the recent trends? What type
of people are getting hired? What skills do they have? Is it a growing field?
2. Can I obtain better education? – Think of courses that can develop your skills and give
you a competitive advantage.
3. How can I get noticed? – What can I do to draw attention to myself professionally?
Create a LinkedIn profile. Start networking. What does your resume look like? What
does you Facebook profile say about you?
4. Is there a steppingstone to get me to my dream job? – Sometimes to get to your dream
job sometimes you must do things you think you are overqualified for. Are there
internships in the companies you want to work for? Can you start working half-time just
because you like the job you are going to do?
5. Who can support me in achieving my goal? – Who can you learn from? Who can
introduce you to the right people? Who can help you improve your CV? Is there a person
who can show you how to use your strengths in the best way possible? Who will pickme up when things don’t go well?
Threats
1. What obstacles do I face? – Remember this is something that you have limited to no
influence on. Is there an economic situation that prevents you from getting a job?
2. Who/what may get in my way? – Who are your biggest competitors and what are they
doing? Who else is competing for this job?
3. Are there changes in labor politics? – Can you work legally? Are there certain mandatory
training or educational requirements that are required?
4. Is technology changing my professional field? – Is technology changing the future of my
industry? How do I stay ahead of that trend?
5. Am I marketable? – You may have done everything else right but still you are
unemployed. Think about whether the market you are trying to sell yourself on is the correct
one. Remember that you are a product (of your environment, of your education, of yourself),
and as such you have to examine the niche you are trying to fit yourself in so that you can be
able to market yourself in the best way possible