Monday, December 13, 2010

Take Advantage of Your Strengths and Experience



As I have written in this blog, a basic task in strategic management is to develop a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for the organization under study.  Why you ask?  Typically the mission of an organization is to survive and grow.  A proven approach to success is to capitalize on strengths, minimize weakness or perhaps remove them, and take advantage of opportunities and avoid threats.

I was assisting an individual at a SCORE counseling session this past week.  He said that he wanted to start a business in the oil industry.  I asked the person if he had experience in oil.  He said no but perhaps someone would hire him and teach him the business.  Next I asked him about his job experience, and he replied that he was fluent in three languages and was presently a bus driver.

I suggested to the client that he pursue opportunities in areas in which he could use his expertise, which was not oil.  I am not saying that no oil focused organization would hire him, but his chances of finding a job involved in some sort of transportation or using his gift of languages is much greater.

If you are seeking employment, I suggested that you develop your own SWOT, analyze and act accordingly.  Please comment in this blog if you have completed your SWOT.

Thanks!  Glyn    




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