Understanding yourself for career success: To do well in job interviews, it's super important to really understand yourself. Many young adults, like those between 21 and 25, think they know who they are, but that’s not always true. Sure, you might know your favourites—like what you enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, what clothes you like to wear, or the movies and games you love. But these likes and dislikes don’t define you. The real you is much deeper than that, and understanding this real you is key to building a successful career. If you can figure this out, you've already won half the battle in life. destination: like learning to drive or figuring out the best bus or train to take to reach your destination; once you have that sorted out, the journey becomes a lot easier.
Unlocking your true self: You may wonder what am I talking about? What am I referring to? Your likes and dislikes are momentary and short lived. I am referring to your true inner self that exists within to sustain you and your career for a lifetime. Unravelling the mystery of your inner self opens the secret that you must learn, understand and take action to conquer any job interview. By job interview I am not referring to any job but to that dream job with an employer of your choice.
Recognizing Your Natural Talents: There are many things you may be good at. Some of these things are already within and you do not know how they got into you. You may believe or declare, I have it in me since I was born, yet, you have no clue how they came to be. For example, you may have a strong memory. You may be quick with numbers. Or, you may have a neat legible handwriting. Or, you may have a melodious voice. Or, you could have lovely hair. These are things that you were born with.
Utilizing acquired skills: As you moved on, you may have acquired certain skills. For example, the ability to convince. Or the capability to speak to large crowds. Or the ability to act fast under challenging circumstances. Or develop a strong physique through consistent exercise. Or be calm and composed whatever the situation and how sudden it may have sprung on you. All these positive factors that come easy to you are equally at hand to use to your advantage in any situation. These are your strengths. You must importantly identify your strengths and learn how to use them to propel yourself forward in life in getting what you want or to move from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life. In other words, use them in full measure to be successful in interviews.
Recognizing your limitations: On the other hand, there may be certain things that you are born with or acquired such as habits, behaviour or action that may not be helpful to your progress. For example, it may be in your nature to be silent when spoken to. Or you speak/reply feebly that can’t be heard. Or you may be distracted during times that require you to concentrate. You could be daydreaming when serious work is expected of you. You could be shy of the opposite gender when you have no reason to be. Or you could be frightened of people in authority. Or you are likely to forget a promise made to someone and remember it when it is too late. Or you could be incorrect in spellings. Or you may not be as creative as your sister. All these things that do not help you move forward to your goals, on the other hand, that holds you back, pulls you down, embarrasses you in the eyes of others, are weakness.
Spotting opportunities: Thirdly, there may be many things around you—some you might have noticed and some you might not—that can help you move toward your goals effortlessly. For example, let’s say you love gardens. If you take a specific route to college every day that goes through a beautiful park, it’s likely that you would enjoy walking this way to appreciate the garden. Now, imagine you want your vehicle washed and cleaned every day. A friend recommends a gym that is located near your office or college. When you visit the gym, you notice there’s a car wash right next to it. Naturally, you’d choose to sign up for the gym, since you can have your vehicle washed while you work out. Then, you see there’s an efficient barber's salon and a grocery store nearby as well. Look at how these options become opportunities: after college or work, you can exercise at the gym, get your vehicle washed, pick up groceries for dinner, and even have your haircut—all in one trip. This is a perfect example of an opportunity to meet multiple needs at one location instead of traveling in four different directions.
Recognizing potential threats: Fourthly, imagine you are studying a particular course, and halfway through, you discover that there are limited job opportunities related to this subject. This situation is like what students studying electronics faced when they graduated in the mid-1950s.
Next, you find a beautiful house for rent at an incredibly low price. However, when you ask people in the area, you find out that there are frequent thefts and muggings in the evenings. Additionally, you plan to buy a newly advertised motorcycle that seems strong and sturdy, and you spend a few weeks saving up for it. But then, you come across an unexpected review revealing that this motorcycle has a high risk of accidents.
These examples illustrate the potential threats that can arise in various situations.
Understanding the SWOT Framework: You now know in lay man’s language the four aspects that are worth identifying about yourself which are:
- S = Strengths
- W = Weaknesses
- O = Opportunities
- T = Threats
When we combine the letters on the left, we get SWOT, which stands for an assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
You should analyse yourself using the SWOT framework to determine:
1. What are you naturally good at?
2. What steps do you need to take to fill any gaps in your skills or knowledge?
3. What opportunities should you fully take advantage of?
4. What actions can you take to avoid potential threats?
Creating your SWOT analysis table: Take a notebook and create a table with five columns. In these columns, list your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Your table should look like this:
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STRENGTHS
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WEAKNESS
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OPPORTUNITIES
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THREATS
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NOTSURE
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Make four copies of this table. On the first copy, begin by focusing on your strengths. Ask yourself the following questions and take your time to find the answers. If you need more time, be patient. Once the answers come to you, they will reveal the strengths that you already have within yourself.
Your Strengths:
- What am I good at?
- What do I believe I do well?
- What makes me do that well?
- What must I do to keep doing well?
Identifying Your Weaknesses:
Now, shift your focus to the column labelled weaknesses. Be honest with yourself and take the time to list them all without leaving anything out. If you ignore these weaknesses now, they could become bigger problems in the future. Remember, you can address and overcome them, so don’t lose hope.
Next, ask yourself the following questions and wait for the answers to come to mind. Write down your responses:
a. What behaviours or habits should I avoid or limit?
b. What changes can help me improve?
c. Do I need to seek guidance from a specialist?
d. What is the first step I should take to correct these weaknesses?
Exploring Your Opportunities:
Next, move to the column labelled opportunities. There are many opportunities around you that you may not have taken advantage of yet. For example, you might be interested in starting yogic exercises for mental calmness and flexibility. If there’s a yoga school just down the street, consider utilizing that resource. Similarly, evaluate all the options available for your self-improvement and growth, and identify the resources in your local area or city that you can access.
Here are some questions to help you outline your opportunities:
a. What opportunities have I not utilized?
b. What resources can help me achieve my goals?
c. What valuable options exist that I have overlooked?
d. What advice have I received that I have not paid attention to?
Identifying Potential Threats:
Now, move to the next column to assess potential threats. Consider the following four questions to help you identify any current or future challenges you may face:
a. What challenges might I encounter in the future?
b. How can I navigate these challenges?
c. What alternative approaches do I have to overcome them?
d. What resources will I need to address these threats, and when will I need them?
Refining Your SWOT Analysis:
Take some time to study your SWOT list over a couple of days and refine it until you have a clear and accurate understanding of yourself. Next, share the remaining two copies with a family member, a friend or colleague, and someone you respect, like a mentor or professor. Choose people who have good judgment and a genuine interest in your growth, and who will provide constructive feedback rather than criticism.
Let them know that you want to improve yourself for better acceptance in various social and professional situations. Ask them to fill out the columns with their assessments of you. Once they have completed this, review the three lists together. You will gain valuable insights that reveal strengths you may have overlooked, glaring weaknesses, hidden opportunities, and potential threats you hadn't considered.
Finally, create a revised list based on this feedback and act on the points that require attention.
You are on the road to success in your career. Remember, this is only the beginning of the journey. There are other things to learn that you shall through this column.
Best wishes
About the Author
A multifaceted mentor, Certified Life cum Career Coach, Counsellor and a guiding light for individuals of all ages, including children. With expertise in Hypnotherapy, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and Emotional & Thought Freedom (EFT/TFT) techniques, Ash empowers successful individuals to reach impossible heights in personal success. As a certified Kundalini Yoga Third-Eye Practitioner, he blends ancient wisdom with modern strategies. Passionate about supporting first-time jobseekers, Ash Nan crafted the transformative program "Finishing Touch," ushering many students into fulfilling careers. Author of two insightful books, including the recent "Becoming Recruitable,"
Ash invites you to explore his work further at:
www.ash-nan.com and www.ashnan.cts.com