In this path you’ll learn to assess situations comprehensively, consider internal and external factors, and develop strategies to overcome challenges effectively. Students who learn to conduct SWOT analyses are better prepared for college, job interviews, internships, etc. where strategic thinking and planning are essential.

Video

• Watch this video that explains what a SWOT analysis is all about in business strategy.
• Remember that:
  • Strengths are your standout skills and what you rock at.  Things that differentiate you from others in your life.
  • Weaknesses are the things that you don’t do so well. Things that you avoid doing because they take a lot of effort or don’t come that easy to you.
  • Opportunities are the chances for something positive to happen outside of yourself. Keep an eye out for them and grab them when you see them!
  • Threats are anything from the outside that can negatively affect you now or later. It is important to be aware of these so you don’t get tripped up!
• Take this quiz on Blooket to test your knowledge of the tool.
• If you would like to see another version of a SWOT analysis in action, watch this video of a SWOT analysis of Starbucks.

SWOT Practice

• Go to this worksheet and make a copy for yourself. This is a personal SWOT exercise to get ideas for hitting your personal goals. Once you finish the Community Survey, you’ll come back here to do a SWOT analysis for a project you want to kick off in your community.
• Start your personal SWOT analysis using what you know about yourself (Strengths and Weaknesses) from earlier paths. You can also check out the questions from the quadrant on the worksheet.
• Think about the world around you or as we say in business, your external environment—your communities, people, and opportunities—to fill in the Opportunities and Threats part. You can use the questions in the quadrant there too.
• After filling in your info, head to the second page of the worksheet to answer questions about the connections that can be made from this tool. That’s the analysis!
  • Remember that this is a static moment in time and things change rapidly in your life. You can do this exercise again and again to see how things shift.

To continue, return to Module 3 Opportunity Card.