swot analysis assignment pdf

How to Write a SWOT Analysis (Template and Examples Included)

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Planning for the Future

Where do you see yourself in five years? How about your career? Your business? 

These questions keep a staggering amount of people awake at night. All too often, the future can seem like a dark, ominous cloud that looms just out of view. As the old proverb goes, we fear the unknown—and little can possibly be more unknowable than the future.

While there is no crystal ball that can accurately predict future market trends or the steps you should take to optimize your productivity and sharpen your competitive edge, we can offer some advice: Reframe the question. Rather than trying to pinpoint where you think you might be in five years, think about where you want to be at that point in time. Once you have a destination in mind, you can start planning a route to get there. After all, maps are great tools, but they can't help you if you don't know where you're going.

So, what's the metaphorical map in this scenario? We present to you the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

How to Write a SWOT Analysis

SWOT analyses are great strategic tools that are useful in project planning, business development , financial strategizing, and personal advancement . Simple, honest, and to-the-point, they facilitate a profound understanding of your or your business's current standing. Essentially, a SWOT analysis is a comparative list of all your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

There's more power in this process than you might think. You may be only hazily aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. However, thoughtfully recording and reflecting on them creates a thorough, conscious familiarity with both the resources available to you and the obstacles standing in your way. This awareness allows you to map out a path toward your goals with great precision and purpose. Writing a SWOT analysis will help you clearly evaluate whether your goals are feasible according to your resources and needs.

In this guide, we'll break down exactly how to write a SWOT analysis and provide a few examples along the way. Feel free to use our SWOT analysis template, given below, to write your own!

Our SWOT Analysis Template

Your list of strengths should focus on your current resources and abilities. It should relate to things that you do or that your company does well. These might be your or your company's accomplishments—both great and small—and the assets that you or your company have. Your strengths give you your greatest edge; they are the resources that propel you forward and that you can continue to develop as you progress.

When you draw up your first SWOT analysis, you may find yourself at a loss. Don't worry—it's difficult for most people to come up with an objective list of strengths and weaknesses on the spot. For your convenience, we've included a list of questions you can ask yourself to get started.

These questions should help you identify a few of your strengths. Remember, while our example questions mostly relate to business strengths, they can also apply to personal strengths. Go ahead and boast as much as you can.

• What sets your company apart from others?
• What do you have that other companies don't?
• What are you most proud of about your company?
• What makes clients come back to you?
• What does your company do well?
• What assets do you have access to?
• What qualities does your company have that other companies try to emulate?
• What has always been easy for your company? 

Listing your weaknesses might be a little more uncomfortable than detailing your strengths, but trust us—doing so will help you in the long run. Understanding the obstacles in your path and the elements of your business or skills you may need to improve is just as important as appreciating your strengths. Once you're aware of your weaknesses, you can start working on them and building your next steps around them.

Your list of weaknesses should pertain to any current problems and challenges. Check out the list of questions below—it should give you an idea of where to start. Again, if you'd rather focus on your personal or career growth, feel free to alter these questions to suit your needs.

• What makes your company blend in with its competition?
• What do other companies have that you don't?
• What are the most common criticisms that you receive from clients?
• Why have certain clients not returned to you?
• What does your company need to improve upon?
• What kind of feedback do you receive from your employees?
• What might your competition consider to be a weakness?
• What has always been difficult for your company?
• What are you unwilling to do or change?

Opportunities

Think about the opportunities available to you as potential future strengths. Your opportunities are the assets, resources, and events that could be beneficial to you in some way in the future. You may need to change some of your current approaches or adapt in other ways to capitalize on these opportunities, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to identify your potential opportunities:

• What is happening in the current market that you could capitalize upon?
• What changes have you been making that have returned positive results?
• What is working for other companies?
• How could you introduce new technology to make your processes more efficient?
• What costs can you cut?
• Could you access new sectors or demographic groups?
• How can you improve or modernize your marketing techniques?
• How can you remove existing obstacles?

  Threats

Just as your opportunities are based on potential, so are your threats; these are the possible obstacles or issues that are not yet directly affecting your progress. But this doesn't mean that you shouldn't start thinking about them! Being aware of the challenges that you may encounter will help you either plan around them or confront them with solutions. Try to come up with several future events that may realistically hinder the momentum you build from engaging with your strengths and opportunities.

To get started, take a peek at our list of questions:

• What obstacles might your weaknesses create?
• Do changing market trends negatively affect your competitive edge?
• What might stand in the way of the changes you make to accommodate your strengths and opportunities?
• Do you have a lot of debt?
• Could your competition exploit your weaknesses?

How did you do? Do you feel like you've listed everything? Or do you think you're missing something? Below, we've drafted examples of a business and a personal SWOT analysis to provide you with some perspective on what a completed one might look like.

An Example of a Personal SWOT Analysis

An Example of a Business SWOT Analysis  

Final Words

The humble but effective SWOT analysis will produce a detailed map of your current environment—its hills and valleys alike. Knowing how to write a SWOT analysis will provide you with the vantage point you need to choose a direction and blaze a trail toward your goals. SWOT analyses may not be crystal balls, but they are something like compasses. Use them wisely, and you will never be lost.

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23 Best Personal SWOT Analysis Examples for Students

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

It’s common for students to have a complete mind blank when asked to write a SWOT analysis. It can be hard to step back and objectively figure out what to place in each box in the analysis matrix.

However, by looking at some examples from other students, you can start to conceptualize what’s expected of you and even find yourself agreeing with some of their points.

Take a look at these personal SWOT analysis examples and see if you can cherrypick some key points that might resonate with you.

Pick and choose the points that resonate most with you so you can create your own unique SWOT chart.

Personal SWOT Analysis Examples for Students

1. swot analysis template.

Goal: Write down what your goal is.

2. Personal SWOT Analysis Example

Goal: To gain confidence at university.

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3. Academic Writing Example

Goal: To get an A in an essay this semester.

4. New Student Example

Goal: To Get into a Routine and Comfortable on Campus.

5. College Student Example

Goal: To raise my GPA by 0.5 this year.

6. International Student Example

Goal: To gain confidence in a new society and develop cultural competencies.

7. Education Student Example

Goal: To develop skills and knowledge in teaching.

8. Sociology Student Example

Goal: To figure out how to use my sociology degree to get a career job.

9. Bachelor of Arts Student Example

Goal: To figure out what I want my major to be

10. High School Student Example

Goal: To develop the skills that I’ll need at college next year

11. Math and Science Example

Goal: To get a job in the science field following graduation.

12. Digital Marketing Example

Goal: To improve my skills in digital marketing while still at university.

13. Masters Degree Example

Goal: To complete my masters degree within 3 years

14. Business Student Example

Goal: To gain the skills I need to start my own business in the future.

15. Nursing Student Example

Goal: To get a job in nursing after I graduate with a good GPA.

16. Teacher Example

Goal: To gradually improve my pedagogical competencies in the next 12 months.

17. PhD Student Example

Goal: To make it through the first year of doing a PhD.

18. Internship or Practicum Example

Goal: To grow my confidence in a workplace situation and see if I like this career path.

19. Exchange Student Example

Goal: To broaden my horizons for an exchange semester.

20. Thesis or Dissertation Example

Goal: To get a high grade for my dissertation.

21. Teamwork and Groupwork Example

Goal: To complete our team project and get the best grade in the class.

22. Psychology Student Example

Goal: To get a career in clinical psychology.

23. Graduating Student Example

Goal: To smoothly transition into an entry-level position in my career choice

What does SWOT Analysis Stand For?

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These are the four key categories that you need to look at to develop an action plan for improving your skills as a student.

Under each column think about what you will write:

• Strengths: What are you aware that you’re good at right now? Make sure it’s relevant to your goal. For example, if your goal is to gain confidence at university, make it relevant to that and not something completely different (being really good at hotdog eating contexts is irrelevant to becoming a more confident student!)
• Weaknesses: What do you struggle with right now? Again, keep it relevant to your goal. If your goal is to get an A in your next paper, reflect on your weaknesses in essay writing.
• Opportunities: What can you think of that might be a valuable resource, support network, or another type of opportunity that can help you to meet your state goal?
• Threats: What can you think of that might make it hard to meet your goals? It’s good to know these so you can prepare ahead and minimize the chance that they will become major obstacles.

What is the Purpose of a SWOT Analysis?

The point of the SWOT analysis is to get you thinking about how you can prepare for improvement. If you know your weaknesses, opportunities, and potential challenges, you can work on the weaknesses, embrace the opportunities, and avert the threats. This will help you get closer to your goals.

Another alternative type of reflective analysis is the Johari Window , which is best completed in teams where your team members can provide input for you.

How to Do a SWOT Analysis

What to write for strengths.

When writing about strengths on a SWOT Analysis, you want to write about things that you’re personally good at.

These strengths are ‘internal’, meaning they’re features about you that make you good at things. They’re things under your direct control.

One problem students come across is that they don’t focus on strengths that are relevant to your goals . So, focus on strengths that can help you achieve your goals.

Key considerations when writing about strengths include:

• What do you do well (in relation to your goal)?
• What study skills do you currently have?
• What academic writing and research skills do you currently have?
• What workforce skills do you currently have?
• What soft skills do you currently have?
• What hard skills do you currently have?

We have a list of 110 strength examples for a SWOT analysis that you can browse to find ones that work for you.

What to Write for Weaknesses

When writing about weaknesses on a SWOT Analysis, you want to write about things that you’re personally not very good at.

These weaknesses are ‘internal’, meaning they’re features about you that you know are not your strongest trait. Like strengths, these weaknesses need to be things under your direct control.

Remember ot keep them relevant to your goals . So, focus on weaknesses that might prevent you from achieving your goals.

Key considerations when writing about weaknesses include:

• What do you think you’re not very good at (in relation to your goal)?
• What do you struggle with when studying?
• What are your weaknesses in regards to academic writing and researching?
• What workforce readiness skills do you lack?
• What soft skills do you lack?
• What hard skills do you lack?

We have a list of 79 weaknesses examples for a SWOT analysis that you can browse to find ones that work for you.

What to Write for Opportunities

When writing about opportunities on a SWOT Analysis, you want to write about things that you can rely on to help you reach your goals.

These opportunities are ‘external’, meaning they’re not personal features about you, but resources, people, or events that you turn to for help.

Again, remember to talk about opportunities that are relevant to your goals .

Key considerations when writing about opportunities include:

• Are there upcoming seminars, classes, or lectures that can help you improve?
• Do you have access to resources to help you improve?
• Do you have access to people or friends who can help you out?

We have a list of 61 opportunity examples for a SWOT analysis that you can browse to find ones that work for you.

What to Write for Threats

When writing about threats on a SWOT Analysis, you want to write about things that are outside of your direct control that might interfere with you achieving your goals.

These external threats are examined so you can predict them and think about ways to either avoid or mitigate their effects.

Remember to talk about threats that are relevant to your goals .

Key considerations when writing about threats include:

• What contextual factors might get in the way of your goals?
• What obstacles can you predict that might interfere with your plans?
• What resources do you lack that would otherwise be helpful?

A SWOT analysis is designed to get you thinking about how to use your personal strengths and opportunities to your advantage, while also improving your weaknesses and mitigating threats that you can predict.

While these examples can help get you mind turning, remember that your SWOT Analysis needs to be unique to you. So, use these personal SWOT analysis examples by students to get your mind turning, but write your own unique SWOT matrix that’s an honest reflection of your own situation.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

2 thoughts on “23 Best Personal SWOT Analysis Examples for Students”

Dr Chris… Excellent article and it was really helpful for me to set SWOT analysis for my students. The content of the article is highly useful and practical too to adopt for educational institutions. Thank You Dr Shyam prasad TS Asst Prof, RV Institute of legal studies , Bengaluru, India [email protected]

Thank you so much for the detailed SWOT for my learners.

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Business & Management

• Business and Management Research
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• Find a Company's Competitors
• Find Company & Industry Ratios
• Find Company Reports/Profiles
• Find Industry Reports
• Find Target Market Data
• Research a Country

SWOT and PESTLE Analyses

• Use NAICS Codes
• Accounting Resources
• APA Style for Business Resources

SWOT and PESTLE are strategy frameworks used to analyze a company’s financial health and competitive advantages or disadvantages. These strategy tools were created to analyze internal and external forces affecting a company or industry. Examining a company's internal capabilities (SWOT) and external environment (PESTLE), helps to create strategies that can proactively contend with organizational challenges. In this guide, you can find an overview of each tool, as well as information on how to find these items within the library collection. 

SWOT Overview

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool that you use to analyze these aspects of a company. A SWOT is often represented as a grid with four quadrants. 

You can learn more about the SWOT analysis here:  

• SWOT Analysis (2012). In S. D. Hill (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Management (7th ed., pp. 977-980). Gale. 

Find a SWOT

Many of our databases carry SWOT analyses on publicly traded companies. Learn how to find a SWOT analysis in each of the below databases: 

Articles from 1,400+ business, law, and I.T. journals plus 27,000+ videos from industry leaders

• From the Advanced Search page, type your company name into the search bar 
• Scroll down to  “Publication Type”  and choose  “SWOT Analysis” 
• Click search 

Company financials, industry reports, investment analysis, and competitive benchmarking data

• Search for company name or by ticker symbol 
• From the company page, choose the “Company Reports” tab 
• Click “Broker Research Reports” (located just under tabs) 
• View reports (Tip: GlobalData reports generally include SWOTs) 

What if I can't find a SWOT on my company?

Some companies will not have SWOTs in the library databases. Generally, only large, publicly traded companies are covered. If you cannot find a ready-made SWOT for your company, you can use a combination of resources and information about your company, competitors, and industry to conduct your own SWOT analysis. Try to identify peer companies with the same or similar products and services or who are operating in the same market. Read critically to infer the situation and setting of your company.  

For more information about researching a company, please see:

For more information on researching an industry, please see:

Can I use a SWOT I found through the open web/Google/Bing/etc.?

While you can run a general internet search for a company SWOT, free web-sourced SWOTs can often be dated and unreliable. Pay close attention to the date and who is behind the information. Of course, you can use the open web to research your company in order to create your own SWOT, just be sure to use current company information or news. If you have any questions about the reliability of information you find online, please ask a librarian. 

Can I use AI (like Chat GPT) to generate a SWOT for me?

As noted above, free web-sourced SWOTs can often be dated and unreliable. AI chat bots, like Chat GPT, can only generate answers based on the data it has been trained on, which includes inaccurate or dated information like that found in low-quality, online SWOTs. ChatGPT does not have the ability to fact-check or verify the accuracy of the information it generates. As such, it often generates false or dated information. It also regularly makes up citations or references that do no exist. ChatGPT is just replicating patterns, so it may not be able to understand complex topics, questions that require critical thinking, or the process of attribution.

How can I use AI (like Chat GPT) to help me write a SWOT?

If you would like to utilize AI to help you with your SWOT analysis, consider having it generate a format or template you can replicate and fill it with your own research and analysis. You can also use it brainstorm different categories to consider researching for your SWOT. Here are some example prompts:

• What type of information is found in a SWOT analysis?
• Where can I locate information to include in a SWOT analysis?
• Can you generate a SWOT analysis template?

In general, AI is great for brainstorming ideas or providing boiler plate information that you can use as a jumping off point. It is NOT good and mimicking scholarly output, critical thinking, or analysis. When using AI, approach it as a means to enhance your understanding or learning, NOT replace it.

Remember: As with all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others (including generative AI tools) must be acknowledged and provided with proper attribution. Work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original by the learner. The use of generative AI tools, such as Bard or ChatGPT, when completing coursework without proper attribution is a form of academic dishonesty and violates the university’s Academic Integrity policy. To learn more about how to cite AI, please see: 

• Using Artificial Intelligence: Citing ChatGPT or Other AI

PESTLE Overview

Like SWOT, PESTLE is an acronym—it stands for Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technical, Legal, and Environmental. Unlike SWOT, which is tied to analyzing a specific company’s internal capabilities, PESTLE is designed examine a company’s external environment. Sometimes referred to as “scanning the business environment,” a PESTLE is meant to be a macro or “big picture” look at the market in which your business operates.  

Depending on the context of your course, the reason for assessing these external forces may vary. Refer to your assignment instructions for further information about how and why you may be performing a PESTLE analysis. For more about the specific components of a PESTLE, please see the following articles:  

• Environmental Scanning (2012). In S. D. Hill (Ed.), Encyclopedia of management (7th ed., pp. 340-345). Gale

Research and build a PESTLE

Depending on the context of your assignment, you are almost always going to be working within a particular area (aka. market or environment) when creating a PESTLE. Using resources found in our "Research a Country" guide can help you identify some of PESTLE components for your specific market. You will occasionally find a readymade PESTLE within these reports. However, most of the time, you will have to pull the component parts of a PESTLE analysis from multiple data sources and compile them yourself. 

• How-to Research a Country

If you want to analyze a smaller market/environment in the US, like a city or state, we recommend checking out Data USA, Statista, and local government websites for information on your area. 

US demographic and economic information (formerly American FactFinder)

Visualizations of U.S. public data

Quantitative data on business, finance, politics, and media.

Can I locate ready-made PESTLE analyses in the databases or online?

You will occasionally find a ready-made PESTLE within the databases or online. However, most online PESTLEs are conducted by other students or within a context that does not apply to your current environment. Ultimately, online PESTLEs will not have been written within the same context in which you are conducting your own assessment. It is your job as strategists to pull the component parts of a PESTLE analysis from  multiple data sources and compile them yourself .

Can I use Chat GPT or other AI to write a PESTLE for me?

AI chat bots, like Chat GPT, can only generate answers based on the data it has been trained on, which includes inaccurate or dated information like that found in low-quality, online PESTLEs. ChatGPT  does not  have the ability to fact-check or verify the accuracy of the information it generates. As such, it often generates false or dated information. It also regularly makes up citations or references that do no exist. ChatGPT is just replicating patterns, so it may not be able to understand complex topics, questions that require critical thinking, or the process of attribution. The context in which you are conducting your PESTLE is important, and AI will not be able to understand that context or the content of your previous assessment work to date.

How can I use AI (like Chat GPT) to help me write a PESTLE?

If you would like to utilize AI to help you with your PESTLE analysis, consider having it generate a format or template you can replicate and  fill it with your own research and analysis . You can also use it to brainstorm different categories to consider researching for your PESTLE. Here are some example prompts:

• What type of information is found in a PESTLE analysis?
• Where can I locate information to include in a PESTLE analysis?
• In a PESTLE, what are some factors related to environment (or other factor)? 
• What are some environmental (or other) factors that may impact [your industry]? Etc.

AI is great tool for brainstorming ideas or providing boiler plate information that you can use as a jumping off point to conduct your own research. Do NOT use AI to generate research for you but, instead, use it as a way to generate ideas that can kick start the research process.

Remember: AI is NOT good and mimicking scholarly output, critical thinking, or analysis. When using AI, approach it as a means to enhance your understanding or learning, not replace it. As with all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others (including generative AI tools) must be acknowledged and provided with proper attribution. Work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original by the learner. The use of generative AI tools, such as Bard or ChatGPT, when completing coursework without proper attribution is a form of academic dishonesty and violates the university’s Academic Integrity policy. To learn more about how to cite AI, please see:

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SWOT analysis: Examples and templates

A SWOT analysis helps you identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for a specific project or your overall business plan. It’s used for strategic planning and to stay ahead of market trends. Below, we describe each part of the SWOT framework and show you how to conduct your own.

Whether you’re looking for external opportunities or internal strengths, we’ll walk you through how to perform your own SWOT analysis, with helpful examples along the way. 

What is a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis is a technique used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for your business or even a specific project. It’s most widely used by organizations—from small businesses and non-profits to large enterprises—but a SWOT analysis can be used for personal purposes as well. 

While simple, a SWOT analysis is a powerful tool for helping you identify competitive opportunities for improvement. It helps you improve your team and business while staying ahead of market trends.

What does SWOT stand for?

SWOT is an acronym that stands for: 

Opportunities

When analyzed together, the SWOT framework can paint a larger picture of where you are and how to get to the next step. Let’s dive a little deeper into each of these terms and how they can help identify areas of improvement. 

Strengths in SWOT refer to internal initiatives that are performing well. Examining these areas helps you understand what’s already working. You can then use the techniques that you know work—your strengths—in other areas that might need additional support, like improving your team’s efficiency . 

When looking into the strengths of your organization, ask yourself the following questions:

What do we do well? Or, even better: What do we do best?

What’s unique about our organization?

What does our target audience like about our organization?

Which categories or features beat out our competitors?

 Example SWOT strength:

Customer service: Our world-class customer service has an NPS score of 90 as compared to our competitors, who average an NPS score of 70.

Weaknesses in SWOT refer to internal initiatives that are underperforming. It’s a good idea to analyze your strengths before your weaknesses in order to create a baseline for success and failure. Identifying internal weaknesses provides a starting point for improving those projects.

Identify the company’s weaknesses by asking:

Which initiatives are underperforming and why?

What can be improved?

What resources could improve our performance?

How do we rank against our competitors?

Example SWOT weakness:

E-commerce visibility: Our website visibility is low because of a lack of marketing budget , leading to a decrease in mobile app transactions.

Opportunities in SWOT result from your existing strengths and weaknesses, along with any external initiatives that will put you in a stronger competitive position. These could be anything from weaknesses that you’d like to improve or areas that weren’t identified in the first two phases of your analysis. 

Since there are multiple ways to come up with opportunities, it’s helpful to consider these questions before getting started:

What resources can we use to improve weaknesses?

Are there market gaps in our services?

What are our business goals for the year?

What do your competitors offer?

Example SWOT opportunities:

Marketing campaign: To improve brand visibility, we’ll run ad campaigns on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Threats in SWOT are areas with the potential to cause problems. Different from weaknesses, threats are external and ‌out of your control. This can include anything from a global pandemic to a change in the competitive landscape. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to identify external threats:

What changes in the industry are cause for concern?

What new market trends are on the horizon?

Where are our competitors outperforming us?

Example SWOT threats:

New competitor: With a new e-commerce competitor set to launch within the next month, we could see a decline in customers.

SWOT analysis example

One of the most popular ways to create a SWOT analysis is through a SWOT matrix—a visual representation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The matrix comprises four separate squares that create one larger square. 

A SWOT matrix is great for collecting information and documenting the questions and decision-making process . Not only will it be handy to reference later on, but it’s also great for visualizing any patterns that arise. 

Check out the SWOT matrix below for a simple example. As you can see, each of the quadrants lists out the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

When used correctly and effectively, your matrix can be a great toolkit for evaluating your organization’s strengths and weaknesses. 

How to do a SWOT analysis, with examples 

A SWOT analysis can be conducted in a variety of ways. Some teams like to meet and throw ideas on a whiteboard, while others prefer the structure of a SWOT matrix. However you choose to make your SWOT analysis, getting creative with your planning process allows new ideas to flow and results in more unique solutions. 

There are a few ways to ensure that your SWOT analysis is thorough and done correctly. Let’s take a closer look at some tips to help you get started.

Tip 1: Consider internal factors 

Often, strengths and weaknesses stem from internal processes. These tend to be easier to solve since you have more control over the outcome. When you come across internal factors, you can start implementing improvements in a couple of different ways.

Meet with department stakeholders to form a business plan around how to improve your current situation.

Research and implement new tools, such as a project management tool , that can help streamline these processes for you. 

Take immediate action on anything that can be changed in 24 hours or less. If you don’t have the capacity, consider delegating these items to others with deadlines. 

The way you go about solving internal factors will depend on the type of problem. If it’s more complex, you might need to use a combination of the above or a more thorough problem management process.

Tip 2: Evaluate external factors

External factors stem from processes outside of your control. This includes competitors, market trends, and anything else that’s affecting your organization from the outside in. 

External factors are trickier to solve, as you can’t directly control the outcome. What you can do is pivot your own processes in a way that mitigates negative external factors. 

You can work to solve these issues by:

Competing with market trends

Forecasting market trends before they happen

Improving adaptability to improve your reaction time

Track competitors using reporting tools that automatically update you as soon as changes occur 

While you won’t be able to control an external environment, you can control how your organization reacts to it. 

Let’s say, for instance, that you’re looking to compete with a market trend. For example, a competitor introduced a new product to the market that’s outperforming your own. While you can’t take that product away, you can work to launch an even better product or marketing campaign to mitigate any decline in sales. 

Tip 3: Hold a brainstorming session

Brainstorming new and innovative ideas can help to spur creativity and inspire action. To host a high impact brainstorming session, you’ll want to: 

Invite team members from various departments. That way, ideas from each part of the company are represented. 

Be intentional about the number of team members you invite, since too many participants could lead to a lack of focus or participation. The sweet spot for a productive brainstorming session is around 10 teammates. 

Use different brainstorming techniques that appeal to different work types.

Set a clear intention for the session.

Tip 4: Get creative

In order to generate creative ideas, you have to first invite them. That means creating fun ways to come up with opportunities. Try randomly selecting anonymous ideas, talking through obviously bad examples, or playing team building games to psych up the team.

Tip 5: Prioritize opportunities

Now, rank the opportunities. This can be done as a team or with a smaller group of leaders. Talk through each idea and rank it on a scale of one through 10. Once you’ve agreed on your top ideas based on team capabilities, competencies, and overall impact, it’s easier to implement them.

Tip 6: Take action

It’s all too easy to feel finished at this stage —but the actual work is just beginning. After your SWOT analysis, you’ll have a list of prioritized opportunities. Now is the time to turn them into strengths. Use a structured system such as a business case , project plan, or implementation plan to outline what needs to get done—and how you plan to do it.

SWOT analysis template

A SWOT analysis template is often presented in a grid format, divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant represents one of the four elements. 

Use this free SWOT analysis template to jump-start your team’s strategic planning.

Identify the strengths that contribute to achieving your objectives. These are internal characteristics that give you an advantage. Some examples could be a strong brand reputation, an innovative culture, or an experienced management team.

Next, focus on weaknesses. These are internal factors that could serve as obstacles to achieving your objectives. Common examples might include a lack of financial resources, high operational costs, or outdated technology. 

Move on to the opportunities. These are external conditions that could be helpful in achieving your goals. For example, you might be looking at emerging markets, increased demand, or favorable shifts in regulations.

Lastly, let's address threats. These are external conditions that could negatively impact your objectives. Examples include increased competition or potential economic downturns.

Why is a SWOT analysis important?

A SWOT analysis can help you improve processes and plan for growth. While similar to a competitive analysis , it differs because it evaluates both internal and external factors. Analyzing key areas around these opportunities and threats will equip you with the insights needed to set your team up for success.

A SWOT analysis isn’t only useful for organizations. With a personal SWOT analysis, you can examine areas of your life that could benefit from improvement, from your leadership style to your communication skills. These are the benefits of using a SWOT analysis in any scenario. 

1. Identifies areas of opportunity

One of the biggest benefits of conducting an analysis is to determine opportunities for growth. It’s a great starting point for startups and teams that know they want to improve but aren’t exactly sure how to get started. 

Opportunities can come from many different avenues, like external factors such as diversifying your products for competitive advantage or internal factors like improving your team’s workflow . Either way, capitalizing on opportunities is an excellent way to grow as a team.

2. Identifies areas that could be improved

Identifying weaknesses and threats during a SWOT analysis can pave the way for a better business strategy.

Ultimately, learning from your mistakes is the best way to excel. Once you find areas to streamline, you can work with team members to brainstorm an action plan . This will let you use what you already know works and build on your company’s strengths.

3. Identifies areas that could be at risk

Whether you have a risk register in place or not, it’s always crucial to identify risks before they become a cause for concern. A SWOT analysis can help you stay on top of actionable items that may play a part in your risk decision-making process. 

It may be beneficial to pair your SWOT analysis with a PEST analysis, which examines external solutions such as political, economic, social, and technological factors—all of which can help you identify and plan for project risks .

When should you use a SWOT analysis?

You won’t always need an in-depth SWOT analysis. It’s most useful for large, general overviews of situations, scenarios, or your business.

A SWOT analysis is most helpful:

Before you implement a large change—including as part of a larger change management plan

When you launch a new company initiative

If you’d like to identify opportunities for growth and improvement

Any time you want a full overview of your business performance

If you need to identify business performance from different perspectives

SWOT analyses are general for a reason—so they can be applied to almost any scenario, project, or business. 

SWOT analysis: Pros and cons

Although SWOT is a useful strategic planning tool for businesses and individuals alike, it does have limitations. Here’s what you can expect.

The simplicity of SWOT analysis makes it a go-to tool for many. Because it is simple, it takes the mystery out of strategic planning and lets people think critically about their situations without feeling overwhelmed. 

For instance, a small bakery looking to expand its operations can use SWOT analysis to easily understand its current standing. Identifying strengths like a loyal customer base, weaknesses such as limited seating space, opportunities like a rising trend in artisanal baked goods, and threats from larger chain bakeries nearby can all be accomplished without any specialized knowledge or technical expertise.

Versatility

Its versatile nature allows SWOT analysis to be used across various domains. Whether it’s a business strategizing for the future or an individual planning their career path, SWOT analysis lends itself well. 

For example, a tech start-up in the competitive Silicon Valley landscape could employ SWOT to navigate its pathway to profitability. Strengths might include a highly skilled development team; weaknesses could be a lack of brand recognition; opportunities might lie in emerging markets; and threats could include established tech giants. 

Meaningful analysis

SWOT excels in identifying external factors that could impact performance. It nudges organizations to look beyond the present and anticipate potential future scenarios. 

A retail company, for example, could use SWOT analysis to identify opportunities in e-commerce and threats from changing consumer behavior or new competitors entering the market. By doing so, the company can strategize on how to leverage online platforms to boost sales and counteract threats by enhancing the customer experience or adopting new technologies.

Subjectivity and bias

The subjective nature of SWOT analysis may lead to biases. It relies heavily on individual perceptions, which can sometimes overlook crucial data or misinterpret information, leading to skewed conclusions. 

For example, a manufacturing company might undervalue the threat of new entrants in the market due to an overconfidence bias among the management. This subjectivity might lead to a lack of preparation for competitive pricing strategies, ultimately affecting the company's market share.

Lack of prioritization

SWOT analysis lays out issues but falls short on prioritizing them. Organizations might struggle to identify which elements deserve immediate attention and resources. 

For instance, a healthcare provider identifying numerous opportunities for expansion into new services may become overwhelmed with the choices. Without a clear way to rank these opportunities, resources could be spread too thinly or given to projects that do not have as much of an impact, leading to less-than-ideal outcomes.

Static analysis

Since SWOT analysis captures a snapshot at a particular moment, it may miss the evolving nature of challenges and opportunities, possibly leading to outdated strategies. An example could be a traditional retail business that performs a SWOT analysis and decides to focus on expanding physical stores, overlooking the growing trend of e-commerce. As online shopping continues to evolve and gain popularity, the static analysis might lead to investment in areas with diminishing returns while missing out on the booming e-commerce market trend.

SWOT analysis FAQ

What are the five elements of swot analysis.

Traditionally, SWOT stands for its four main elements: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. However, a fifth essential element often overlooked is "actionable strategies." Originally developed by Albert Humphrey, SWOT is more than just a list—it's a planning tool designed to generate actionable strategies for making informed business decisions. This fifth element serves to tie the other four together, enabling departments like human resources and marketing to turn analysis into actionable plans.

What should a SWOT analysis include?

A comprehensive SWOT analysis should focus on the internal and external factors that affect your organization. Internally, consider your strong brand and product line as your strengths, and maybe your supply chain weaknesses. Externally, you'll want to look at market share, partnerships, and new technologies that could either pose opportunities or threats. You should also account for demographics, as it helps in market targeting and segmentation.

How do you write a good SWOT analysis?

Writing an effective SWOT analysis begins with research. Start by identifying your strengths, like a strong brand, and your weaknesses, like a small human resources department. Following that, look outward to find opportunities, possibly in technological advancement, and threats, like fluctuations in market share. Many businesses find it helpful to use a free SWOT analysis template to structure this information. A good SWOT analysis doesn't just list these elements; it integrates them to provide a clear roadmap for making business decisions.

What are four examples of threats in SWOT analysis?

New technologies: Rapid technological advancement can make your product or service obsolete.

Supply chain disruptions: Whether due to natural disasters or geopolitical tensions, an unstable supply chain can seriously jeopardize your operations.

Emerging competitors: New players entering the market can erode your market share and offer alternative solutions to your customer base.

Regulatory changes: New laws or regulations can add costs and complexity to your business, affecting your competitiveness.

How do you use a SWOT analysis?

Once you've completed a SWOT analysis, use the results as a decision-making aid. It can help prioritize actions, develop strategic plans that play to your strengths, improve weaknesses, seize opportunities, and counteract threats. It’s a useful tool for setting objectives and creating a roadmap for achieving them.

Plan for growth with a SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis can be an effective technique for identifying key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Understanding where you are now can be the most impactful way to determine where you want to go next. 

Don’t forget, a bit of creativity and collaboration can go a long way. Encourage your team to think outside of the box with 100+ team motivational quotes .

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SWOT Analysis Assignment

California State University, Northridge *

Apr 3, 2024

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• Q1. Discuss difference between Project, Project Management, and Operations with real world examples. arrow_forward Q #1: Write practical application of "Knowledge Areas in Project Management" on Metro Bus Islamabad project. arrow_forward Task No.  Task Name   Task Duration(Days)  Immediate Predecessor task 1 Preliminary system description  40  — 2 Develop specifications 100  1 3 Client approval 50  2 4 Develop input-output summary 60 2 5 Develop alarm list  40  4 6 Develop log formats  40 3, 5 7 Software definition 35  3 8 Hardware requirements 35  3 9 Finalize input-output summary 60  5, 6 10 Analysis performance calculations  70  9 11  Automatic turbine startup analysis 65  9 12 Boiler guides analysis 30  9 13  Fabricate and ship 200 10, 11, 12 14 Software preparation  80  7, 10, 11 15  Install and check 130  13, 14 16 Termination and wiring lists  30  9 17 Schematic wiring lists 60  16 18  Pulling terminals and cables  60  15, 17 19 Operational test  125  18 20 First firing  1  19   Therefore, Critical Path = 1-2-4-5-6-9-10-13-15-18-19-20 Note: tj is the original duration of task j; dj is the minimum duration of task j. Expediting Costs ($1,000) and Limits Task no.… arrow_forward
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Personal SWOT Analysis

You are fully aware that you will definitely succeed in your life if only you would be using your talents and skills to its fullest extent. However, it cannot be denied that there will be instances in your life wherein you just can’t have the things the way you want it to be. To be able to succeed in life, figure out your strengths and opportunities and address your weaknesses and threats.

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What Is a Personal SWOT Analysis?

A personal SWOT analysis is indeed a great tool for you to be able to assess yourself to become the person that is capable enough to reach whatever he or she wants to achieve in his personal life, be it on relationships, business related, long term goals , short term goals ,  career goals or your career life.

How to Create a Personal SWOT Analysis

Step 1: listing down your “strengths”.

Make a checklist of your strengths. This includes your skills, abilities, knowledge, and personal qualities that you have that makes you stand out of the crowd. To help you get started on that, you can consider some feedback and constructive criticism from your friends, mentors, and colleagues.

Step 2: Find Matching “Opportunities”

Don’t just rely on the strengths, but seek out matching opportunities as well. Take advantage of the opportunities that you have to help you grow. This growth can be in the form of new jobs, networking events, training programs, personal relationships, and even a good career path.

Step 3: Get To Know Your “Weaknesses”

Getting to know your weaknesses is also helpful for you to improve on your skills and knowledge gaps. It also shows you the limit of your potentials and be able to address the behaviors and doubts that may hold yourself back from change.

Step 4: Be Wary of Your “Threats”

When doing a personal SWOT analysis, you have to make sure that you would think and assess your own self against other people. It is because, in this manner, you will be able to easily identify all the possible threats.

Why should you be wary of any threats?

It is in identifying your threats that will enable you to remove and eliminate these. And when it comes to eliminating all of the possible threats, you have to make sure that you will begin on working the threats that your negative personality traits will cause. You can get a professional help that can help you overcome these. You can avoid other threatening situations altogether once you will be able to beat and remove all the negativity inside of you.

Why do you need to seek out for more opportunities?

Always be on the lookout for possible opportunities you can grab. However, be careful when it comes to missing out the areas that do not match your skill set at all because, in some cases, the great opportunities would arise from these areas. But be wary, though, as this does not apply to everyone. Just make sure that you would weigh the pros and cons of an opportunity before you would grab and accept it.

Why is getting to know your strengths important?

That part that says “stand out from the rest” is a very relevant thing to consider during a SWOT analysis, particularly on identifying your strengths. This is because of the fact that you are to encounter a lot of competitors and the only thing that will help you stand out are the strengths or qualities that set you apart and above your competitors.

One good way of making sure that you could make use of your talents and skills to its utmost potential is to make sure that you know what these are. Through conducting a personal SWOT analysis, you will be able to determine your strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats that flow from these.

Swot Analysis Maker

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