SWOT analysis

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SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It
involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the
internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable to achieving that
objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at
Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Strategic and Creative Use of SWOT Analysis

o 1.1 Strategic Use: Orienting SWOTs to An Objective
o 1.2 Creative Use of SWOTs: Generating Strategies
• 2 Matching and converting
o 2.1 Evidence on the Use of SWOT
• 3 Internal and external factors
• 4 Use of SWOT Analysis
• 5 SWOT-landscape analysis
• 6 Corporate planning
o 6.1 Marketing
• 7 See also
• 8 References

• 9 External links

[edit] Strategic and Creative Use of SWOT Analysis

[edit] Strategic Use: Orienting SWOTs to An Objective

Illustrative diagram of SWOT analysis

If a SWOT analysis does not start with defining a desired end state or objective, it runs
the risk of being useless. A SWOT analysis may be incorporated into the strategic
planning model. An example of a strategic planning technique that incorporates an
objective-driven SWOT analysis is SCAN analysis. Strategic Planning, including SWOT
and SCAN analysis, has been the subject of much research.

• Strengths: attributes of the organization that are helpful to achieving the

objective.
• Weaknesses: attributes of the organization that are harmful to achieving
the objective.
• Opportunities: external conditions that are helpful to achieving the
objective.
• Threats: external conditions which could do damage to the business's
performance.

Identification of SWOTs is essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning

for achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs.

First, the decision makers have to determine whether the objective is attainable, given the
SWOTs. If the objective is NOT attainable a different objective must be selected and the
process repeated.

[edit] Creative Use of SWOTs: Generating Strategies

If, on the other hand, the objective seems attainable, the SWOTs are used as inputs to the
creative generation of possible strategies, by asking and answering each of the following
four questions, many times:

• How can we Use each Strength?

• How can we Improve each Weakness?
• How can we Exploit each Opportunity?
• How can we Mitigate each Threat?

Ideally a cross-functional team or a task force that represents a broad range of

perspectives should carry out the SWOT analysis. For example, a SWOT team may
include an accountant, a salesperson, an executive manager, an engineer, and an
ombudsman.

[edit] Matching and converting

Another way of utilizing SWOT is matching and converting.

Matching is used to find competitive advantages by matching the strengths to

opportunities.
Converting is to apply conversion strategies to convert threats or or weaknesses into
strengths or opportunities. [1]

An example of conversion strategy is to find new markets.

If the threats or weaknesses cannot be converted a company should try to minimize or

avoid them.[2]

[edit] Evidence on the Use of SWOT

SWOT analysis may limit the strategies considered in the evaluation. "In addition, people
who use SWOT might conclude that they have done an adequate job of planning and
ignore such sensible things as defining the firm's objectives or calculating ROI for
alternate strategies." [3] Findings from Menon et al. (1999) [4] and Hill and Westbrook
(1997) [5] have shown that SWOT may harm performance. As an alternative to SWOT, J.
Scott Armstrong describes a 5-step approach alternative that leads to better corporate
performance.[6]

These criticisms are addressed to an old version of SWOT analysis that precedes the
SWOT analysis described above under the heading "Strategic and Creative Use of SWOT
Analysis." This old version did not require that SWOTs be derived from an agreed upon
objective. Examples of SWOT analyses that do not state an objective are provided below
under "Human Resources" and "Marketing."

[edit] Internal and external factors

The aim of any SWOT analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors that are
important to achieving the objective. These come from within the company's unique
value chain. SWOT analysis groups key pieces of information into two main categories:

• Internal factors – The strengths and weaknesses internal to the

organization. - Use a PRIMO-F analysis to help identify factors
• External factors – The opportunities and threats presented by the external
environment to the organization. - Use a PEST or PESTLE analysis to
help identify factors

The internal factors may be viewed as strengths or weaknesses depending upon their
impact on the organization's objectives. What may represent strengths with respect to one
objective may be weaknesses for another objective. The factors may include all of the
4P's; as well as personnel, finance, manufacturing capabilities, and so on. The external
factors may include macroeconomic matters, technological change, legislation, and socio-
cultural changes, as well as changes in the marketplace or competitive position. The
results are often presented in the form of a matrix.

SWOT analysis is just one method of categorization and has its own weaknesses. For
example, it may tend to persuade companies to compile lists rather than think about what
is actually important in achieving objectives. It also presents the resulting lists
uncritically and without clear prioritization so that, for example, weak opportunities may
appear to balance strong threats.

It is prudent not to eliminate too quickly any candidate SWOT entry. The importance of
individual SWOTs will be revealed by the value of the strategies it generates. A SWOT
item that produces valuable strategies is important. A SWOT item that generates no
strategies is not important.

[edit] Use of SWOT Analysis

The usefulness of SWOT analysis is not limited to profit-seeking organizations. SWOT
analysis may be used in any decision-making situation when a desired end-state
(objective) has been defined. Examples include: non-profit organizations, governmental
units, and individuals. SWOT analysis may also be used in pre-crisis planning and
preventive crisis management.

[edit] SWOT-landscape analysis

The SWOT-landscape grabs different managerial situations by visualizing and foreseeing

the dynamic performance of comparable objects according to findings by Brendan Kitts,
Leif Edvinsson and Tord Beding (2000).[7]

Changes in relative performance are continuously identified. Projects (or other units of
measurements) that could be potential risk or opportunity objects are highlighted.

SWOT-landscape also indicates which underlying strength/weakness factors that have

had or likely will have highest influence in the context of value in use (for ex. capital
value fluctuations).

[edit] Corporate planning

As part of the development of strategies and plans to enable the organization to achieve
its objectives, then that organization will use a systematic/rigorous process known as
corporate planning. SWOT alongside PEST/PESTLE can be used as a basis for the
analysis of business and environmental factors.[8]

• Set objectives – defining what the organization is going to do

• Environmental scanning
o Internal appraisals of the organization's SWOT, this needs to
include an assessment of the present situation as well as a portfolio
of products/services and an analysis of the product/service life
cycle
• Analysis of existing strategies, this should determine relevance from the
results of an internal/external appraisal. This may include gap analysis
which will look at environmental factors
• Strategic Issues defined – key factors in the development of a corporate
plan which needs to be addressed by the organization
• Develop new/revised strategies – revised analysis of strategic issues may
mean the objectives need to change
• Establish critical success factors – the achievement of objectives and
strategy implementation
• Preparation of operational, resource, projects plans for strategy
implementation
• Monitoring results – mapping against plans, taking corrective action
which may mean amending objectives/strategies.[9]

[edit] Marketing

Main article: Marketing management

In many competitor analyses, marketers build detailed profiles of each competitor in the
market, focusing especially on their relative competitive strengths and weaknesses using
SWOT analysis. Marketing managers will examine each competitor's cost structure,
sources of profits, resources and competencies, competitive positioning and product
differentiation, degree of vertical integration, historical responses to industry
developments, and other factors.

Marketing management often finds it necessary to invest in research to collect the data
required to perform accurate marketing analysis. Accordingly, management often
conducts market research (alternately marketing research) to obtain this information.
Marketers employ a variety of techniques to conduct market research, but some of the
more common include:

• Qualitative marketing research, such as focus groups

• Quantitative marketing research, such as statistical surveys
• Experimental techniques such as test markets
• Observational techniques such as ethnographic (on-site) observation
 • Marketing managers may also design and oversee various environmental
scanning and competitive intelligence processes to help identify trends and
inform the company's marketing analysis.

Using SWOT to analyse the market position of a small management consultancy with
specialism in HRM.[10]

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Reputation in Shortage of Well established Large consultancies

marketplace consultants at position with a well operating at a minor
operating level rather defined market niche. level
than partner level

Expertise at partner Unable to deal with Identified market for Other small
level in HRM multi-disciplinary consultancy in areas consultancies looking
consultancy assignments because other than HRM to invade the
of size or lack of marketplace
ability

Track record –
successful
assignments

strength- market related , finance related , operational related , research and development
related, hr related

market related- product quality, packaging , advertisement, service, distribution channel

finance related- optimum debt/equity ratio, number of share holders, inventory size ,
optimum use of the financial resources, low cost of borrowings proper investment of the
financial products

operational related- low cost , higher productivity , excellent quality , modernized

technology,

Your Personal SWOT Analysis and Preparing your Curriculum

Vitae

Introduction
Everyday, I go through hundreds of resumes…resumes of people having 10-20 yrs of
experience…resumes of people passed out from institutes like Symbiosys, XLRI, TISS…and just
one word comes out of my mouth…"PATHETIC". People, have knowledge; they have experience
but don't know why, they are not able to put it on a paper. Your resume is the first thing that will go
to your prospective employer and based on that you will get a chance to speak to him and if your
resume is not proper, forget about job, you will not even get a call for interview. Here, I am trying
my best to put-in as what we should and what we should not write in a "Curriculum Vitae"

Possible reasons for RESUME REJECTION

1. No name is listed at the top of your resume.

2. Missing phone and/or e-mail address.
3. Education category is missing dates, no major and/or degree is listed, the university
name is missing, and/or abbreviations are used inappropriately.
4. Employment accomplishment statements should be no longer than 4 lines if stated in
paragraph format, no dates of employment are listed, no employer names are listed
and/or resume does not include accomplishment statements.
5. Your resume should not exceed 3full pages in length.
6. A single page resume should be ¾ to 1 whole page in length.
7. Do not use a font that is smaller than 8 point.
8. Fonts should be traditional; do not use italics, script or more than one font on your
resume.
9. Check spelling and grammar.
10. If you have an objective statement, consider including some of your skills. The resume
should show the employer what you have to offer them, NOT what you want to get from
them.
11. Avoid using personal pronouns - such as I, me, and my
12. Your name should stand out - consider putting it in a larger font size
13. Font size 10-12 if generally acceptable. Anything else is hard to read.
14. Under educational information - List your CGPA only if it is 3.0 and above.
15. Under educational information - Put the type of degree AND the major (E.G. Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology).
16. Write out the name of the degree that you are receiving (E.G. Bachelor of Science,
Master of Arts)
17. Avoid abbreviations - the employer who is reading your resume may not necessarily
know what you are referring to.
18. Your high school information is not necessary.
19. You should list your most recent college education only.
20. Your information should be in chronological order - most recent experience should be
first.
21. You should not have duplicated information. If you have information in one place, you
should not repeat it somewhere else in your resume.
22. Use bulleted points under your experience and/or accomplishments. This makes it easier
to read.
23. Under work experience - you should include the position/job title, the Month and the Year,
you should reflect results-oriented accomplishments (E.G. increased sales by 20%).
24. You do not need to list your supervisor's name and the company's complete address.
25. It is not necessary to include you birth date, marital status or a picture
26. You should list your awards/honors (if work related) under a separate category.
27. I recommend having a one page resume - unless you have significant "relevant" work
that warrants a longer resume (Such as if the experience relates to your objective).
28. Consider adding an "Additional Information" category - and list your job titles and dates.
This way you can eliminate clutter and still account for employment gaps.
29. Don't mention the names of your parents, spouses, relatives and their occupations, take
from me, nobody is interested in it.
 30. Don't write your present, permanent and temporary address; nobody is interested in it.
31. Don't mention the details about your references, in your resume, if you are able to get
through the interview, your prospective employer will ask you to give references.

Personal SWOT Analysis is necessary to prepare your Curriculum Vitae

Strengths

Internal positive aspects that are under control and upon which you may capitalize in planning

 ·Work Experience
 ·Education, including value-added features
 ·Strong technical knowledge within your field (e.g. hardware, software, programming
languages)
 ·Specific transferable skills, e.g., communication, teamwork, leadership skills

Communication: Speaking effectively

• Writing concisely
• Listening attentively
• Expressing ideas

Research and Planning: Creating ideas ; Gathering information; Solving problems ; Setting
goals ; Analyzing

Human Relations: Developing rapport

• Being Sensitive
• Listening
• Conveying feelings
• Providing support for others
• Motivating

Sharing credit Organization, Management and Leadership: Initiating new ideas; Handling
details

Coordinating tasks Work Survival: Being punctual

• Managing time
• Attending to detail
• Meeting goals
• Enlisting help
• Accepting responsibility
• Setting and meeting deadlines
• Organizing
• Making decisions.
o Personal characteristics (e.g., strong work ethic, self-discipline, ability to work
under pressure, creativity, optimism, or a high level of energy
o Good contacts/successful networking
o Interaction with professional organizations

Weaknesses
Internal negative aspects that are under your control and that you may plan to improve

• Lack of Work Experience

• Low GPA, wrong major
• Lack of goals, lack of self-knowledge, lack of specific job knowledge
• Weak technical knowledge
• Weak skills (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork)
• Weak job-hunting skills
• Negative personal characteristics (e.g., poor work ethic, lack of discipline, lack of
motivation, indecisiveness, shyness, too emotional

Opportunities

Positive external conditions that you do not control but of which you can plan to take advantage

Positive trends in your field that will create more jobs (e.g., growth, globalization, technological
advances)

• Opportunities you could have in the field by enhancing your education

• Field is particularly in need of your set of skills
• Opportunities you could have through greater self-knowledge, more specific job goals
• Opportunities for advancement in your field
• Opportunities for professional development in your field
• Career path you've chosen provides unique opportunities
• Geography
• Strong network

Threats

Negative external conditions that you do not control but the effect of which you may be able to
lessen

• Negative trends in your field that diminish jobs (downsizing, obsolescence)

• Competition from your cohort of college graduates
• Competitors with superior skills, experience, knowledge
• Competitors with better job-hunting skills than you
• Competitors who went to schools with better reputations.
• Obstacles in your way (e.g., lack of the advanced education/training you need to take
advantage of opportunities)
• Limited advancement in your field, advancement is cut-throat and competitive
• Limited professional development in your field, so it's hard to stay marketable
• Companies are not hiring people with your major/degree

Preparing your Resume

While no "right" or "proper" design for resume content exists, a few guidelines for resume
format are commonly accepted practices. Following these structural rules for your resume will
help you present a professional impression to prospective employers.

Resume Length
One page is the accepted rule for resume length. A three-page resume should only be used if you
have extensive experience or qualifications relevant to the position for which you are applying. If
you do choose to develop a two-page resume, be sure to organize your content in a manner that
places the information most likely to impress an employer on the first page. If the first page is not
impressive, then an employer may not even look at the second page.

Type Size and Style

A resume should always be typed with the font size between 10 point and 14 point and with
absolutely no information crossed out or handwritten. In regards to the type style, use a style that
is professional and easy to read. Dense styles and styles with curlicues should be avoided. A few
common font styles are Times, Schoolbook, New Century, Optima, Palatino, Helvetica, Futura,
Universe, and Courier.

TIP: Prepare your resume using a computer word processing program. It will be much easier to
edit and to create different versions of your resume if you have it saved to disk.

Margins
The margins of your resume serve two basic purposes. First, the margins can contribute to the
visual appeal of your resume. Overly narrow margins can make your resume appear jumbled,
and overly wide margins can project a perception of emptiness in your resume. The standard rule
of thumb is to set your margins at one inch (1") on all sides to create a well-balanced design. If
you are in a crunch for space, try decreasing the top and bottom margins slightly, but avoid
decreasing the side margins. Side margins are the key to the second purpose of your resume
margins, to provide your prospective employer with space to make notes on you resume.

Sentence Structure
"To the point" is how sentences should be written when constructing your resume. Sentences
should be brief and informative rather than long and excessively descriptive.

Short sentences are easier and faster to read and to understand, showing that you value the time
the prospective employer is taking to review your resume. Also, be sure that the grammatical
structure of your sentences is correct and consistent. Past tense should be used when describing
experiences you have already had or activities in which you have already participated. Present
tense should be used only to describe those activities you are involved in now, such as your
current job. You should also avoid beginning sentences with the word "I"; the employer already
knows that the resume is about you.

Word Choice
Be active in your word choice on your resume. Begin your sentences with action verbs that
describe exactly what you did, or are still doing, in your experiences and activities.

Paper Selection & Printing

When you are ready to print the final copy of your resume, a professional quality paper and
printer should be used. A bond paper with a watermark in a solid conservative color, such as
white, ivory, or light gray, is the best stationary to use. Dark colored paper and patterned paper
should be avoided because more than one person will likely photocopy your resume for review,
and dark or patterned paper does not copy well. A laser printer should be used to print your
resume with the watermark of the stationary right-side up and face forward.

TIP: Don't rely on spell check to catch all of the errors in your resume. Be sure you proofread your
resume, and have several others proofread it as well. Errors imply you didn't put your full effort
into your resume, therefore the job isn't important to you.

Content of your Resume

Personal Details
Obviously every resume will have this section to start it off. Remember however to keep these
details to a minimum. Your name, phone number and email address are all that is required.

You do not need to indicate your date of birth, marital status, number of children, or supply a
personal photo. Other details should only be included if they are required. Otherwise you can
address specific criteria in a covering letter.

Career Goals
If you are applying for graduate positions this just needs to be a short statement that broadly
outlines both your short and long-term goals. It demonstrates that you have started to think about
the directions in which you would like to go and is not something that potential employers are
going to hold you to for the next 10 years.

Education
Start with the most recent qualification and work backward in a chronological order. List the title of
the degree(s), name of the institution and date of completion. You may also want to include your
CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) or current GPA. Be sure to explain the scale of 1 to 7
e.g. GPA of 6.5 on a scale of 1- 7;7 being the highest. You may also include your major(s) so that
the employer is more familiar with your qualifications. Do not list all of the subjects you have
studied and the grades gained at this point in your resume.

If you have been awarded certificates for training include these details in this section. Remember
to check the relevance of the certificates with the requirements of the positions you are applying
for.

Employment History
Information under this heading can be organized in a number of ways depending on what you
wish to highlight. Many start with their most recent position and work backwards throughout the
years. You may have taken a position some time ago that is relevant to your current interests,
therefore place it on top of the list to ensure its prominence.

Regardless of order, be sure to include information such as your position, the name of the
organization, the time you were employed with them, and a brief outline of the duties you
performed and the skills, abilities and knowledge you developed as a result of the work (give the
most detail to jobs which are professionally relevant or have transferable skills).

Specialist Skills
This section can be in point form, to highlight how your studies are relevant to the position you
are applying for. Include any relevant projects, thesis or assignments you have completed and
any skills that you have obtained throughout your degree that will make the potential employer
interested in your application. For example they may be degree specific skills, general skills such
as communication, research abilities, computer knowledge (say what packages etc), and
familiarity with statistics. Looking at a range of job advertisements will help you to identify what to
include in this section.

Membership of Associations
If you are a member of certain (usually professional) associations that will be relevant to the
position you are applying for, include them.

Awards
You can include any academic awards achieved where relevant. List these in point form and
make sure to identify those that were tertiary or secondary.

Achievements
This section is used by employers to identify that you have set various goals for yourself and
worked to achieve them. Achievements may be academic, sporting, personal or community
based. In essence, an achievement is anything that was a milestone for you or demonstrated
leadership and initiative.

Finally
When you have finished your draft resume, go back through it and make sure that the majority of
it is in a point or brief format. Be sure that you are emphasizing or highlighting the main aspects
you want an employer to note. Look carefully at the layout and order of your resume to ensure
that you are doing everything you can to make it an easy to read document.

Note: Use this as an example and change the format to suit your needs.

Conclusion

Understanding how employers use resumes and the basic structure and contents of a resume
can help you write a winning document. When putting together a resume it is important to put
yourself in the employer's shoes. What would make an employer read one resume over another?

Employers in essence want to know how hiring you will benefit their business now and in the
future. It is therefore very important to research and understand the position for which you are
applying. Decide what skills, abilities and knowledge are needed to be successful in the position
within the organization.

The information contained in your resume should represent a succinct time line of employment
(paid and unpaid), education, training, skills, and personal attributes that you have been
developing. Always draw attention to your abilities, knowledge and your skills that relate directly
to the position or are transferable to the position.

Employer is busy; he is not having enough time to read your resume, so just "Keep It Simple and
Sweet". As they say, your resume must be like a mini-skirt of a girl,- "Should give enough
information to get interested in you and hide enough to explore, "Across the Interview Table".

That is all, I like to say here, looking forward to your comments and feedback.

Have a great time and take care of yourself

Submitted by: Sanjeev Sharma

(Mobile:+91-9890788259; 9850884378);
(E-mail: s070976@yahoo.co.in; ss_himachali@yahoo.com);