4.1: Part I- You and Your Skills

Setting goals, which you will do later, requires an understanding of your own strengths, interests, skills, and aspirations. This section of Module 5 will help you develop that understanding. Complete the SWOT, Career Kaleidoscope questions, and employability skills assessments, and then we’ll move on to setting goals.

A. Career SWOT

Before setting some career goals, you need to think a little about yourself. One tool you will use is a SWOT analysis. If you’ve taken an introductory business class, you already know that SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This analysis is useful for career planning as well as preparing for interviews, so we will revisit this briefly in a later chapter.

Strengths and Weaknesses in a SWOT relate to you, to your own strengths and weaknesses: What strengths do you have that are related to a future career? What skills would you like to improve? Opportunities and Threats relate to the outside world: What are some current or future opportunities for you? What factors might present obstacles to taking advantage of the opportunities? The sample SWOT analysis shown below is just an example. The table that follows it provides questions so that you can complete a SWOT analysis on yourself as someone who wishes to pursue a career in residential real estate sales.

SWOT for someone who wishes to pursue a career as a veterinarian assistant or technician
Strengths	Weaknesses
I love all kinds of animals. I follow directions very well. I completed an AA in biology. I have good communication skills, even when people are upset. I learn quickly. I volunteered in a vet hospital last summer. I worked in the Save-a-Pet Foundation. I am bilingual.	I don’t have paid experience being a vet tech. I don’t belong to any professional organizations in this field. I need education related to technical skills, such as drawing blood from animals, giving pills, measuring meds, expressing bladders, etc..
Opportunities	Threats
There are many veterinary practices in my area. Veterinary practices will continue to grow because family residential development is up by 18% in this area, and families have pets.	The requirements to qualify to be hired as a vet tech could increase. Two schools near me are offering vet tech programs, so there could be increased competition.
Summary
I have passion and a little experience. I need to complete the additional educational requirements to be a vet tech. There seem to be good opportunities and not too many threats. So I am confident I can do this!

Notice that this SWOT is specifically for a career as a veterinary technician. The same person might write a very different SWOT if her goal were to be an auto mechanic or architect.

Practice Zone

The SWOT form below provides some helpful questions for someone wishing to enter a career in real estate. If necessary, review Unit 1 to see what skills you will need to excel in your career of choice. Then make a table, either on your computer or by hand, and create your own Career SWOT. Use the questions in the SWOT table below to guide your reflection on your strengths and weaknesses. Also, describe the opportunities and threats to your entering or proceeding in a real estate career.

Example SWOT for Real Estate Career

SWOT for someone who wishes to pursue a career in real estate residential sales
Strengths	Weaknesses
What strengths do you have that qualify you to become a real estate salesperson? How well do you communicate with others? Do you speak more than one language? What are your technical skills? Are you detail oriented? Well organized? What educational background has prepared you for this career? Do you have a marketing background or education? Do you have strong analytical skills related to housing and the economy in your area? What are your strengths in areas of soft skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, negotiating, and networking? Are you outgoing and friendly? Do you have professional connections already established? How familiar are you with the geographic area in which you want to work? How familiar are you with the real estate sales statistics in your area? Are you passionate about this career?	What are some of your weaknesses with regard to entering this career? What do you need to improve? Do you need additional academic preparation? Do you need to improve or increase your technical, analytical, or interpersonal skills? Is your time limited by other responsibilities? Do you need to familiarize yourself with your target geographic area and its characteristics?
Opportunities	Threats
What opportunities or positive trends will make this career more available to you? How active is the real estate market in your area? Are real estate companies expanding? Is the community undergoing improvements with schools, recreation, or cultural events?	What are the threats or obstacles that could make this career less available to you? Is your area already saturated with real estate companies and agents? Are interest rates on the rise?
Summary
Write a short summary about how well you are prepared for this career. Indicate how you are going to rectify your weaknesses. (See the SWOT example for the veterinary assistant, above.)

B. Career Purpose Kaleidoscope

The Career Purpose Kaleidoscope illustration, designed by Professor Regina Pierce-Brown, is based on the Japanese concept of ikigai, meaning “your reason for being.” Notice the overlap of your interests (what you enjoy doing), what you are skilled at doing, market demand, and compensation or potential for profit.

Source: The Career Purpose Kaleidoscope, Regina Pierce-Brown

At the heart of the Career Purpose Kaleidoscope is "Purpose," which is defined as "the reason for living" or "the meaning or essence of one's life." Use the Kaleidoscope process is to identify your core beliefs about your life, to help you align them with a life plan, and to clarify your thinking about a meaningful career

The components that overlap with purpose consist of four primary drivers (interests, market demand, compensation, and skills and talent) and four secondary drivers (mission, vocation, profession, and passion).

Career Kaleidoscope Drivers

The four primary drivers of the Career Purpose Kaleidoscope are listed below with their definitions.

• Interests - Activities that you enjoy doing and that bring you satisfaction.
  Do you enjoy working with people? Are you interested in architecture or design? Maybe you would like real estate sales. Do you like to solve puzzles? You might enjoy appraisal. Do you enjoy decorating? You might consider staging homes to get them ready to go on the market. What activities keep you engaged and interested? Can you tie them to real estate?

• Market Demand in Real Estate - The amount of housing that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various price levels within a given market. This also drives the need for real estate agents and other real estate careers. Although short-term trends tend to vary, the long-term real estate industry is expected to continue to grow. Can you weather the temporary downturns?
• Compensation - Income sufficient to cover your living expenses and live comfortably. Potential high levels of compensation based on commissions can make real estate sales very attractive. However, some people do not cope well with a commission structure of compensation because the amount and timing can vary significantly. If you do not manage money well and would find covering expenses between commissions difficult, then consider property management, title, escrow, or other areas of real estate that provide regular (usually monthly) pay.
• Skills and Talent - Areas of competence in job performance, both natural characteristics and learned traits, including aptitude, strengths, and readiness. Are you very detail oriented? This is essential for careers in appraisal, escrow, title, and working with real estate contracts. Have you managed diverse projects? That experience will benefit you in property management. Are you a talented photographer? Real estate photography might be a natural fit.

The four secondary drivers of the Career Purpose Kaleidoscope are provided below, along with their definitions.

• Mission - The aim or focus of one's life and career.
• Vocation - An individual's calling that transcends jobs.
• Profession - A selected career field, not just a job.
• Passion - An intense, emotional dedication that drives a person toward a goal.

Practice Zone

Read the primary and secondary drivers that are provided above. Then write a list or paragraph related to each one as it applies to you.

C. Employability Skills and the NACE Competencies

Most careers require certain academic qualifications, which we will discuss in a future section. But success in most careers also requires personal skills or competencies and qualities that is, “employability skills.” Employability skills have great value in the workplace and in achieving career success. These are the skills that employers look for throughout the workforce. Moreover, a history of having and using these skills contributes to a candidate’s acquiring a desired position or promotion.

A search of the Internet will produce hundreds, if not thousands, of articles on employability skills. The set of skills presented in this module are those set out by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE); they are intended to help students develop employability skills as part of career readiness. (Source: https://www.naceweb.org)

The NACE competencies include both “hard” skills and “soft” skills. Hard skills are usually specific to a job, such as being able to assemble a piece of machinery, create a spreadsheet, or design a particular tool. Soft skills generally refer to personal abilities or characteristics that may not be required to perform a given task, but that apply to workplaces in general, such as interpersonal, leadership, or communication skills. See the illustration below for the NACE competencies and their definitions.

Practice Zone

The eight NACE Competencies are shown below, along with their respective definitions. (a) Identify three competencies that are your strengths. Write a paragraph describing your strength or write about a time you used the strength to solve a problem. (b) Identify two competencies for which you need improvement. Write a paragraph indicating how you are going to make that improvement.

NACE Competencies

1. Critical Thinking / Technology and Innovation
   Ability to use one's own brain power to analyze issues, consider the results, and make good judgment decisions using knowledge gained

2. Communication (Oral/Written)
   Ability to speak clearly and concisely with polished language and poise in order to convey information to clients, colleagues, supervisors, employees, vendors, and the public.

3. Teamwork/Collaboration
   Ability to work jointly with colleagues and build professional working relationships

4. Digital Technology
   Comfortable using modern technology and tools to accomplish specific tasks.

5. Leadership
   Taking charge and using mature emotions to guide, inspire, and motivate others to achieve results.

6. Professionalism / Work Ethic
   Recognizing the importance of dedicated endeavor and applied effort.

7. Career Management
   Self-awareness of one’s viable career skills and identification of professional growth opportunities.

8. Global/Intercultural Fluency
   Appreciation for people from international destinations and diverse cultures.