Why did you decide to enter the field you will enter upon graduation?
What were the motivating factors and influences?
Do these factors still represent some of your inherent strengths?
What need do you expect to fill within your organization?
What have been your most notable achievements?
To what do you attribute your success?
How do you measure your success?
What knowledge or expertise will you bring to the company you join that may not
have been available to the organization before?
What is your greatest asset?
Weaknesses
What could be improved?
What do you do badly?
What should you avoid?
What are your professional weaknesses?
How do they affect your job performance? (These might include weakness in technical
skill areas or in leadership or interpersonal skills.)
Think about your most unpleasant experiences in school or in past jobs
and consider whether some aspect of your personal or professional life could be a root cause.
Opportunities
Where are the promising prospects facing you?
What is the "state of the art" in your particular area of expertise?
Are you doing everything you can to enhance your exposure to this area?
What formal training and education can you add to your credentials that might
position you appropriately for more opportunities?
Would an MBA or another graduate degree add to your advantage?
How quickly are you likely to advance in your chosen career?
Useful opportunities can come from such things as:
Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and industry-specific scale
Changes in government policy related to your field
Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, etc.
Threats
What obstacles do you face?
Are the requirements for your desired job field changing?
Does changing technology threaten your prospective position?
What is the current trend line for your personal area of expertise?
Could your area of interest be fading in comparison with more emergent fields?
Is your chosen field subject to internal politics that will lead to conflict?
Is there any way to change the politics or to perhaps defuse your involvement in potential disputes?
How might the economy negatively affect your future company and your work group?
Will your future company provide enough access to new challenges to keep you sharp --
and marketable -- in the event of sudden unemployment?
Adapted in part from an article by Dave Jensen, managing director of Search Masters International.
