Strengths and Weaknesses

(Image by Amadee Stenzel)

{If you haven't already seen my post about my dream career, have a look here.}

What are my strengths?

My biggest strengths are that I'm a very independent and detail-oriented person. I like working alone, I can complete tasks without assistance and pride myself on learning the skills I don't know through teaching myself. This is a strength because I don't require round-the-clock assistance and am comfortable working solo. Additionally, my attention to detail is a strength because I pride myself on creating the best work possible. If something isn't right then I take every step possible to fix it, regardless of if it's a favicon icon that's blurry or an unaligned text box. 

What areas am I a little weak in?

Nobody likes to admit their weaknesses but it's an important step in improving personal skills. My biggest weakness is time management. I've always struggled with allocating my time on each task and more often than not end up finishing the crucial steps at the last moment. It's a constant struggle but necessary when working in a field such as journalism where deadlines are unavoidable.  

What opportunities would prepare me for after graduation?

The most promising opportunity that would prepare me for entering the journalism industry are internships and work experience. Although I might not be able to immediately gain an internship at my dream magazine, any real world experience at a media outlet would be sufficient. Various news organisations based in Brisbane, such as the ABC, offer work experience programs which would allow me networking opportunities required to get a foot in the door that is the journalism industry. 

Another opportunity to assist in my future is blogging. Blogs such as this one act as an online portfolio that potential employers could access to gain insight into my capabilities and potential. By creating content for a blog not only am I able to learn valuable skills but also gain my own following which could be an attractive quality when it comes to sticking out from the competition. 

What are the biggest threats to achieving my goals?

The main threat to achieving my goals is the competitive journalism industry. The decline of print journalism would limit opportunities to work for more popular magazine publications due to competing for positions with other qualified journalists. In order to combat this threat, I would have to distinguish myself from the competition. One way I could do this is through utilising the tool of blogging, as mentioned above.