What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses. How might an x MA in TESOL and Translation Studies help you address them and enhance your prospects?

To get you started, you should do a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a list of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Thus, SWOT. You first have to identify your strengths and weaknesses. All of us have strengths, all of us have weaknesses (write them down). All of us have possibilities (opportunities) that are out there for us (write them down). In your case, one of them is the MA. Lastly, it is important to recognize the threats. The kinds of things that might interfere or prevent you from accomplishing your goals and objectives (write them down). The object is to maximize your strengths and opportunities, while minimizing your weaknesses and threats. If you think about this, you will be able to put forth a good presentation to include your evident good critical thinking skills, problem solving and solution finding abilities. In addition, always look at your goals and objectives in SMART fashion as follows.

S.M.A.R.T

• Specific - Make sure your career goal is very specific. For example, "I would like to be a teacher," is not specific. "I would like to be a high school biology teacher in New Jersey (USA) in an urban school by 2012" is.
• Measurable - Make sure you can measure your progress. How will I know I am progressing in the right direction? This is where the development of short-term objectives comes in. You will know you are on the right path as you accomplish each short -term objective.
• Achievable - Is the goal achievable considering my current life situation and circumstances?
• Realistic - Is what I want to do really realistic. For example, "I would like to be a middle weight boxing champion, and I am 63 years old." That is not realistic.
• Tangible - What will I - specifically - have at the end? What will I be (exactly)? It must be very specific.