Professional self-determination is a rather complex and difficult process of choosing a future professional activity. Therefore, errors are always possible here.

All mistakes made when choosing a profession can be divided into three groups:

Ignorance of the world of professions (poor awareness of the world of professions, outdated information about the nature and working conditions for each profession, prejudices regarding the prestige of the profession).

Ignorance of yourself.

Ignorance of the rules of choosing a profession.

Ignorance of the world of professions

One of the main reasons for the wrong choice of profession is poor awareness of the world of professions. Children's ideas about professions are often incomplete, distorted, which leads to overestimation of their suitability and mistakes. First of all, every child should be well aware of what professions exist in society, how many of them, what are the objects, goals, tools, working conditions that they impose on a person’s abilities, his personality traits.

Where can I get information about professions? First of all, at school, in the lessons on various subjects included in the school curriculum. In addition, information about professions can be obtained from popular science literature, periodicals, cinema, radio, television, in the course of communication with adults, parents, peers, etc. In other words, there are quite a lot of information sources.

Let's take a closer look at the sources of acquaintance with the world of professions:

the teacher's story about professions related to the subject he teaches;

The story of a representative of a particular profession invited to the school for a meeting-conversation with students;

The story of a student who specifically collected material about a profession, for example, his parents or a profession that interested him;

An excursion specially organized by the school to an enterprise, an institution, a vocational educational institution (PU, vocational school, university), where the guides talk about the content of the work of professionals, technical innovations, technology, and products of the enterprise;

Visiting the personnel departments of enterprises and getting acquainted with information and reference materials about the professions that are available there;

Books, articles, reference books about professions;

Personal practical participation in certain simple types of labor after some preparation. A personal test of strength is one of the most important practical sources of information both about the profession and about oneself.

Many mistakes in choosing a profession are associated with outdated ideas about the nature and conditions of work according to specific profession. For example, the image of a machine adjuster is associated with a noisy workshop, oiled rags, dirty hands, however, now machine adjusters with program management, regulating electronic devices, use oscilloscopes, measuring instruments, bench equipment in their work.

The real value of the profession often does not correspond to the arguments about its prestige. The word "prestige" has Latin roots (illusion, deception of feelings). In Russian, this concept means authority, respect, trust. The division of professions into prestigious and non-prestigious is very conditional. Often prestigious professions (economist, lawyer, manager, etc.) are idealized and surrounded by some kind of attractive halo. For a person who seeks to acquire a certain status in his environment, who feels the need for self-affirmation, social prestige plays an important role. But it is necessary to take into account such an accompanying factor as the demand for the profession - the need of employers for specialists in this category. Those wishing to receive prestigious profession should know that employment in these specialties is difficult, because the number of vacancies is much less than the number of applicants for these vacancies. And success in professional activity is achieved by those who make maximum efforts, desires and labor. Demanded professions are those professions that society needs and where the level of payment can be very different. Each person chooses for himself what he needs - to work and earn money now or dream of a brilliant future.

^ Ignorance of oneself

This is a biased assessment of one's abilities (overestimated or underestimated), ignorance of one's individual personality characteristics, one's state of health, unwillingness or inability to correlate one's abilities with the requirements of the profession. In such situations, it can be recommended to contact the relevant specialists, including the Omsk career guidance center, where you will be provided professional help and help to deal with the difficulties that have arisen in determining the scope of future professional activity.

^ Ignorance of the rules for choosing a profession

When drawing up a professional plan, you should:

Determine the main goal: what to do, who to be;

Objectively analyze and evaluate your capabilities;

It is useful to think over real ways and means to achieve the set goal, that is, to determine where, in which educational institutions or in which industry he can receive the necessary education and specialty;

Outline the ways of development and change, improvement of one's qualities in order to prepare oneself for the chosen profession.

Thus, the right choice of profession is a very important step, your future life may depend on it. No wonder psychologists say: "Happy is the one who is happy with what he does."

Compiled by: specialists of the department

Assistance professional self-determination youth

Omsk Career Center

Notes on what mistakes young people make when choosing a profession. So what not to do...

1. Choose a profession without having reliable information about it.

Most young people who are thinking about further educational plans or about employment are generally very little aware of what professions are and what their representatives do. As a result, the guys find themselves in a situation of choosing a “pig in a poke”.

Analyzing whether this or that profession suits you, first of all, you need to find information about how, in fact, the typical working day of its representatives develops, how much time they spend on what particular activity. After all, the essence is not in the name of the profession, but in what exactly and under what conditions one has to do.

It is important to think about these questions as well. What requirements does the profession impose on a person’s abilities and what are its contraindications, what level of training is necessary to master it, where can it be obtained, does it give prospects career development and what exactly they are connected with, whether the profession is in demand on the labor market.

2. Focus only on such signs as prestige and / or profitability.

A common misconception is to view a prestigious profession in itself as a source of income - they say that money comes simply for the fact that a person has it. Here you need to understand the following.

Firstly, it is not the profession that is paid, but the position, that is, the performance of specific functions in an organization. Of course, the potential level of profitability in different areas of activity varies, but the point here is, first of all, not in the profession as such, but in the place of work of a person, his status, skill level, the balance of supply and demand in the labor market.

Secondly, those professions that are perceived as prestigious, in fact, are not necessarily the most profitable ones. After all, those who want to engage in them usually turn out to be much more than is really required. So, for example, the average income level of skilled workers in recent years is higher than that of economists or lawyers, but compare the competitions for training in these specialties...

In addition, the very concept of "prestige" is very relative: it depends on the circle of communication (in the eyes of different people completely different types of work are seen as prestigious) and changes quite quickly over time.

3. Put an equal sign between the profession and the subject.

A common misconception among schoolchildren, and sometimes even students, is to actually put an equal sign between an academic subject and some area of ​​professional activity, arguing on the principle: "I like literature, so I will be a writer." But what kind of profession is this, may I ask? Author of fiction, or what? Of course, in principle this option is also possible, but much more often we are talking about many other types of professional activity. You can be an editor, proofreader, teacher of Russian language and literature, translator, researcher in the field of philology, etc. All these are different professions, and the activities of their representatives are not very similar to what schoolchildren do in literature classes.

This reasoning applies to other subjects as well. They are not professions, but certain areas of knowledge, the basics of which must be mastered, including for professional development.

4. To transfer the attitude towards a person, a representative of a certain profession, to the profession as such.

If we like or dislike a particular person, this is in no way a characteristic of his specialty and does not indicate that we should do it. " Good man' is not a profession. Of course, I want to be like him, but this concerns personal qualities and a general attitude to work, and does not replace the ability to a particular type of activity.

And if, on the contrary, we met someone unpleasant, repulsive? Sometimes this can also turn away from his profession: “I don’t want to be like him.” But you see, in the same circumstances, the opposite conclusion is also possible: “I will become a good representative this profession, and not like him!

So the conclusion about how to respond to whom, as well as the responsibility for professional choice, still remains with us.

5. Choose a profession "for the company."

In fact, behind this position is a departure from personal responsibility for making a decision. But sometimes, by the way, such a choice can be successful - after all, the company most often gathers people whose abilities and interests largely coincide. However, this is precisely an element of luck-bad luck, and not a consequence of a conscious and meaningful decision.

6. Replace the choice of profession with the choice of the level of education or the place of its receipt.

A more justified position is when a person first decides what he would like to do, and then considers possible options obtaining a specific profession, and does not come from the desire to study in a certain place or simply to get higher education as such, no matter what specialty.

If an applicant, wanting to master a certain profession, could not go to study exactly where he wanted to initially, it is more logical to remain faithful to the profession and look for other options for obtaining it. For example, to go to receive not higher, but secondary specialized education, bearing in mind that in the future there will be an opportunity to continue education at a university. This is better than entering a specialty that is obviously not interesting for you, even if it is at a prestigious university.

7. Ignore your own abilities and interests.

It is expedient to make your profession what you like and what you are good at. Of course, this sounds trite, but it is surprisingly often overlooked.

Sometimes people consider it not important at all (say, I will do anything, as long as they pay well). But after all, a person will not be able to achieve high results in work that does not correspond to his individual characteristics or which he simply does not like to do. In addition, it is unlikely that such a person will feel happy, realizing that he "throws out of life" great amount time and effort in exchange for money.

Another reason for such a mistake is ignorance of one's own abilities and interests. It is impossible to say whether the work will be liked and whether it will work well without trying something similar. Of course, not all works can be tried on personal experience without first having received the appropriate education. But in such cases, one can judge the propensity for them by indirect signs: interest in a particular area, the desire to actively receive information about the activities of such specialists, the ease of comprehending and remembering this information.

8. Listen to the opinion of people who are not competent in matters of choosing a profession.

It just so happened that many people love to give advice, including on the question of “who to be”. However, it is reasonable to recommend something in such a serious area as professional self-determination only if several conditions coincide.

These are: knowledge of the specifics of the professions in question, as well as the situation on the labor market; knowledge of the individual psychological characteristics of the one who makes the choice; understanding the essence of psychological problems that arise at different stages of professional self-determination.

It is clear that either a specially trained professional (career guidance specialist, employment service worker) or someone who knows you very well and is familiar with a certain group of professions from his own experience can reasonably talk about this.

Choosing a profession is a responsible and very difficult task. Not everyone can decide who to be - especially at a young age. In such situation Negative influence may have the environment or their own delusions. In order to prevent this, you should study the typical mistakes made when choosing a profession.

1. A profession is chosen without an idea of ​​​​what will need to be done.

Young people, when planning to go somewhere to study or start a working career, are rarely sufficiently aware of what the representatives of certain professions do. In such a situation, the choice is made, in fact, at random. In order not to fall for this bait, you should study the profession in advance, find out what exactly will need to be done, with what tools, at what time and under what conditions. Sometimes high mental abilities are more important than physical strength and good health, and sometimes it’s the other way around. And it is also necessary to take care in advance of how great the demand for the chosen profession among employers is.

2. The profession is chosen based on its prestige or expected profitability

One of the most common misconceptions: if the profession is considered prestigious, then the pay will be high. In fact, the level of income depends on the position held, the size of the company, supply and demand in the labor market. In addition, perceptions of prestige may differ among different groups people and in different countries. For example, in many countries the profession of a chef is considered prestigious, and in India, cooks are equated with servants.

3. The choice is made on the basis of a favorite academic subject

Similar problems often arise in schoolchildren or students. Preferring any one subject, they try to choose the appropriate specialty. However, most professions require knowledge from many areas, so this approach will not be effective.

4. Attitude towards a representative of the profession replaces one's own feelings

Such a mistake can be made by people who are not very independent, whose mind is clouded by personal attachment to a person of a certain profession. If you like someone, this does not mean that you will be interested in doing the same job as him. The reverse situation is also possible: you don’t like someone, and this negativity is transferred to his activities. It is obvious that there is nothing reasonable in such an approach, and such prejudices must be disposed of.

5. The specialty is chosen "for the company"

A similar scenario when choosing a profession is not uncommon. Of course, it's great to go to study in the same place as the best friend. But, in fact, such a position suggests that a person simply does not want to take responsibility for making a decision.

6. They neglect their own hobbies, interests and abilities.

One of the principles of finding a profession is that work should bring not only money, but also joy. That is, it must be to your liking. This is an obvious fact, which, nevertheless, is neglected by many. This is often done out of doubt that interesting job can bring good income. True, the fact is usually overlooked that in an unloved position for big income will have to pay with mental suffering. In addition, few people manage to achieve great success in what they do not like to do.

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7. The choice is made under the influence of someone else's incompetent opinion.

In the environment of any person there are always a lot of advisers. They always know “best of all” what is best for others. Such advisers can also have a negative impact on a person who is in search of a profession. It can be, for example, parents who decide for the child that he will definitely become a doctor, teacher or military man. If the applicant does not have a special interest in these professions, then he is unlikely to achieve success in these matters.

Many, one might even say everything, people sooner or later ask themselves the questions “Who to be?”, “Where to study?”, “How to choose a profession?”. Indeed, it is very difficult for a high school graduate to answer these and other similar questions on his own, if he has not been helped in advance to determine his desires, his preferred field of activity, his parents or the school. Despite the fact that there is a huge amount of materials on career guidance and professional self-determination on the Internet and in print media, they are all randomly scattered and it is necessary to conduct an independent painstaking work to form a complete picture. So people suffer in an attempt to find perfect job in order to receive pleasure from the labor process, and wages were at a decent level. In order to avoid annoying mistakes when searching for a suitable profession, we recommend that you read the article Typical mistakes in choosing a profession.

In this material, we will talk in detail about the difficult process of choosing a profession, different approaches and directions, consider different classifications of professions and derive simple steps that will help you choose the right profession.

The formula for choosing a profession "I want - I can - I must"

Surely you have already met the well-known formula for choosing a profession “I want - I can - I must”, but do you know what exactly is hidden behind each of these words?

WANT

You need to clearly know your interests, desires and goals. None of the points of the formula can be neglected, but especially this one, since the right motivation and interest is the basis of all future life as a professional in your field. Work should be enjoyable and no outside motivation in the form of wages or a social package cannot change the simple fact that you have to go to work like hard labor and every day look forward to when Friday finally comes. It is clear that with such an attitude, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve significant heights in a career or it will cost physical and emotional costs that are incommensurable with the reward.

Don't argue, it's very complex issue for an independent decision, but a lot depends on it, so you should strain yourself and make every effort. This can be helped by a variety of career guidance tests, which are available both on the Internet and in hard copy. Alternatively, such psychological tests for children and adults can be taken for free on this site in the appropriate section, or simply continue reading the article by asking yourself a couple of questions, and the career choice matrix G.V. Rezapkina will help determine the specialty.

Question #1: What or who would you like to work with?

Possible answers include:

1. Human- work related to interaction with other people, such as: pupils, students, customers, clients, patients, spectators, etc.

2. Information– search, processing, study, structuring and application of various information and languages: text, formulas, programming languages, foreign languages, schemes, drawings.

3. Finance- work in the field of finance, investment, lending. Usually associated with such concepts as: money, loans, shares, limits, funds, collection, accounting.

4. Technique– interaction with technology or various structures. Management, construction, development, etc. The activities are: machines, mechanisms, buildings, devices, machines.

5. Art – creative professions involved in theater, literature, music, ballet, painting, cinema.

6. Animals and plants– work with animals of any species (service, wild, domestic, commercial) and plants (ornamental, wild, agricultural)

7. Products and products- production of any kind finished products: products made of metal, fabric, wood, stone, household items, medicines and many others.

8. Natural resources– search, development, protection, exploitation and extraction of all types natural resources, such as minerals, forests, rivers, reservoirs, mountains, lands, deposits.

Question #2: How would you like to work?

1. Control– managing the activities of other people, making responsible and independent decisions, achieving the tasks set.

2. Service- meeting the needs of other people in a variety of areas. Sale, repair, treatment, development, etc.

3. Training and education- classes educational activities, the formation and development of personality, training.

4. Production and mining– exploitation of resources and production of final products. A wide choice of directions, ranging from machine operators and geologists to programmers and designers.

5. Construction– design and creation of new or rethinking in better side old objects and details.

6. Study– various types of scientific and applied research various kinds and directions.

7. Protection– protection from hostile actions (physical, legal), treatment of diseases of people and animals.

8. Monitoring and evaluation- checking and monitoring the activities of other professions of any orientation.

By honestly answering these two questions to yourself, you can quickly identify recommended professions that may well turn out to be interesting and worthy of attention. It is enough just to find the intersection of these answers on the table "Matrix of choice of professions".