Choosing a profession is a crucial step in the life of high school students. At this time, many questions arise about professional self-determination. The Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU) is organising events to support the choice of a career path. On November 14, the Bachelor Programs Welcome Day will take place. The future students will learn about the Business School programs, internships, extracurricular activities and preparation for admission. 

 

“A career vision is a very important aspect of choosing a future profession. For some high school students it is easy to define their priorities and choose a profession. For others, this is a path through trial and error. In any case, this choice is the personal responsibility each student. And first of all, students need to understand what they want, what is their goal and what opportunities do they have,” said Maria Dorokhina, Director of GSOM Coaching Center. 

 

The formula “I want-I can-I must” can help high school students in choosing the direction of their education. Where “I want” is their interests and goals, “I can” describes opportunities and abilities, “I must” is about demand, relevance in the labor market. It is at the intersection of these three components that the optimal choice for a particular person is found.  

 

“I want” on the professional path is the desired industry and place of work. An example of the importance of setting a goal in a career is an episode of Alice's conversation with the Cheshire Cat: “Which way should It to go from here? - That depends a good deal on where you want to get to. - I don't much care where. - Then it doesn't much matter which way you go”. If you don't know what you want to achieve, then thinking about your “dream job” is a waste of time. 

 

“I can” is a definition of opportunities and abilities: what resources do you have, what works best. It can be your physical state, features of intelligence, health, personality traits, knowledge, abilities and skills.  

 

"I must" is an assessment of the relevance of the profession: labor market analytics, public discussions about the professions of the future, rankings of world media and consulting agencies.  

 

Let us give an example. 

The desire to benefit people, to implement the principles of a conscious attitude to the environment, to work in a large industrial company. These are those interests and aspirations related to "want". 

 

“I can” helps to analyze, establish contacts, build causal relationships, and convince the interlocutor. 

 

Using the analysis of professions, it was determined that the market needs flexible employees, who easily adapt to changes, with “soft” skills. The optimal choice is a profession from the field of corporate social responsibility or CSR. 

 

Career counselors and coaches can help you understand the definition of a professional path. At GSOM SPbU, professionals from the Coaching Center work with students, conduct individual and group sessions, and career events.