Starting from the ninth grade, high school students have to solve a number of issues related to professional self-determination. The unified state exam poses the high school grades before choosing a profession long before receiving a secondary school certificate. In addition to the mandatory exam in mathematics and the Russian language, you must choose two or three exams. The options depend on the profile of the institution of higher education in which the graduate will study. However, you need to make a choice in advance in order to effectively prepare for the exam or choose a program of specialized education in high school.
These objective circumstances compel high school students to think about their future profession.
Despite the stream of diverse information provided to modern young men and women, the world of professions is very far from them. Many students who come to high school do not know the essence of a number of professions. Sometimes the only criterion by which the dignity of a particular profession is evaluated is its financial prestige. In addition, high school students often cannot really assess their capabilities for their desired professional activities.
Thus, vocational guidance in the school is relevant and requires a serious systematic approach by class teachers and educational institution specialists.
At the heart of building career guidance work can be three areas.
1) "What can I do." The purpose of career guidance is to help high school students learn their abilities, motives, preferences. A major role in the organization of work at this stage is played by the cooperation of class teachers and psychologists. Career guidance tools are professional self-determination techniques. These include the "Differential Diagnostic Questionnaire" by E.A. Klimov, the "Map of Interests", "Professional Intentions", "Career Anchors" and others.
Organization of business games, participation in social projects help high school students to learn their priorities in the field of career choice.
2) "What I want." This direction should give an idea of the diversity of the world of professions. The most effective methods are excursions, acquaintance with new modern areas of secondary and higher professional education, an invitation to high school teachers, meetings with representatives of different professions. Reliable information stimulates students' desire to become involved in one or another professional field.
3) “What I need” is a direction that to some extent brings young people closer to harsh reality. Such realities include, for example, the material situation of the family. In addition, not all professions that a high school student likes may correspond to his physiological characteristics or state of health.
An important point in career guidance is the construction of several vocational education routes, taking into account the combination of the three sides of the choice of the “can-want-need” profession.
The program of profile training, which is chosen by the senior classes of many schools, has become a significant help in the professional self-determination of students. Popular profiles are: mathematical, humanities (including foreign languages), socio-economic, information technology, chemical and biological.
Organization of career guidance among students in schools should include work with parents. Actual topics for discussion at parent meetings in high school can be: "Youthful age and professional self-determination", "Mechanisms of forming professional motivation", "Ways of conflict-free communication."