Students' assessment of their professional perspectives on the labor market

Stable reproduction of resources in the labor market, as well as their adaptation to current trends, largely depend on the awareness of potential employees of their capabilities and prospects. Such views are formed already at the initial stages of mastering the profession - in obtaining higher education. These representations are an important indicator especially in the context of the transformation of the higher education system, in particular in connection with the updated GEF HE. In this article, the authors consider approaches to studying the youth labor market and focus their attention on issues of professional self-determination and gaining experience in labor activity. Based on the focus group study, the authors disclose the expectations and self-assessments of students regarding their professional prospects in the labor market. Researchers identify specific features of selfassessment of professional perspectives depending on the course of study, on the level of professional education and other factors. As it turned out, undergrads tend to assess the degree of their readiness to enter the labor market rather high, but nevertheless feel undefined. According to the students, frequent short-term internships in specific enterprises could increase their confidence and expand the prospects for successful employment. At the same time, students are more focused on working in specific organizations than actually on professional self-actualization.