Social Portrait of a Student through the Prism of the Features of Professional Self-Determination

The relevance of the work lies in the importance of representing the target group of applicants for educational institutions in order to improve the implementation of their career guidance policy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the social profile of applicants to Vologda State University. This article uses the method of social portraiture as one of the ways to describe the social image of modern applicants. The theoretical review examines the concept of "social portrait" and the features of social portrayal of a young cohort of the population, in particular schoolchildren, students and youth in general. The empirical basis of the study was a sociological survey of first-year students of the university, as well as interviews with the directors of structural divisions. The work analyzed the features of professional self-determination of first-year students, their social and demographic characteristics, in particular gender differences, place of residence, personal motives and factors that influenced professional choice. Based on the results of the study, a social portrait of a potential university applicant was compiled. It was revealed that the target audience of the university are residents of the Vologda region, and to a greater extent they are schoolchildren from the regions, and to a lesser extent residents of large cities such as Vologda or Cherepovets. Based on the specifics of the training areas, it can equally be a female and male student. It was found that girls prefer humanitarian profiles, while men prefer technical ones. The main motives for an applicant's choice of a study profile are personal qualities and abilities, and family and family guidance also play an important role. The choice of an educational institution is largely due to the availability of budget places and the opportunity to leave close to the parent's home. Potential applicants are aware of the university's career guidance activities, but they are more likely not to take part in them. Based on the identified features of the applicants' professional self-determination, some proposals have been made regarding the university's career guidance policy.