Competitiveness of a Specialist: Undergraduates’ Expectations and Strategies

455

Abstract

The article tackles the problem of competitiveness of university graduates. The study sample is represented by the students of the Faculty of Management. The authors analyze differing views on competitiveness among employers and graduates, and characteristics of key competencies required to obtain and keep a job. A survey among the final-year students was aimed at studying their perceptions of their own competitiveness, job ambitions and expectations. The respondents’ attitudes towards labour market opportunities and career prospects were revealed. The strategies that the future managers use to improve their employability were described. The obtained results may be used to develop and include in the curricula some components of skills which enable the development of a competitive personality.

General Information

Keywords: competitiveness, labour market, university graduate, career strategy, employability, hard skills, soft skills

Journal rubric: Interdisciplinary Researches

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2018100406

For citation: Emelyanova N.A., Voronina E.A. Competitiveness of a Specialist: Undergraduates’ Expectations and Strategies [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psychological-Educational Studies, 2018. Vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 53–64. DOI: 10.17759/psyedu.2018100406. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Avraamova E. M., Verpakhovskaya Yu.B. Rabotodateli i vypuskniki vuzov na rynke truda: vzaimnye ozhidaniya [Employers and graduates in the labour market: mutual expectations]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Studies in Sociology], 2006, no. 4, pp. 37-46.
  2. Virina I.V. Formirovanie i razvitie konkurentosposobnosti molodykh spetsialistov na rynke truda: Avtoreferat diss. …kand. ekon. nauk [Building and enhancing the employability of young specialists. Ph.D. (Economy) Thesis]. Moscow, 2007. 24 p.
  3. Danakin N.S., Shutenko A.I. Konkurentosposobnost' vypusknikov kak pokazatel' effektivnosti raboty sovremennogo vuza [Elektronnyi resurs] [Graduate employability as an indicator of the effectiveness of a modern university]. Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovaniya [Modern issues of science and education], 2014, no. 6. URL: https://www.science-education.ru/ru/article/view?id=15869 (Accessed 25.05.2017).
  4. Zubok Yu.A., Chuprov V.I. Otnoshenie molodezhi k obrazovaniyu kak faktor povysheniya effektivnosti podgotovki vysokokvalifitsirovannykh kadrov [Young people’s perceptions of education as a factor raising the effectiveness of preparation of highly-qualified specialists]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Studies in Sociology], 2012, no. 8, pp. 103-111.
  5. Kasymova Yu.N. Konkurentosposobnost' spetsialista: nekotorye sovremennye podkhody ekonomicheskoi nauki [Elektronnyi resurs] [Specialist’s employability: some modern approaches of economics]. Nauchnaya elektronnaya biblioteka eLIBRARY.RU [Scientific Electronic Library eLIBRARY.RU]. URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=17989685 (Accessed: 25.05.2017).
  6. Korneichenko N.V. Formirovanie konkurentosposobnosti spetsialista gostinichnogo servisa v protsesse obucheniya v kolledzhe: Avtoreferat diss. ... kand. pedagogicheskikh nauk [Developing employability of hospitality service managers during the college years. Ph.D (Pedagogy) Thesis]. Astrakhan', 2008. 24 p.
  7. Mitina L.M. Psikhologiya razvitiya konkurentosposobnoi lichnosti [The psychology of developing a competitive personality]. Voronezh: Publ. NPO «MODEK», 2002. 400 p.
  8. Mihajlova Ju.N. Razvitie adaptacionnogo potenciala lichnosti studenta kak faktor optimizacii obrazovatel'nogo prostranstva vuza [Developing a person’s adaptation abilities as a factor of optimization of university’s educational environment]. Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie [Psychological Science and Education], 2010, no. 5. pp. 19–25. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.).
  9. Sobkin V.S., Tkachenko O.V., Fedyunina A.V. Student pedagogicheskogo vuza: otnoshenie k obrazovaniyu i professional'nye plany [Perception of education and plans for the future among students of a pedagogical university]. Voprosy obrazovaniya [Educational Studies], 2005, no.1, pp. 304–319.
  10. Andrews J., Higson H. Graduate Employability, ‘Soft Skills’ Versus ‘Hard’ Business Knowledge: A European Study. Higher Education in Europe, 2008. Vol. 33:4, pp. 411–422.
  11. Dorozynski T., Swierkocki J., Ubraniak W. Employers Expectations Vis-à-vis Graduates Of Faculties of Economics. Results Of A Direct Study. Comparative Economic Research, 2016. Vol. 19:2, pp. 93-109.
  12. Gewertz C. Soft skills in big demand: Interest in teaching students habits of mind for success in life is on the rise. Education Week, 2002. Vol. 26:40, pp. 25-27.
  13. James R. F., James M. L. Teaching career and technical skills in a “mini” business world. Business Education Forum, 2004. Vol. 59:2, pp. 39-41.
  14. John J. Study on the nature of impact of soft skills training programme on the soft skills development of management students. Pacific Business Review (October/December), 2010, pp.19–27.
  15. Klaus P. Communication breakdown. California Job Journal, 2010. Vol. 28, pp.1–9.
  16. Online Collins Dictionary. [Elektronnyi resurs]. URL: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/soft-skills (Accessed 05.10.17).
  17. Online Dictionary. [Elektronnyi resurs]. URL: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/skills (Accessed 05.10.17).
  18. Parsons T. L. Definition: Soft skills. 2008. [Elektronniy resurs]. SearchCIO. URL: http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/soft-skills (Accessed 05.10.17).
  19. Redford K. How to measure the impact of soft skills training [Elektronnyi resurs]. URL: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2007/07/17/41446/how-to-measure-the-impactof-soft-skills-training.html (Accessed 05.10.2017)
  20. Robles M.M. Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed In Today's Workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 2012. Vol. 75:4, pp.453–465.
  21. Tomlinson M. Graduate Employability and Student Attitudes and Orientations to the Labour Market. Journal of Education and Work, 2007. Vol. 20:4, pp. 285–304.
  22. Thurow L. Head to Head: The Coming Economic Battle among Japan, Europe, and America. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1992. 336 p.
  23. Wellington J. K. The “soft skills” of success: Be it high tech, low tech, or no tech [Elektronnyi resurs]. Address by James K. Wellington, delivered to the Arizona Career & Technical Education Conference, on July 19, 2005. URL: https://www.vsotd.com/issue/2005-20/soft-skills-success (Accessed 05.10.17).
  24. Williams A-M.C. Soft Skills Perceived by Students and Employers as Relevant Employability Skills. Doctoral dissertation, 2015. 361 p.

Information About the Authors

Nataila A. Emelyanova, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: nemelyanova@hse.ru

Elena A. Voronina, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of Department of Applied Linguistics and Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, e-mail: evoronina@hse.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 1461
Previous month: 16
Current month: 1

Downloads

Total: 455
Previous month: 1
Current month: 0