Contribution to primary professional guidance: how to achieve a better link with real life

Izbor zanimanja sigurno je jedna od najvažnijih, ali i vrlo kompleksnih životnih odluka. Ovaj je rad prilog primarnoj profesionalnoj orijentaciji: polazi od uočene praktične potrebe da ona bude što povezanija sa stvarnim životom — da potiče psihološke resursa rasta i razvitka svakog učenika. Prikazana je primjena programa koji integrira teorijski i praktični aspekt primarne profesionalne orijentacije: 1. dijagnosticiranje stanja (utvrđivanje percipiranih sposobnosti za zanimanje, aktivnosti u slobodno vrijeme i njihova povezanost s preferiranim zanimanjem, preferencije za zanimanje, moguće zapreke te učenička percepcija potrebe za profesionalnim savjetovanjem); 2. edukacija roditelja i učenika (o čimbenicima odabira zanimanja, motivaciji, temeljima individualne ekonomije, strategijama profesionalnog uspjeha, obilježjima pojedinih zanimanja i uvjetima upisa u srednje škole te 3. završna evaluacija (mjere zadovoljstva edukacijskim programom). U program su, uz poznate subjektivne, uvedeni i manje naglašavani objektivni čimbenici odabira zanimanja: vizija budućeg zarađivanja; vizija budućeg statusa i procjena raspoloživih resursa.The choice of occupation is certainly one of the most important and also one of the most complex life decisions. This paper contributes to primary occupational guidance: it begins with the observed practical need for this to be as far as possible connected with real life — to stimulate every student’s psychological resources of growth and development. It presents the application of a programme that integrates the theoretical and practical aspect of primary occupational guidance: 1) diagnosis of the current situation (identifying perceived capacities for the occupation, free-time activities and their connection with the preferred occupation, preference for the occupation, possible obstacles, and the students’ perception of a need for occupational counselling); 2) educating parents and students (about the factors for choosing an occupation, motivation, the basics of individual economy, business success strategies, the haracteristics of particular occupations and the requirements to enrol in secondary school); and 3) concluding evaluations (extent of satisfaction with the training programme). In addition to the already known subjective factors, some less obvious objective factors in the choice of an occupation are also included, such as the vision of future earnings, the vision of future status, and an assessment of available resources