The most important areas of development of modern higher education are the intellectualization of the content of the educational process, the introduction of new forms of education, the creation of conditions for students, and the development of their creative abilities. Ultimately, all this should affect the training of specialists who, in the conditions of a market economy and increased competition in the labor market, will be able to solve the problem of employment.

Timely and truthful information about the interests and life values of young people makes it possible not only to build the learning process more efficiently, but also to prevent possible negative consequences of unresolved certain problems, such as employment of students and graduates, and to respond in time to changing social needs. This information is provided by regular sociological surveys.

One of them was devoted to the employment of pets of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, their work orientation and preferences. In the context of the transition from compulsory distribution of graduates of higher educational institutions and the emergence of new forms of their employment, these issues are of particular interest.

In January 1999, a survey of MSU students and graduates was conducted, which allowed (taking into account the results of research by other specialists) to draw conclusions about the specifics of student employment and its causes, employment prospects, job search methods, the main elements of labor motivation, as well as the need for assistance to students and graduates from the university in improving their competitiveness in the market labor market and search for attractive jobs. The survey was conducted on a random sample, using a questionnaire method, covering 165 respondents - 86 students and 80 graduates of 15 faculties. Among the respondents, both undergraduates and graduates, 50 % are women and 50 % are men.

In order to better represent the students 'plans after graduation, the question was asked:" What would you like to do after graduating from MSU?". The majority of students want to work in their specialty-33 %; find any high-paying job-21 %; enter graduate school-20 %; start their own business-17 %; go to work abroad-15 %; get a second higher education-14 %. As for graduates, the following was revealed: 40% are working in their specialty; 25 % are studying in graduate school; 10% are getting a second specialty; 13% are looking for any high - paying job; 3% have started their own business.

Comparing the results of the survey of students and graduates, we can see that every third student plans to continue their education, and every third graduate actually continues it. It is safe to say that, faced with the real conditions of the modern market, the hopes of many students to start their own business are unlikely to come true: only 3% of graduates have started their own business. It should be noted that global business practice has established that on average about 5 % of the adult working-age population is capable of being entrepreneurs (1). Moreover, the Russian specifics include the fact that a successful entrepreneur is considered rather not the owner of a small shop, but, for example, the chairman of the board of the largest bank.

To identify labor motivation, several possible answers were given to the question: "What factors are crucial for you when choosing a job?". In general, it can be said that students and graduates showed great integrity in determining the factors of labor motivation, and basically the opinions coincided. For both students and graduates, interesting work takes the first place, followed by a large salary, promising work and work

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Labor motivation of MSU students and graduates

Motivation factors

Students (%)

Graduates (%)

Interesting work

66

. 78

Big salary

52

30

Prestigious job

15

11

Flexible working hours

7

26

Comfortable working conditions

17

5

Opportunity to make a career

26

20

Promising work

27

31

Work in the specialty

19

24

by specialty. For graduates in the fourth place was a flexible work schedule (which is quite understandable). Students highlighted comfortable working conditions in a prominent place: since many of them did not work anywhere yet, this factor was very important for them (see Table).

It is worth recalling that at the beginning of the reforms, the mass consciousness about labor problems was characterized mainly by two values - the content of work and its payment. The Research Institute of Labor conducted a study among the population of various regions of the country to identify labor motivation. About 3/4 of respondents preferred "interesting work". Its motivational core includes values that determine the development and improvement of professional skills of an employee (qualification, self-realization in work), social utility of work (product competitiveness), status values (communication, respect, career). It is also characterized by the richness and diversity of needs that the employee wants to meet through work, the desire of the employee to develop their labor potential. A completely different motivational core, based on the basic value of "earnings". It lacks the values associated with professionalism in work. There is a prevailing desire to combine pay maximization with minimizing personal labor effort. In this case, labor is perceived as a means, not as an end (2).

Given the results of several studies, it is safe to say that despite fundamental economic changes, "interesting work" continues to be the main value for the majority. And it seems very important that for current students, interesting work, career opportunities, and promising work in their specialty are the main values.

The very common view that most students, especially undergraduates, work is exaggerated. 73 % of the surveyed students do not work. The same data is confirmed in a study conducted at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University, where only 37% combine their studies with work. Even in the final year, half of the students work-52 % (3).

The answer to the question why students do not work in parallel with their studies is of great interest. Among the reasons for this phenomenon, the first place is occupied by difficulties in combining study with work (36 %); the second place is occupied by the lack of material necessity (22%); the second place is occupied by the negative impact of work on the quality of study (13 %). 9 % of respondents value their free time more than their work and earnings, while 8 % couldn't find a job.

Many working students (39 %) combine work and study to gain experience in their specialty. It should be added that 9 % of students in the process of work gain employment prospects after graduation (note that, for example, in Australia, every fourth-year student knows where they will work in the future). 35 % of the surveyed students work in order to be independent of their parents ' help. Only 17 % of respondents mentioned the need for earnings as a source of funds. This indicates that recently young people from fairly well-off families have been coming to Moscow University. 52% of respondents are fully satisfied with their work, 35% are partially satisfied, and 13% are not satisfied at all.

The results of a study conducted by the MSU Central Research Institute in December 1999 (the sample consisted of 262 students, 51 % of them from the Faculty of Science and 49% from the Faculty of Humanities) are close to our results. In particular, the analysis of the results of this study showed that students rate the level of material security of their families highly on average.

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"High "and" above average", according to students 'self-assessment, is provided for 61 %; "average" - 21%; "below average" and "low" - 14%. The level of financial security is rated high and above average mainly by students of humanities faculties living with their parents-Muscovites (4). Among working graduates, 56 % are employed in their specialty. 48% of them are fully satisfied with their work, 41% are partially satisfied, and 11 % are not satisfied at all. 13 % of non-working graduates are those who are receiving a second higher education or are studying for graduate school; 14 % of graduates were unable to find a job.

The question of methods of job search by students and graduates is very important. Most searches are conducted through relatives, friends and acquaintances (54 %), by sending resumes (35 % of students and only 6 % of graduates), with the help of departments or academic supervisors (38 % of graduates surveyed). 17 % of students find work through recruitment agencies, while only 2 % of graduates use the services of these agencies. Based on the data obtained, we can say that students are better informed about the situation in the labor market, about new ways of finding work, than graduates, many of whom graduated from university when there was still a centralized distribution system. For comparison, graduates of British universities find work through advertising in newspapers and magazines-41 %, through recruitment agencies-30 %, through direct contact with the employer-12 %, through acquaintances and friends-9 % (5).

The problem of finding a promising job, especially in the specialty, is becoming more urgent. Due to the crisis in science-intensive industries, as well as science and higher education in general, students of natural and technical faculties are more concerned about unemployment, and they look at the prospect of engaging in physical labor more calmly than humanitarians.

It should be noted that 92 % of the surveyed students and 89% of graduates believe that the university should have a service for providing employment assistance to graduates of Moscow State University. On the whole, in 1997, only 4% of students in the country counted on an average for employment assistance from the university (6).

Hoping for help in finding a job, both students and graduates share the opinion that it is often not enough to have only a good education. Theoretical and practical skills of communication with the employer, appearance, knowledge of the psychological aspects of interviewing and the nuances of writing a resume have become a prerequisite for successful employment. In this regard, a significant number of students surveyed indicated that they need advice on the state of the modern labor market-46 %, career planning-12 %, psychological aspects of interviewing-15 %, resume preparation-12 %. 29 % of the surveyed students expressed a desire to receive additional training (for example, learning foreign languages, work with a computer); 67 % wanted help finding a job. Graduates also need advice on the labor market-40 %, career planning-14 %, interviewing-17 % and resume preparation-11 %. Graduate respondents noted the need for assistance in finding a job (70 %) and in obtaining additional training (28%).

The majority of students (92 %) and graduates (89 %), counting on the help of the university, were not aware that MSU has a job search assistance service " MSU. Career. Service". A page is open on the Internet - www.career.ru where every MSU student and graduate can enter their details in a specially created resume form. On the page, vacancies are reported, "Career Days" and "Firm Days" are held.

It seems appropriate to build a system of professional guidance and promotion of career growth of graduates at MSU with a coordination center. The creation of such a system could be carried out in the following stages::

1. Creation of a professional guidance and career development service under the MSU Rector's office with advisory and organizational functions. At the implementation stage:

- development of mechanisms for interaction with MSU graduates;

- working out the mechanism of interaction with employers;

- creating a database of resumes, conducting employment consultations, marketing research of the labor market.

2. Delegation of authority to coordinate employment-related activities on the territory of MSU to the service. At the same time, the following measures are implemented::

- development of a system of interaction with MSU faculties and youth organizations (AIESES, IAEST, etc.) dealing with professional orientation issues:

- development of a unified concept for solving employment problems;

- centralized receipt of information about vacancies. Career days, exhibitions, etc.

3. Organization of interaction with similar structures of other universities.

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We believe that the creation of such a system is now becoming an urgent task for higher education institutions in the Russian Federation.

list of literature

1. Employment of certain socio-demographic groups of the population in the transition economy of Russia. Kolosovoy R. P., Razumovoi T. O. M., 1998, p. 22.

2. Katulsky E. Motivation in the labor market // Voprosy ekonomiki [Economic Issues], Moscow, 1997, No. 2, pp. 96-97.

3. Shchepkina E. V., Smolentseva A. Yu., Khodzhaev A. Sh. Rabota studenta: Segodnya i zavtra [Student's work: Today and tomorrow]. Ekonomika, Moscow, 1998, No. 4, p. 75.

4. Analytical report on the results of the student questionnaire survey. MSU, Center for Sociological Research, Moscow, 1998, p. 1.

5. Britain 1999. The Official Earbook of the United Kingdom. 1998. P. 154.

6. Sheregi F. E., Kharcheva B. G., Serikov B. B. Sotsiologiya obrazovaniya: prikladnyj aspekt [Sociology of education: an applied aspect]. Moscow, p. 236.

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