The article studies the problem of attitude change towards the profession of university graduates and young specialists in Kazakhstan. The attitude to profession and professional motivation of students is considered as a form of human opportunities in the field of labor relations which is shaped only as a result of study in high education institution. The comparative analysis of professional stability of graduates and young professionals is given. The study findings show that less than half of the respondents of graduates are satisfied with the level of vocational education. This article shows the effect of motivational structure of professional orientation of graduates on their effective use of professional potential and professional occupation. The attitude to the chosen profession determines future professional strategy of occupation of university graduates. The authors of the article have revealed the following trends: most of young people understand the concept of higher education as “knowledge which is necessary for overall development”, “key to career”, “document necessary for life” by analyzing the results of sociological survey conducted in 2015 on work values, the employment strategies and work style of modern young people. More than half of young people work or want to work on their specialty. “Low salary”, “it is difficult to find a job on specialty”, and “do not like the chosen profession” are the main reasons of youth unemployment on their specialty. The authors show the main factors influencing on the change of attitude to the profession as a “lack of work experience”, “functional irrelevant of vocational education to the requirements of the working place”, “there are no acquaintances”. Theoretical and methodological basis of scientific research are the studies on value orientations of young people in the sphere of labor, formation of dynamic attitude to the profession of university graduates and the effective use of their professional potential, study of motivational structure and strategy of university graduates and young specialists.

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