Professional experience as a factor of professional identity development

Abstract

The problem of interdependence of professional experience duration, content and structural features of professional identity and self-image is analyzed. Theoretical concepts of professional identity and 'professional self' image as well as various methods for analysis of these variables are considered. The empirical study results (subjects were engineers and technicians; N = 100) show that higher levels of professional identity and greater clarity and definition of self-image semantic space are achieved with an increase of professional experience duration.