Abstract:

The modern labor economy faces two challenges: the aged workforce at labor market and at the same time the development of technologies that demands employees’ new competencies, cognitive abilities and personal traits. Thus, there is the social problem: an aging generation of workers must be prepared to respond to new technological challenges. A scientific problem in this social context is related to the study of the potential of aged professionals. Improving the quality of life and the successes in the health care have changed the mechanisms of aging in such a way, that aging is largely determined not only by objective biological factors but also by the subjective attitude of a person toward one's age or subjective age. Numerous studies of subjective age and its influence on the human attitude to work allow us to admit, that a similar connection exists in the context of the "aging" of a person in the professional development.

The main objective of our study is to identify the predictors of subjective age of professional development. Firstly, our idea is based on the theory of two zones (actual and proximal development zones) of personal development (Vygotsky,2005). Secondly, it is based on the theory about two (operational and motivational) areas of performance (Elkonin, 1978). Also, the theories of subjective age help us to explore our idea more detailed.

As a result, the Model of subjective age in the professional development has been developed. The Model is a matrix in which one axis is “Zones of professional development” (current and the nearest) and the second axis is “Sides of professional activity” (operational and motivational). Thus, in order to assess the person’s subjective age in the professional development, it is necessary to answer four questions:
1) What set of competencies does the person have at the time?
2) What set of competencies is the person ready to master in the nearest future?
3) What are his or her short-term motives and goals of professional activity?
4) What are his or her long-term motives and goals for professional development?

The Model has different practical implications. Firstly, we propose to use our Model to assess the subjective age in professional development, especially in the life-long learning of aged professionals. Identification of subjective age in professional development presents more information about aged professional’s openness to new professional experience. Secondly, the Model may be applied for assessment of aged professional as a candidate to promotion. The Model can also be used in the professional counseling of aged professionals. If the difference between stage of professional development and subjective age in it is too large a consulter should help aged client to find an optimal balance “professional development – subjective age in the professional development”.

Keywords:

Subjective age in the professional development and its predictors, zones of professional development, sides of professional performance, Model of subjective age.