THE ROLE OF THE STUDENTS’ CHOICE OF PRACTICE PLACEMENT IN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE TRAINING AND FURTHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The structure of professional competence of the head of external relations unit, offered in the current research consists of five competences: self-management, informative, learning, communicative and collaboration. Each competence includes skills and abilities, which serve as criteria for the professional competence evaluation. Skills division into competence groups is relative, as often the same skill appears in the description of different competences, but ethical behavior and attitude are practically a necessary part of all competences’ performance.
Taking into account that competence development at the university is the aim of the study process, though the process itself is not an independent professional activity, it is important to bring the studies closer to work conditions, creating real life difficulties and preparing students for transmitting their competence into new, real work situations; affording students with appropriate work conditions and thus limiting their difficulties in finding solution in real professional problems. Feedback from employers and students provides a necessary information on study programme aim monitoring and the necessary changes for study programme improvements.