Students' views on impacts of professional practice on choosing their future vocation and career management

Abstract

Majority of students entering the studies of tourism, declare that the main reason for their choice was a desire to travel. For most of them, taking part in practical education programs is the first opportunity to perceive the different aspects of work in travel agencies, organizations and hotels. For the first time they are perceiving the positive, as well as negative aspects of this occupation. The aim of this paper is to elaborate the students' attitudes towards practical education, as an invigorating factor for a desire to work in tourism, or as a factor that has changed their attitudes about their future career. A survey research confirmed the assumption that young people who decide to study tourism are not sufficiently familiar with the nature of work, complexity of communication with clients and responsibility that this occupation involves.

Keywords

• practical education
• internships
• tourism
• students
• employment