THE ROLE OF SELF-MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING SOFT SKILLS OF FUTURE DOCUMENTATION SPECIALISTS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The article examines the problem of developing soft skills in future documentation specialists in the context of the transformation of the modern higher education system. The study analyzes academic approaches to defining the essence and structure of soft skills and outlines their role in the professional training of specialists in the information and documentation sector. It is emphasized that the modern labor market places demands on higher education graduates that go beyond purely professional knowledge and require the development of communicative, organizational, analytical, adaptive, and socio-emotional competencies. The skills developed in students according to the Educational and Professional Program «Documentation and Information Activity» at Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic are analyzed. It is highlighted that for a documentation specialist it is important not only to be able to work with information and documents but also to interact effectively with people, understand users’ information requests, work in a team, make decisions, and organize their own activities. The possibilities of using self-management tools as an effective means of developing soft skills in the process of students’ professional training are analyzed. It is shown that the introduction of self-management elements into the educational process contributes to the development of students’ self-organization skills, time management, identification of professional priorities, self-analysis, and self-development. Examples of the use of such tools as SWOT analysis, the portfolio method, the Eisenhower matrix, time management techniques, and practices for shaping the personal and professional vision of a future specialist are considered. The expediency of integrating these tools into the content of professional training disciplines, in particular «Organization of Students’ Research Work», «Information and Analytical Activity», and «Personnel Administration and Management», among others, is substantiated. It is concluded that the systematic use of self-management tools contributes to the harmonious combination of the development of professional and soft skills, fosters students’ responsible attitude toward their professional development, and increases their competitiveness in the labor market.