Abstract:

Council of Ministers of European Union (2004) defines professional guidance as set of activitiesthat enable individuals to identify their own opportunities, competencies and interests duringdifferent life periods to make decisions about education, training and to more efficiently managetheir own career. Professional guidance is intended for individuals regardless of their current lifeperiod, education level or job. Professional guidance has always followed and been adjusted tosocial changes. In his theory, Parson (1909) highlights importance of knowing oneself and workwhen selecting a career and that individual needs to be capable of joining those two elements in arelationship to achieve harmony – for that reason individual might need a professional assistance.Due to economic, tehnological and other changes people will more often be in a position tochange their profession, job or even a career path. For that reason it is necessary for them to havesupport and opportunity for professional guidance services. In most of European countries thereare developed systems of professional guidance, therefore the aim of this article was to presentmodels of professional guidance in Croatia, Austria and Finland. What mentioned countries havein common is that vocational guidance services for adults are offered within public employmentservices and education institutions. In contrast to the Croatia and Austria, Finland has a formalsystem of education for career counselours.

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