Abstract: Special attention was paid to the employment of graduates of higher educational institutions in Soviet times, when planned state policy distributed graduates to various state-owned enterprises depending on the education they received. It is important to note that on the periphery of the centuries there has been some shift in the idea of a career. If earlier a career was understood as moving up the career ladder, today a career is planned as mastering a variety of practices that complement and develop a person (self-development, a high level of extracurricular, additional activities). Thus, a logical question arises: how do graduates imagine their future careers and whether they think about it at all. How aware are graduates of their employment opportunities in principle and does the university contribute to students' awareness of careers and career opportunities.  The selection method was a quota sample with elements of spontaneous selection of respondents. We selected two methods for the study: qualitative (in-depth interview) and quantitative (questionnaire). Together, these methods give the researcher the most accurate idea of the subject under study. Thus, the tools for conducting empirical sociological research were developed based on this methodology. Data analysis has shown that a well-chosen profession increases self-confidence, life satisfaction, and reduces problems related to physical and mental health. And the personal level of "quality of life", responsible for satisfaction, has a significant impact on social, objective indicators of quality of life. Theoretical approaches are analyzed to describe the formation and content of graduates' career trajectories. The psychological approach focuses on the study of self-perception, self-regulation of consciousness, and the process of choice. Pedagogical is based on the formation of certain professional interests and inclinations, the suitability of an individual for a particular profession. Sociologists and economists consider the career trajectories of graduates from the point of view of the need for this profession in society and taking into account the socio-economic relations of the specialized workforce within the organization. In this context, the scheme of professional specialization, types of career guidance and career growth, all kinds of careers of an employee and a graduate are considered. Personality-oriented, sociological, managerial-organizational, biomedical, pedagogical, legal regulation, complex (differentiated) approaches to career guidance are disclosed.