The selection of a future profession represents a pivotal juncture in an individual’s life, marking the commencement of a protracted developmental trajectory. Substantial disparities distinguish professionals from students, particularly those who are at the outset of their journey to master a prospective vocation and its intricacies. An intriguing query that arises in this context pertains to the moment when a student or a young individual attains the status of a bona fide professional, fully embodying the essence of their chosen profession. Consider, for instance, the transition of student journalists into the realm of professional journalism. This transition can be contemplated from two distinct perspectives.

The first perspective hinges upon an assessment tailored to the unique attributes of each individual and their specific circumstances, with a direct examination of their knowledge, skills, and tangible experiences within their chosen domain. The second perspective revolves around a broader consideration, taking into account the average age and the developmental milestones associated with professional progression, including the phenomenon known as the “professional crisis.” This implies that typically, around the ages of 23 to 25, an individual passes the crisis of professional adaptation and development [1].

Consequently, students who fall within the age bracket of 17 to 21 (for bachelor’s programs) or 17 to 23 (for master’s programs) cannot be regarded as professionals, even if they have accrued some practical work experience. This brings us to another thought-provoking question: What are the discernible disparities in personal attributes between students and professionals? While disparities in knowledge and skills are readily apparent, the realm of professional qualities warrants closer examination. Professionally significant attributes are inextricably rooted in personal traits and individual psychological characteristics. These attributes hold particular significance within vocations of a socio-communicative nature, where continuous interaction with others is indispensable – a defining feature of professions such as journalism.

Comparative analyses of students and professionals represent a well-established dimension of research. For instance, Höst, Regnell & Wohlin conducted a study demonstrating that there are no discernible differences in problem-solving capabilities among students and professional software developers [2]. However, it is worth noting that this finding primarily pertains to final-year students in Master’s programs, who complete their studies in less than a year.

In contrast, another investigation revealed marked disparities in both interpersonal skills and competencies between students and professionals within the fields of computer engineering and teaching [3]. The outcomes of this comparison were quite evident: professionals exhibited superior development in personal, social, and emotional skills and competencies, with a broader range of these attributes at their disposal. Notable examples include enhanced stress resilience, adaptability, and superior communication skills. These soft skills hold paramount importance, as they constitute an integral component of an individual’s professional self-esteem.

Expanding on the theme of soft skills, a renowned study conducted by Palacios-Huerta and Volij uncovered noticeable discrepancies between professional soccer players and undergraduate students [4]. Employing a prisoner’s dilemma-type game, professional athletes demonstrated a higher degree of balance in their decision-making compared to students. These results underscore the adeptness of professionals in not only their hard skills but also their soft skills, enabling them to comprehend the context and act in the best interest of their team. A similar pattern emerges in research involving financiers [5], where professionals exhibited superior abilities in assessing situations, making decisions, and grasping the underlying context compared to their student counterparts.

In the realm of skills and qualities, a noteworthy study examined the presence of negative anti-professional traits among teachers and pedagogy students [6]. This investigation also bolsters the notion of professionals’ superiority in this domain, with teachers displaying notably lower levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy compared to students. However, it is important to acknowledge that such findings may stem from various factors, including professional maladaptation or individuals with pronounced negative traits not meeting the prerequisites for becoming teachers. In some instances, these results may also reflect individuals’ capacity to adapt to the demands of their chosen profession.

The subsequent research endeavors to discern distinctions, once more, between teachers and students utilizing the Big Five personality trait test [7]. The findings of this study paint a distinctive portrait of professional teachers: they exhibit lower neuroticism, greater extraversion, increased openness (in specific specializations), elevated agreeableness, and heightened conscientiousness compared to the average student. These results suggest that teachers, as a group, possess enhanced communication and interpersonal skills.

Similar outcomes were derived from an examination of professional ethics [8]. While minimal disparities were observed between first-year and final-year students in their ethical decision-making, more pronounced distinctions emerged when comparing graduated students with seasoned professionals. Additionally, a comparative study involving young nurses (with an average age of 31) and student nurses (with an average age of 21) revealed greater commonality in values among the younger cohort, in contrast to the disparities observed between young nurses and their senior counterparts (with an average age of 41) [9]. Jiménez-López and colleagues found that the younger participants prioritized social values such as friendship and relationships, whereas senior nurses emphasized ethical values. Furthermore, hedonistic and financial values held greater importance for the younger cohort than for their more experienced counterparts.

The overarching conclusion drawn from these aforementioned studies underscores the transformative impact of professional experience on individuals. Interestingly, transformative changes are even evident during the educational phase; Pollard & Miers conducted research indicating that interprofessional education has the potential to expedite the development of individuals’ soft skills at a faster rate than uniprofessional education [10].

In the discussion of professional qualities and skills, it is imperative to delve into the realms of professional self-concept and professional self-esteem. The former encompasses an individual’s holistic self-image as a professional, while the latter represents the core of professional self-concept, exerting a substantial influence on productivity, motivation, and overall success.

In this context, a pertinent meta-analysis involving longitudinal research on academic self-concept in school students sheds light on the reciprocal relationship between achievement and academic self-concept [11]. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that self-concept demonstrates correlations with self-efficacy, although self-concept is primarily linked to future accomplishments, whereas self-efficacy is more closely tied to an individual’s present abilities [12].

Therefore, it is evident that only limited research has delved into the intricate domain of professional self-concept, often focusing solely on academic self-concept. This is particularly conspicuous when considering the nuanced process of nurturing students’ professional self-esteem. Moreover, there is a conspicuous dearth of literature addressing the subject of professional self-esteem among student journalists.

In summary, the comprehensive analysis of student journalists and their professional counterparts reveals distinct differences across a spectrum of characteristics, spanning from personal qualities to soft and hard skills. These variances raise intriguing questions, which can be attributed to both professional education and work experience or the natural psychological development associated with age. While the improvement of hard skills is directly linked to professional training, the origins of disparities in personal qualities and soft skills are more nuanced, extending beyond the realm of work and profession.

To dissect these differences, researchers can draw on insights from developmental psychology. Certain tendencies typical of adolescents and students, such as hyperplasticity of values (not yet crystallized), high aspirations for the future, imperfect soft skills, self-centeredness, self-reliance, susceptibility to influence from peer groups, and high adaptability, might provide a foundational understanding. Identifying these peculiarities constitutes a crucial aspect of this research. The primary aim of this study is to delineate discrepancies between student journalists and their professional counterparts, not solely in terms of individual psychological attributes (personal qualities) but also within the domain of professional self-esteem.

To initiate our investigation, the selection of personal qualities to be compared is essential. At the foundational level, rooted in the physical and nervous system, we have opted to examine temperament, a set of individual psychological attributes. Accordingly, we employed Rusalov’s Temperament Structure Questionnaire to explore the multifaceted dimensions of temperament, encompassing social ergicity, plasticity, social plasticity, pace, social pace, emotionality, and social emotionality [13].

Transitioning to the domain of personal qualities, one of the most comprehensive tools at our disposal is Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, which offers an extensive array of traits for comparative analysis.

At the social level, we scrutinize qualities that empower individuals to establish connections with others and assume diverse social roles. In this context, we assess social intellect, motivation (as the impetus for engaging in various activities and social interactions), and values.

To gauge the significance of values, we employ the method of Personality Value Orientation Structure Diagnosis by Bubnova S.S., highlighting the following values: recreation, material well-being, hedonism, mercy, love, cognition, influence, respect, social activity, communication, and health.

Additionally, we measure the level of social intelligence using the method for Evaluating Social Intelligence, or SOINT-2 by Kalina N.F., expressed as a percentage. The exploration of motivation is conducted through two distinct methods: the first method, “Motivation of Professional Activity” by Zamfir K., and the second method, “Motivation for Career,” adapted from Noe A., Noe R., and Bachhuber D.

These meticulously chosen instruments and measures will enable us to comprehensively examine and compare the diverse facets of personal and social qualities between student journalists and their professional counterparts, shedding light on the nuanced distinctions within their professional self-concept and self-esteem.

Within our research, we have allocated professional self-esteem into four distinct constructs: the operational activity aspect, personal aspect, potential self-esteem, and result self-esteem.

The operational activity aspect encompasses both hard and soft skills, with particular relevance to our sample of journalists. To assess this dimension, we have utilized the “Method of Studying Journalist’s Professionalism” developed by Zakirzyanova L.A.

Moving on to the personal aspect, we have included professional qualities, which we evaluate using the author’s technique for measuring journalist’s professionally significant qualities [14].

The constructs of potential and result self-esteem pertain to the evaluation of one’s own potential and achievements in professional endeavors, respectively. For measuring potential self-esteem, we have employed the “Career Intuition” scale from the aforementioned “Motivation for Career” method, as assessing career prospects is an integral component of overall career motivation. To assess the self-esteem of result, we have employed the “Integral Satisfaction with Work” questionnaire by Fetyskin N.P., which gauges satisfaction derived from professional activities.

Our study encompasses two primary groups. The first group comprises student journalists enrolled in the specialization of “Journalism and Social Communications” at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism, a constituent of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. This group consists of 48 participants, with an average age of 19 years (all female).

Given the inherent differences in the age and professional experience of journalists and students, full age equivalence between the two groups is unattainable. This divergence is because entering the realm of professional journalism is accompanied by a period of professional adaptation, typically occurring between the ages of 23 to 25. Moreover, the journey toward professional maturity necessitates a considerable amount of time. Therefore, the criteria for selecting respondents for the group of professional journalists included having a minimum of two years of professional experience. Consequently, we have selected two groups of 48 individuals each, aged 25 and 19 years, to facilitate a comparative analysis of the individual psychological characteristics of journalists and students, (we selected 48 journalists from 110 participants, thus our general sample was 158 persons).

The research instruments were administered to the participants through an online platform using Google Forms, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality. If the person refuses to take part in the research he/she might stop at any stage and cancel the sending of the form or inform the researcher after sending it (we did not have such cases). All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 21.

Certainly, it is essential to conduct distinct analyses of personal characteristics and self-esteem, considering their distinct nature. The results of the MANOVA test focusing on personal qualities are summarized in Table 1. This analytical approach ensures a comprehensive exploration of the differences between the two groups, shedding light on the intricate facets of personal attributes in the context of student journalists and their professional counterparts.

Indeed, the analysis reveals that the null hypothesis is confirmed in the context of personal characteristics, indicating an absence of significant differences between student journalists and professional journalists in areas such as temperament, personal qualities, and values.

However, it is crucial to remain vigilant about potentially overlooked results. Let us closely examine the variables included in the MANOVA. Out of the 46 variables in the list, 13 variables differ in both groups, as outlined in Table 2.

Firstly, these variables in Table 2 serve merely as pointers for future research, given that MANOVA results indicate the absence of significant differences in the realm of personality traits between the groups.

Secondly, it is crucial to note a few key aspects:

• The variables listed in Table 2 align closely with findings from comparisons between journalists and individuals in other professions [15]. This similarity suggests that students and non-journalist professionals share certain traits, potentially linked to their professional self-concept, which merits further exploration.

• As highlighted in the review section, age peculiarities exert a significant influence on the results. Generally, students’ indicators in Table 2 tend to be lower than in professional journalists. Many of these non-significant differences may be attributed to the age and professional experience gap; characteristics like nonconformity, self-orientation, and ambition often typify younger individuals. Thus, the broader issue of age disparities between students and professionals, not limited to the journalism profession, is worth investigating.

• The nature of these variables, encompassing multiple dimensions like temperament structure (ergonicity, social ergonicity, social tempo), personal and interpersonal traits (warmth, conformity, social intelligence, external negative motivation, career involvement), and values (material well-being), suggests the randomness of these differences. This emphasizes the absence of significant disparities in the realm of personality traits, urging a reevaluation of other areas such as self-concept or self-esteem.

Additionally, it is essential to consider other variables that were not featured in Table 2 due to the lack of statistically

significant differentiation in both groups. These encompass a wide range of temperament properties (tempo, plasticity, social plasticity, pace, social pace, emotionality, and social emotionality), personal traits (reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, perfectionism, tension, etc.), as well as internal and positive external motivation, and specific values (recreation, hedonism, mercy, love, cognition, influence, respect, communication, and health).

The study’s results also include extensive correlations identified between variables. These correlations, ranging from low to moderate (from 0.2 to nearly 0.6) as detailed in Appendix 1, highlight the intricate interconnections among the characteristics under consideration.

Notably, there is a substantial number of significant connections between personal qualities (as per Cattell’s factors) and temperament characteristics. Comparatively fewer significant correlations are observed in motivation-related traits (such as external negative motivation and career involvement), with the lowest number found in the realm of values. This trend indicates that a higher volume of correlations exists at the foundational level (temperament) and decreases as the analysis ascends to higher psychological attributes (human values).

The second segment of this research delves into discerning disparities between students and journalists in terms of self-esteem. This section incorporates four distinct aspects of self-esteem and a comprehensive array of variables, which are subjected to another MANOVA test. The outcomes of this analysis are encapsulated in Table 3.

Indeed, in contrast to the previous analysis, the results this time point towards the rejection of the null hypothesis. With a high degree of probability, differences in self-esteem between students and journalists have been identified. The four distinct aspects of self-esteem provide a nuanced understanding of these variations. To comprehend these specific differences, a detailed examination of Table 4 is imperative.

Here, we have differences in assessment of hard skills/ the operational activity aspect (understanding of journalism peculiarities) and self-esteem of result (general job satisfaction, professional responsibility).

Interestingly, there is no significant discrepancy in professional qualities, including cognitive, emotional, and practical qualities, as assessed through the author’s technique for researching journalist’s professionally important qualities (personal aspect of self-esteem). Cognitive qualities encompass attributes such as analytical thinking and polymathy, emotional stability qualities encompass adaptiveness and stress resistance, and practical qualities include creative approach, observation, and reflexivity. However, it is noteworthy that all these qualities tend to be slightly higher in professional journalists (Table 5).

These findings highlight that while there are discernible differences in certain dimensions between student journalists and professional journalists, there is also a considerable degree of overlap in various temperament properties, personal traits, external motivations, values, and professional qualities. This nuanced understanding sheds light on the intricate dynamics

within the field of journalism and the development of individuals within this profession.

In examining the various aspects of professional self-esteem, it becomes evident that there are no significant differences in the personal aspect, suggesting that these findings may be generalizable to the broader population. Similarly, when scrutinizing the operational activity aspect, particularly in relation to soft skills, a comparable situation emerges. The “Method of Studying Journalist’s Professiona-lism” by Zakirzyanova L.A., comprises eight scales encompassing both soft and hard skills (self-control, clear life priorities, clear personal goals, self-development, problem-solving skills, communication skills, creative approach, and understanding the peculiarities of the journalists’ profession), we have identified differences solely in the evaluation of hard skills, as indicated in Table 4. This outcome is expected, given that students have yet to acquire the hard skills characteristic of professional journalists.

Within the assessment of potential self-esteem, no significant distinctions have emerged. However, when examining the self-esteem of result, specifically via the “Integral Satisfaction with Work” questionnaire, we do observe differences. Notably, general job satisfaction, satisfaction with achievements, and professional responsibility all score higher among professional journalists compared to students. On the other hand, there are no notable differences between the two groups in terms of interest, satisfaction with relationships with colleagues or superiors, levels of assertion, financial motivation, or satisfaction with work/study conditions.

Significantly, when considering the comparison of self-esteem, the observed effect sizes fall within the range of moderate to high. This is noteworthy when we define a 0.1 Eta Squared as a significant effect and 0.05 as a moderate effect.

These findings underscore that there are noteworthy disparities in professional self-esteem between student journalists and their professional counterparts, particularly in satisfaction and a sense of professional responsibility.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the MANOVA results indicate non-significant total differences in personal characteristics, or personality traits, between the two groups, and the significance found in self-esteem disparities.

The findings from this study elucidate several key conclusions regarding the distinctions between student journalists and their professional counterparts:

1. There are no significant differences between students and journalists in terms of personality traits, encompassing temperament, personal, and interpersonal properties, as well as values. However, certain variables were identified in students, showing a pattern similar to that found in other non-journalist professionals when compared with journalists. This observation might be linked to differences in students’ professional self-concept in comparison with journalists’.

2. Noteworthy differences between students and journalists emerged in the realm of professional self-esteem, demonstrating a moderate effect size. Specifically, students exhibited lower assessments in hard skills which resulted in low self-esteem. These results could be attributed to the limited professional achievements and experiences among students, which is quite evident. A similar trend, albeit lacking statistical significance, was observed in the personal aspect of self-esteem, including cognitive and emotional stability qualities. These findings underscore the disparities in professional self-concept, indicating a need for further in-depth research in this area.