töösuund

töösuund (from töö meaning work and suund meaning direction) is a term used in vocational guidance to describe an individual's work orientation—the preferences, values, and expectations that shape choices about occupations, tasks, and work environments. A person’s töösuund reflects the kinds of activities they find meaningful and the settings in which they are most productive, such as hands-on technical work, problem solving, cooperation, or independent decision making. In career planning, töösuund is considered together with skills, qualifications, and labor-market prospects to help individuals select education paths and potential careers that fit their profile.

Assessment of töösuund typically involves self-reflection, counseling interviews, and sometimes standardized questionnaires or practical tasks that reveal favored domains—technical, social, investigative, or entrepreneurial orientations, though exact categorizations vary by program. In schools, universities, and labor-market services, töösuund informs guidance practices, curriculum design, and mentoring conversations, with the aim of improving alignment between training and future work, job satisfaction, and retention.

Töösuund is not fixed; it can evolve with experience, training, and changes in the economy or personal circumstances. While it provides a useful framework for planning, guidance also emphasizes exploration, transferable skills, and multiple potential paths to accommodate change.

See also: career guidance, vocational psychology, career development.