The present study considers the issues of building a professional career by future specialists in the edu-cational environment of the university. There are examined the concepts of “career” and “profession-al career” both in foreign and domestic research. In January and February of 2020 the authors conduct-ed a survey of 616 undergraduate and graduate stu-dents of M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal Uni-versity in order to study their approaches to life, career skills, competencies, as well as ways and mechanisms of building career growth. The results of the survey showed that the students mainly see career development as an opportunity to achieve their material goals, to combine professional and personal interests, to build their own business, etc. The study presents the forms and methods applied at the university regarding career development of future specialists (workshops, disputes, meetings with successful graduates, employers, employees of employment services, employment centers, etc.) taking into account ethnocultural aspects, regional specific features and distance learning.