Speaking of professional self-identification, we usually refer to a secondary-school graduate choosing a job or education. In this article, professional self-identification is about choosing a job after graduating from an university or a high school — a stage of life which is no less important. The article presents results of an empirical study of female graduates from technical schools, teachers' colleges and universities, in Moscow as well as in the provinces. The author analyses their strategies of professional self-identification and implicit conceptions of professionalism.