A Study on Self-Cognition in the Integrated Cultivation of College Students’ Ideological-Political Literacy and Professional Literacy in the Context of Employment and Entrepreneurship

Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in employment and entrepreneurship, the coordinated integration of ideological-political literacy and professional literacy among college students has become a critical factor influencing their career adaptability and long-term development. In the era of high-quality development of higher education, employers have shifted from valuing single professional skills to paying attention to the comprehensive qualities of talents, including moral conduct, sense of responsibility, teamwork and legal awareness. The integration of ideological-political literacy and professional literacy has increasingly become an important part of college talent training. This study adopts standardized qualitative research, methods and strictly follows the IMRaD academic paper specification. Based on purposive sampling, 12 sophomore and junior students majoring in applied foreign languages with volunteer service, student work and internship experience as interviewees, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to explore the pathways for students to actively recognize and integrate these two literacies. First, it defines the connotations and synergistic logic of the two literacies, and points out that self-awareness is the core mechanism for realizing value internalization and literacy integration. Second, based on qualitative observation and empirical analysis, it summarizes the practical dilemmas in the integration process, including vague career goals, weak value identity, cognitive fragmentation between two literacies, passive cultivation and instrumental participation tendency; most interviewees lack clear self-understanding and accurate career positioning, leading to the separation between ideological understanding and professional practice. Third, supported by Social Cognitive Career Theory and Self-Identity Theory, it expounds the internal mechanism and dynamic process of self-awareness driving literacy integration. Self-awareness runs through the whole process of literacy integration, helping students transform external requirements into internal beliefs and conscious actions, so as to realize the organic unity of moral character and professional ability. Fourth, based on interview findings, it puts forward operable cultivation paths from student-centered practice and university support system dimensions. Grounded in the student perspective, this study strengthens the empirical foundation and theoretical depth, and can provide empirical references and practical guidance for college students’ career