The article examines the approaches of various authors to the definition of the concepts of “personality orientation” and “professional orientation of personality” in psychological and pedagogical literature. The purpose of this article is to analyze the approaches available in psychological and pedagogical science to define the concept of “personality orientation” in order to identify common grounds and define the concept of “professional personality orientation”. Most scientists consider orientation as one of the most important characteristics of the personality structure and to a greater extent the definition of this concept is associated with such terms as needs, interests, motives, drives, goals, activity, attitude. The term “orientation” in the psychological and pedagogical literature retains uncertainty in its concept and can be interpreted quite broadly. In psychological and pedagogical approaches, the phenomenology of this concept can be based on various grounds: one can take as a basis the subject of orientation, which a person is aimed at in his activity; and, in fact, the object of orientation, which is influenced by his mental properties. The subject of orientation can be the operational sphere of activity: human actions to achieve their goals in accordance with the orientation; professional sphere, aesthetic sphere, humanistic sphere, personal characteristics of character, etc. Various vectors of orientation form a specific system that forms the psychological appearance of a person and directs her activity in the process of life. The classification of different types of personality orientation can be very diverse, as well as approaches to the interpretation of this concept. The component structure of personality orientation is also variable. Generalization of the data obtained allows us to conclude that professional orientation is an integral part of the general orientation of the personality, that its component hierarchical structure confirms the mobility, dynamism and responsiveness of professional orientation to development. The obtained results of the analysis allow us to design pedagogical conditions for the development of professional orientation among students.