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Throughout the past year, I've had the opportunity to work with college-age students — bright, motivated and excited to make a difference in the world. Still, their No. 1 concern is about their future.

Teens feel pressure to discover and pursue a fulfilling career, and your direction as a parent will be key to helping your teen navigate these choices as he prepares for adult life.

There's a relevant quote attributed to Michelangelo: "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Your child has unique gifts, personality traits, talents and interests. Your job as a parent is simply to help set free what God has placed within your teen.

The right career path is often found at the intersection of aptitude, interest and personality. Your observations of these three emerging traits in your child are invaluable. Augment your own observations with the input of others. Teachers, coaches and relatives may notice things that you overlook.

When your teen reaches her junior or senior year of high school, consider career testing. Most university counseling centers offer a battery of tests that help tease out aptitude, interest and personality. Another option is a career assessment.

While a subject like art or political science may be interesting to study, your teen needs to understand how those interests translate into a career. When I decided as a college freshman to pursue psychology, my parents encouraged me to get a job that would help me "try it on for size." Where could a 19-year-old with no training get a job in psychology? I ended up volunteering (and then working) at a pregnancy resource center.

Whatever your teen's vocational interest, find jobs or volunteer opportunities that mirror that type of work environment. Is he interested in the medical field? Volunteer at a hospital. The business world? Work in the mailroom of a local company. Computer graphics? Volunteer to design fliers for a local ministry.

Help your teen also find professionals to shadow. Encourage him to ask questions like, "How did you decide you wanted to work in this field?" "What do you like most about your job?" "What do you like the least?" These interactions not only help paint a realistic picture of a career, but may also develop into a mentor relationship for your teen.

Another huge part of preparing your teen for the workforce is helping him understand that any job will include certain aspects he doesn't like. Work is not all fun and fulfillment. There will be bad days, unfair bosses and other setbacks. As the saying goes, "That's why they call it work."

The apostle Paul gave this enduring instruction: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). God has equipped your teen with gifting and passions, and her future is secure in His hands. Encourage her not to be stressed, and remind her that the ultimate goal of her work is to bring glory and honor to her Savior.