From an early age, my parents always encouraged me to think about the parallels between student life and working full-time. “Just like it’s our job to get up and go to work every day, it’s your job to get up and go to school every day,” I vividly remember my mom telling me as a kindergartner. “And doing your homework when you get home at night is part of that job, too,” she added.

Looking back, it seems like a few trivial statements made by a mother to persuade her daughter to get out of bed for school in the morning. But it wasn’t insignificant. It helped my young, impressionable mind to recognize the importance in being a good student. I wanted to be a good student because it was my job to do so, according to my mother. Indeed, it was forward-thinking at its finest.

With that fundamental seed planted (you must get up every day and perform your job, whatever it is), when a child develops natural interests and skillsets, it’s time to hone in on the “whatever it is”. As teens reach the pivotal point in their lives of determining the career field in which they want to obtain further education and training, parents can have the same effect on their children as my mom did when she made that simple statement to her six-year-old. Little did she know her praise and support of my early passions would ultimately lead to my pursuit of a degree in disaster recovery.

Encourage your college-bound teen to investigate careers

Encouraging teenagers to investigate careers, if done properly, can set them up for success long before recruiters start showing up at their high school. No child ever really wants to grow up, so mandating they start thinking about declaring a profession will likely not yield a positive response. Rather than telling them to start thinking about college or figuring out what they want to do for a living, ask questions relating to a career that will provoke their curiosity and motivate them do initiate their own research.

For example, let’s say your teenage son has great language skills, is on the school newspaper editorial team, enjoys playing baseball, loves punk rock music, and appears to be dependent on his Twitter account. You could ask him if he plans to be on the newspaper staff next year. If he does, then he must enjoy writing. As a parent, you are surely in tune with what he’s writing about. So, if the newspaper has him writing about the school play, encourage him to seek permission to write about sports or music (two of his interests) instead. If the paper won’t allow him to change topics, mention a music or sports blog you stumbled across that you noticed was taking guest posts. Whether it’s with the school newspaper or on a blog, you’ve now guided him towards creative writing about subjects he enjoys.

Encourage them to take the next step

If it goes well and he likes it, as you praise him for the great work he’s been doing, casually mention what bigger and better things it could lead to- a music correspondent for an alternative arts publication, a field reporter for a local radio station, or video blogging for a local news station. Be persistent, but not annoyingly persistent, that these are real possibilities. Point out that those types of organizations need interns and that, if it’s something he could see himself doing for a career, that he could test the waters with an internship.

The point is that gentle nudging that provokes curiosity will, in the end, be much more effective than forcing internships if the student discovers on his own that his passion can become his career. Take an active interest in his activities and hobbies and encourage further development of those that could lead to internships and occupations. Drop hints and make suggestions. And most importantly- be supportive of their final decisions!

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This was a guest post contributed by Danielle Luna, a resident of Indianapolis, who blogs for Professional Intern (http://www.professionalintern.com), a website devoted to reading, literature, writing, and education.