In her office, a plaque reads, "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life"—a sentiment that perfectly captures Amy Crawford’s approach to career counseling. With 30 years of experience as a career coordinator, educator, and counselor under her belt, she now serves as the Assistant Director of Internships within Career Services at Howard Community College. Read on to learn how Amy is empowering students to land careers they love through strategic career planning, advocacy, and job search support.
Tell us about your career journey and your role in the career center.
My journey into career services began during my junior year of college, where a transformative meeting with a career counselor inspired me to help others in the same way. After graduating from Bucknell University then earning a master's degree in counseling psychology with a focus on career counseling from Northwestern University, I went on to build my career in higher education, first at Robert Morris College and later at the University of Baltimore. I took time to be a stay-at-home parent, then resumed my work at Howard Community College. In my role as the Assistant Director of Internships, I provide career counseling and job search support, assist with planning the job/internship fair each semester, and coordinate the on-campus internship program. I also work with employers and faculty members to promote Handshake and other services, and for the next two years, am pleased to serve as the Chair of the Maryland Community College Career Affinity group.
What is an example of an impactful initiative you’ve implemented at your institution?
In 2019, we launched our on-campus internship program with 10 departments and 13 students. By 2020, the program had grown significantly, with more than 30 departments and 62 students participating. While the transition from on-campus to virtual internships during the pandemic was challenging, we successfully adapted. In 2022, we expanded opportunities for students by partnering with Financial Aid Services to offer work-study internships, which we migrated to Handshake this past summer. To support this transition, Career Services provided training for department supervisors, ensuring they could effectively post positions on the platform.
How are you utilizing data from Handshake to effectively provide leadership with an accurate and compelling view of programmatic success?
Over the past five years, Career Services has become much more data-driven, with Handshake playing a central role in helping Howard Community College capture and organize that data. We now post all of our events and programs on Handshake and ensure that students check in at events via the kiosk to track attendance. This allows us to provide our VP with valuable insights from the Handshake dashboard, including the number of jobs posted, companies participating, and student hires. Beginning this academic year, we will also use Handshake for our First Destination Survey, as it's the ideal platform for collecting accurate, comprehensive data from all students.
How does Handshake help make your team more successful?
- Online appointment scheduling makes it easy for students to access both virtual and in-person appointments with Career Services.
- Direct messaging to students allows us to send important announcements and share exciting job opportunities, keeping students informed in real-time.
- Employer outreach is simplified on Handshake, where we can easily invite employers to participate in fairs, panels, and other events, fostering strong connections between students and potential employers.
- Job and internship fair registration is streamlined for both students and employers, improving the process and increasing event participation.
- Event marketing and analysis is easily accomplished on Handshake, where we promote all programs and events, and utilize registration and check-in features to capture valuable data and track student engagement.
- Posting on-campus employment opportunities enables us to provide students with expanded access to local opportunities.
- A larger employer network connects students with employers and both virtual and in-person events they might not have had access to otherwise, which they can easily register and apply for directly through the platform.
What is one of your favorite events or programs that you or your team have implemented for students on your campus?
Each semester, in collaboration with the Development/Alumni Office, we offer Link Up, a hands-on networking workshop led by a local career consultant who helps students gain practical tips, explore career options, and practice their skills in a supportive environment. After the workshop, students attend a networking event with alumni and employers, rotating through 20-minute conversations at different tables. This format helps students connect with a variety of professionals, expand their networks, and even secure job opportunities.
What are the biggest challenges your students face when it comes to professional development/career exploration? How do you and your career team help solve for them?
The biggest challenges our students face are balancing competing responsibilities, lack of clarity when it comes to career goals, and limited exposure to resources.
We provide flexible options for students who may struggle to engage in career planning due to time or geographic constraints—like virtual and in-person appointments with evening hours, as well as “satellite” programming in popular campus locations like student lounges. For students ready to engage but unsure what their career goals are, our career and academic advising teams have been cross-trained—career staff can provide basic academic advising and advisors can provide career counseling—to provide a seamless support system for students in any phase of career education or exploration. To remove barriers and make career resources more accessible to new or underserved students, we partner with faculty to give classroom presentations in first year courses and student success groups like Howard P.R.I.D.E. serving African-American male students and Ambiciones serving Latino students to develop tailored workshops for key professional skills like networking or dressing for success. These services and partnerships help students build confidence and become more proactive in their career development.
What is one of your favorite student success stories?
Our campus has a significant population of students with disabilities, and I have the privilege of connecting with many of them in my role as the campus coordinator for the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)—a program providing internship opportunities for students with disabilities in the federal government.
One of my most memorable success stories involves a student with cerebral palsy. Because of her condition, she needed assistance filling out job applications. We worked together as I typed what she directed, ensuring her voice was heard in every application. She was invited for an interview at a local grocery store, but when she arrived the manager told her she needed to reschedule without offering a new date. This raised concerns for me—I worried the delay might be related to her disability and wanted to ensure there was no discrimination involved. I decided to call the manager to express my concerns. The manager responded positively, reached out to the student, rescheduled the interview, and ultimately hired her for the position. By intervening to ensure my student had a fair opportunity, I not only helped her secure employment but also demonstrated the power of advocacy in fostering a more inclusive environment.
Any final thoughts?
Howard Community College was the first community college in Maryland to adopt Handshake, and we were thrilled when the platform expanded access to allow community members to use their personal email addresses. We're grateful to Handshake for providing our students with equal access to job opportunities, events, and employers who typically recruit at four-year institutions. I often call Handshake the "great equalizer," and since our adoption, several other community colleges in the region have followed our lead and implemented the platform as well!