It’s no secret that an effective way to enhance the value of membership is through a career center. This resource allows you to help your association's members find job opportunities and support their professional growth.
In this blog post, we’ll explore four actionable ways to further increase the value of your association's membership through your career center.
Why a career center matters for associations
Job opportunities and career advancement are actually among the top reasons members join associations.
So investing in a job board can help your association support the career development and growth of your members, ultimately strengthening member acquisition and retention, benefiting your association as a whole.
Your career center can become a central platform for members to find job opportunities within their industry, connect with potential employers, and advance their careers. This not only benefits individual members but also positions your association as a hub for professional development and networking.
Niceboard provides associations with turn-key job board setup and administration to maximize your revenue potential and unlock the value in your members.
1. Provide in-depth job seeker features
Of course, the number one benefit of your career center will be an easy-to-navigate job board where members can search and find industry-specific roles.
To attract and retain members, your job board should offer features that make the job search seamless and efficient. Here are some key functionalities to consider (which you’ll have control over with Niceboard):
Personalized job recommendations: Set up notifications that alert users when new jobs matching their preferences are posted. This keeps your career center top-of-mind, even for passive job seekers.
Advanced search filters: Allow users to filter job listings based on criteria such as location, industry, job type, salary range, and remote work options. This saves time for job seekers and enhances their experience. Also consider including niche-specific filters relevant to your field—such as specific certifications or skills required for certain roles.
Social logins: Implement social login options (e.g. via LinkedIn, Google or SSL certificates) to simplify account creation for both job seekers and employers. This reduces barriers and encourages more users to create permanent accounts with your platform, and hence returning to it.
Mobile accessibility: Ensure that your job board is mobile-friendly. Many members will prefer applying for jobs on-the-go, so optimizing for mobile devices is crucial.
Comprehensive job descriptions: Ensure that each job posting includes detailed information such as responsibilities, qualifications, salary ranges, company culture, and remote work options.
By integrating these features on your career center, you'll enhance the overall user experience, making it easier for members to find relevant opportunities.
2. Offer further career advancement resources
Career advancement is a primary concern for many professionals. By providing resources that support their professional growth—beyond the actual job listings—you can significantly increase the value of your association’s membership.
Here’s how:
Career development resources: Offer articles and guides that cover topics like resume writing, interview preparation, and networking strategies. These resources help members advance their careers in your industry and land the job they’re looking for.
Communicate regularly: Send out newsletters featuring those tips on career advancement or upcoming career events. Keeping members informed drives engagement and reinforces the value of their membership.
Connect members with relevant contacts: Whether it’s mentors, professionals in your field or employers, your association can help establish connections between experienced professionals and members that are seeking career guidance. This can be done by providing a platform for insider interviews that give insights from professionals in the industry, blog posts highlighting uncommon career paths, or guest posts.
Gather feedback from members: Don’t just assume, do the research! Find out which resources your members find most valuable. This could be qualitative data from online surveys or qualitative data that your staff gathers through conversations with members.
Niceboard makes it easy for associations to build a robust online career center that includes these essential resources. With our built-in blog feature and custom pages, you can create a platform where members not only find jobs but also access valuable tools for professional growth.
3. Provide industry-specific career insights
Members want access to information that helps them navigate their careers effectively. Whether it’s newcomers trying to break into your industry, mid-level employees looking to become leaders or those wanting to make a career change—your association should be able to support your members at every stage of their career.
And by offering industry-specific insights on your career center, you can further enhance membership value for all your members, no matter their career goals:
- Job market trends: Share data on up-and-coming roles, remote work, and growth projections within specific industries. This information helps members make informed decisions about the next step in their careers.
- Salary databases: Usually difficult to access but highly valuable for members is data on compensation. As an authority in your industry, you can provide an overview of current salary ranges for jobs—by region, job title, and company size.
- Skill requirements: Provide information about the skills, qualifications, and official certifications needed for various roles within your industry. This helps members identify areas where they may need additional training or education. And ideally your association can help members obtain those certifications as well.
- Day in the Life: Create content that showcases various roles within your industry through interviews or even recorded shadowing experiences. This gives your job seekers a realistic view of what different positions actually entail.
By offering these insights, you position your association as an authority in your field while providing valuable information that benefits your members’ careers.
4. Enhance professional education opportunities
Continuing education is another critical aspect of career development that many members expect from their associations.
Here’s how you can provide valuable learning opportunities:
- Online courses: Implement continuing education offerings with live and on-demand courses related to professional development within your industry. This allows members to pursue certifications or skills training at their convenience.
- Speaker recruitment: Invite industry experts as speakers to share their knowledge through workshops or webinars. This not only enhances your educational offerings but also builds member engagement.
- Gated content access: Consider offering a subscription model or one-time fee to access to your educational material or events in addition to your normal membership dues. This can generate additional non-dues revenue for you and provide extra value to your members.
Investing in a career center is a sure way to increase the value of your association’s membership. With these 4 strategies, you’ll not only retain existing members but also attract new ones—ultimately strengthening your association's impact in your industry.