If you’ve been reading this blog at all, you’ve likely seen me mention that your online career center can be an excellent tool for driving membership growth and loyalty. A couple of stats you might have seen me reference from Community Brands research:
- Job opportunities are tied for the number one reason people join a membership organization. – Member Engagement and Loyalty study
- Career advancement benefits are “very important” to members across all stages in their careers, and especially for those early in their careers. – Association Trends 2020 study
I’ve also written about how offering an online job board is an ideal way to start providing the career-related benefits your members seek. But your job board can be so much more than just a place to post jobs. You can transform it into a full-featured career center, where your members and other job seekers in your industry or profession can:
- Find their next great jobs
- Discover resources to help them land the jobs they’re seeking
- Plan and research their entire careers – from student to retiree
- Connect with employers, mentors, and learning opportunities to advance their careers
With these ideas in mind, here is a checklist of what to include in your online career center to give your members and prospective members the tools, resources, and data they need to plan and manage their careers:
Recommended jobs based on their interests
At a baseline, job seekers should be able to easily search and apply for jobs (be sure they can do so from their mobile devices!). Take it further by recommending opportunities to them based on their prior searches.
Career coaching and resources
Give job seekers the support they need to land the jobs they’re seeking by offering them a wealth of resources and coaching, including:
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- Job seeker articles, tips, and recommendations
- Résumé review
- Career coaching
Career mapping tool
Give your members an online tool to visually map out and achieve their career goals. This will help them get from where they are today to where they want to be in their future careers.
Career insights
Give job seekers access to deep information about their potential careers. This will help them decide how to take the next steps or change direction. Be sure to include:
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- Job growth outlooks for jobs in the profession – including government estimates on future job creation in the field
- Compensation ranges for jobs – by region or nationally, and on a salaried or hourly basis
- Typical activities performed by jobs in the profession
- “Day in the life” videos for practical examples of what jobs entail
- Knowledge, skills, and education levels typically required for each job
Learn more
Discover more tips and insights on how to help your members and prospective members plan, research, and develop their careers.
