Career Center Best Practices: Part 2
This is Part 2 in our Career Center Best Practices series. In Part 1, we explored best practices for Visibility and Integrations to help associations optimize their career centers. Now, we will focus on Extended Reach strategies and Unique Non-Dues Revenue opportunities to further enhance engagement and financial sustainability.
Best Practices: Extended Reach
A career center should be more than just a job board—it should serve as a hub for career advancement and industry networking. Expanding your career center’s reach through various channels creates additional value for both job seekers and employers.
One effective way to increase engagement is through career fairs:
- Virtual career fairs allow widespread participation with minimal logistical costs.
- Onsite career fairs at conferences provide valuable face-to-face networking.
- A hybrid approach with virtual pre-event sessions leading up to in-person events can further boost engagement and attendance.
Industry events also provide prime opportunities to attract job seekers and employers to your career center. Associations can maximize visibility by:
- Setting up job seeker registration kiosks to encourage sign-ups.
- Distributing career-focused newsletters to event attendees.
- Incorporating career development sessions into event programming.
- Using clear signage and program ads to promote the career center throughout the event.
For associations with multiple chapters, extending career center access across different regions can significantly expand its reach. Linking chapter websites to the main career center or creating chapter-branded career centers that share job postings from the main platform ensures consistent engagement across regional or specialized groups.
Additionally, providing exclusive career resources—such as industry reports, interview and resume guides, and salary insights—can position your career center as a thought leader in professional development. By offering valuable tools, associations can make their career center the go-to destination for industry professionals.
Best Practices: Unique Non-Dues Revenue
Beyond traditional job postings, career centers can become a significant revenue generator through innovative offerings that provide value to employers and job seekers alike.
A dedicated job posting sales team can help increase employer engagement and revenue by:
- Providing personalized outreach to employers.
- Assisting with package selection for job postings.
- Fostering relationships that encourage repeat business and long-term partnerships.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning can further optimize the career center experience. AI-driven tools personalize job recommendations for seekers, while dynamic newsletters use engagement data to curate relevant job postings and content. These features not only improve user experience but also drive higher engagement rates, leading to increased revenue opportunities.
Another valuable revenue strategy is programmatic retargeting, which helps associations re-engage job seekers even after they leave the site, encouraging more applications for employers. Onsite programmatic advertising allows multiple advertisers to bid for ad space, generating additional revenue while providing targeted visibility for employers.
Associations can also leverage sponsorship and advertising opportunities within the career center. Employers looking to increase visibility can invest in:
- Sponsored job postings that stand out from standard listings.
- Banner ads strategically placed within the career center.
- Featured employer pages that highlight companies and attract top talent.
Providing credentialing integrations and salary calculators further enhances value for job seekers while creating additional revenue streams. These tools help job seekers understand their career trajectory and allow employers to connect with highly qualified candidates who meet job requirements.
By implementing Extended Reach and Unique Non-Dues Revenue strategies, your association can transform its career center into a dynamic, revenue-generating platform that delivers exceptional value to members and industry professionals.
Want to Optimize Your Career Center?
- Learn more about how Naylor can help optimize your career center.
- Speak with one of our team members. Request a meeting today!
