Associations Now: What's a recent trend in association career centers?

Aley: Some associations are embracing microsites as a way to establish their career center as a destination for job searching and resources related to career management and ongoing professional development.

Don't leave your job board data unattended.

What should associations keep in mind when developing a microsite?

This strategy has a lot of merit, but you need a plan to do it effectively. An association's brand is one of its most valuable assets. If you implement a microsite, trademark it to the association and resist the urge to create a brand that might look commercial. Also, think through SEO implications. A microsite needs a content strategy if it's going to get noticed by search engines.

What's your best advice for getting the most out of career centers right now?

Ensure prominent link placement on the main navigation of your association's website. Not having visibility almost guarantees failure for an online career center, especially when you're trying to engage employers that need to access and post to the job board quickly and efficiently.

If you're successful at getting that visibility, don't stop there. Push jobs to other relevant parts of your website. Members and other site visitors will see this as content, and it's the best way to capture passive job seekers and only increases ROI for employers, ensuring they'll continue to return and post.

Lastly, but just as important, don't leave your job board data unattended. On average, over half of clients' new registrations are for nonmembers. Use that data to sell memberships and other programs. Career center data is often an untapped and overlooked data source.

[This article was originally published in the Associations Now print edition, titled "Get A Rung Up."]