Electron spectroscopic methods are indispensable tools to study magnetic solids, as they can be used to monitor their magnetization in a spatial time‐resolved way and partly in an element‐resolved way, as well as to probe their electronic structure in a most detailed way. This contribution gives an overview on three representative and important techniques widely used for these purposes: magneto‐optics, X‐ray absorption, and photoemission spectroscopy. The theoretical basis for dealing with these spectroscopies is presented putting some emphasis on the consequences of spin‐orbit coupling, as this relativistic effect often plays a central role. After introducing the main concepts for each type of spectroscopy, some illustrative examples are presented.