  This review aims to introduce the x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and
resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) techniques to the materials
scientist working with magnetic semiconductors (e.g. semiconductors doped with
3d transition metals) for applications in the field of spin-electronics. We
focus our attention on the hard part of the x-ray spectrum (above 3 keV) in
order to demonstrate a powerful element- and orbital-selective characterization
tool in the study of bulk electronic structure. XES and RIXS are
photon-in/photon-out second order optical processes described by the
Kramers-Heisenberg formula. Nowadays, the availability of third generation
synchrotron radiation sources permits applying such techniques also to dilute
materials, opening the way for a detailed atomic characterization of
impurity-driven materials. We present the K{\beta} XES as a tool to study the
occupied valence states (directly, via valence-to-core transitions) and to
probe the local spin angular momentum (indirectly, via intra-atomic exchange
interaction). The spin sensitivity is employed, in turn, to study the
spin-polarized unoccupied states. Finally, the combination of RIXS with
magnetic circular dichroism (RIXS-MCD) extends the possibilities of standard
magnetic characterization tools.
