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Book Review: “I’m On LinkedIn Now What?”

by Darlene McDaniel on September 4th, 2007

“I’m On LinkedIn, Now What” is Jason Alba’s new book!! I have been waiting for over 2 weeks to get this post up and out!! I am privileged to be one of at least 100 people that had an opportunity to get a pre-press soft copy of the book to review!

For those of you who have been following me over the last few days on my LinkedIn journey…Here is the big reason I am investing my time and energy on LinkedIn. I read Jason’s book and it convinced me to take another look.

Here’s My Recommendation and Endorsement:
“‘I’m On LinkedIn, Now What?’ is a perfect title for this book. It is precisely why I wouldn’t join LinkedIn when I began to hear a buzz about it. I personally did not understand the need for yet another social networking site for me to visit. But within the first 15 pages of Jason’s book, I began to understand the value of LinkedIn not only for me, but for those I have the opportunity to coach through a job search. I’m On LinkedIn Now What? is simple, easy to reading yet very specific on the value you gain by taking the time to build your profile.

Jason breaks down the key components of creating your profile. Which if you follow his recommendations you will complete your profile. I did it. I actually made a commitment to complete my profile after reading his book. As a result of completing my profile, I sent out 40 invitations to people I know that are a part of the LinkedIn community. 31 of 40 have responded back with a yes. As an added BONUS, I have connected with a friend I haven’t spoken to since November 2001. I can tell you that I wouldn’t be reconnected to her without LinkedIn. I had no idea how to contact her. But the power of technology and the use of this networking tool as opened up the possibilities of who we are each connected to.”

I have included a summary of his book and instructions for ordering a copy for yourself. Let me be very clear, I highly recommend this book for any and all professionals. I also recommend this book for aspiring professionals. I am truly amazed at the number of people you can get connected to in a very short amount of time. More to come in a separate post on this topic. Check out the book summary. If you are interested in ordering the book for yourself, click here.

Book Summary

Book: I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???: A Guide to Getting the Most OUT of LinkedIn

This book is designed to help you get the most out this popular business networking site. With over 12 million members there is a lot of potential to find and develop relationships to help in your business and personal life, but many professionals find themselves wondering what to do once they signup. This book explains the different benefits of the system and recommends best practices so that you can get the most out of LinkedIn.

If you are a professional interested in advancing your career, increasing your business or expanding your opportunities through relationships, this book is for you. It helps you understand and develop an effective online social networking strategy with LinkedIn.

The reader will walk away with:

An understanding of LinkedIn and why they should use it
a set of best practices and tips to get started and keep moving
an understanding of how LinkedIn fits into their networking and career strategy

Book Table of Contents

Part 1: Getting Started
- Ch01: Introduction
- Ch02: What is LinkedIn?
- Ch03: Your Profile
- Ch04: Account and Settings

Part 2: Making it Work for You
- Ch05: Connecting with Others
- Ch06: Searching
- Ch07: How Degrees of Separation Works
- Ch08: Recommendations
- Ch09: Jobs & Hiring
- Ch10: Services
- Ch11: LinkedIn Groups
- Ch12: LinkedIn Answers

Part 3: Wrapping it Up
- Ch13: LinkedIn for Personal Branding
- Ch14: Shady Practices
- Ch15: On Netiquette
- Ch16: Complementary Tools and Resources
- Ch17: Conclusion

Comments on “I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???” by Jason Alba

“Jason offers a unique perspective on networking that’s of interest to anyone that is a job seeker, entrepreneur, or networking enthusiast. He has been all of these and his experiences with LinkedIn enable him to offer an integrated review for anyone to make the most of the LinkedIn tool. His book is a reflection of his deep understanding of people, technology and change in the market and can easily save the average new user months of time in trial and error.”
Nadine Turner, Nadine Turner, Six Sigma Black Belt

“This book takes the guess work out of how to utilize LinkedIn and is unquestionably a friendly user’s guide! This book is not simply for beginners, but for those who are serious about professional and personal networking. Kudos Jason!”
Lori Russel Boilard, CEO, Executive Careers & Psychologist

“If you are new to LinkedIn, you are in for a treat when you read ‘I’m On LinkedIn–Now What???.’ If this book were available the first year LinkedIin started, it would have helped LinkedIn to be better understood and would have helped thousands of professionals get the most out of LinkedIin.”
Vincent Wright, Chief Encouragement Officer, MyLinkedinPowerForum.com

“Jason’s Personal Brand is consistent in each project he works on, especially in ‘I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???’ Throughout this book he narrows down exactly what LinkedIn SHOULD be used for so that readers don’t confuse it with other social networks. You will encounter information on how to set up your profile, network through groups and proper etiquette to use as you grow your LinkedIn database. Jason’s thoughtful and honest viewpoint on LinkedIn will teach everyone from youthful professionals to experienced entrepreneurs how to succeed with this tool.”
Daniel Schawbel, Publisher, Personal Branding Magazine

“‘I’m on LinkedIn - Now What???’ provides a useful guide for all those looking to better utilize the power of LinkedIn. As Jason writes, LinkedIn is NOT the silver bullet of networking sites; such a site does not exist, and this book does not try to make that point. What this book does incredibly well is show how you CAN use the tool to your advantage; to make connections, to help others, and ultimately, to help yourself! 2 handshakes WAY UP for this great book!”
Phil Gerbyshak, public speaker and author of 10 Ways to Make It Great!

“Jason Alba has established himself as a well-known and widely respected expert in the employment arena. His success in establishing himself and promoting his extraordinary career toolset JibberJobber.com prove that he knows what he’s talking about. His understanding of personal branding and networking come together in his new book about using LinkedIn. Authoritative and insightful, this book is a great primer for ‘newbies,’ yet it’s comprehensive enough to offer something of value to even the most seasoned LinkedIn users.”
George Blomgren, Director of Marketing, MilwaukeeJobs.com

“Alba’s book is the link you need to power up your LinkedIn results!”
Kent M. Blumberg, Executive and Professional Coach, KentBlumberg.com

“Jason’s book is an easy-to-read, well-written, step-by-step tutorial for the novice, or for the person who’s already linked in. He reveals his mastery, once again, at making the complex simple, just as he did with his invention of JibberJobber.”
Billie R. Sucher, Career Transition Consultant & Author, BillieSucher.com

“You don’t have to be a full time social networker to use LinkedIn as a connection making tool and Jason Alba lays this out point by point in ‘I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???’ where he explains exactly how to use LinkedIn in a way that works for you. A book that I’ve long needed to explain just what LinkedIn is and isn’t to countless friends and clients without buzzwords or hype, it’s high on my list of recommendations.”
Susan Reynolds, New Media Consultant, ArtsyAsylum.com

“In an age of social networking, LinkedIn remains one of the best for business people. Mr. Alba gives a wonderful first-hand insight on the how-to’s of using the service: this guide has been a long time coming. I am delighted that he’s taken the time to put together, in a single volume, how to get the best out of the service.”
Jack Yan, CEO, Jack Yan & Associates, JackYan.com

“Jason has written a great book ‘I’m on LinkedIn Now What???’ for the beginner and those that need some more detailed instruction. This book is an easy read with some great descriptions of how to accomplish your LinkedIn networking tasks. I recommend this book for all users of LinkedIn.”
Jim Browning, Co-Owner/Lead Moderator, LinkedIn Atlanta & President, Browning Business Solutions, LLC, NetworkingGA.com

“Jason has written a highly practical guide to Linkedin that will quickly allow a new user to understand and utilize Linkedin. It’s also a great guide to the Linkedin’s hidden gems - finding high quality people through endorsements and off Linkedin content such as groups and identifying thought leaders through blogs linked from profiles.”
David Dalka, Senior Marketing and Business Development Professional, DavidDalka.com

“LinkedIn is a very powerful tool and Jason Alba does a tremendous job of helping a new user get the most out of it.”
Carl Chapman, Founder of CEC Search, LLC executive search firm for restaurant professionals, CECSearch.com

“This is a great book. I think Jason did an excellent job. I would recommend it to anyone who is just starting to build a LinkedIn network or for someone who has been a member for some time but is just now seeing the advantages LinkedIn provides.”
Thom Allen, IT Career Coach, MyITCareerCoach.com

About the Author

Jason Alba is the job seeker and networking advocate. He got laid off in January 2006, just a few weeks after Christmas. Even though he had great credentials and it was a job-seeker’s market, Jason could hardly get a job interview. Finally he decided to step back and figure out the job search process, including trying to understand all of the available resources. Within a few months he had designed a personal job search tool, JibberJobber.com, which helps professionals manage career and job search activities the same way a salesman manages prospects and customer data.

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