Seems like nowadays everyone says they are a LinkedIn expert… there are a bunch of people talking about LinkedIn… how to use LinkedIn in a job search, how to use LinkedIn to make a sale, how to use LinkedIn for  _________.

I realize I’m totally biased about my LinkedIn DVD (I’m quite proud of it :p), perhaps it’s not fair to tell you what I think of it.  Let me share what others are saying about it on Amazon.com:

VerySuperCool Sue writes from Austin:

I was surprised at the amount of information that was on the dvd. I thought I had finished, when I realized I was only beginning! I think everyone who has a Linkedin account could really benefit from watching this.

Paul Jones from Salt Lake writes:

I loaded Alba’s LinkedIn DVD and immediately started using the spacebar. You know, the spacebar pauses the video. And I needed to pause the video because so much of his advice was immediately actionable.

Kelly Kennedy says:

What I especially liked is that the DVD is a webinar format of Jason using LinkedIn, not just him standing there talking about it. As you view the DVD you see what he is clicking on, what Jason thinks about various features, and what you should do with LinkedIn for job search and career management. It is especially helpful how Jason highlights sections of the program and then discusses each section individually for clarity. Our undergraduate and MBA students have taken full advantage of the program and I admit that it was clearly worth the small investment we made.

Jeffrey Ogden in Bethpage, NY writes:

Jason has created a very useful and informative DVD for anyone who wishes to optimize his or her Linkedin profile. Why is it important? I just met with a Chairman and CEO of a good sized business. He said “I loved your resume.” I responded “What resume? I never gave you one.” He said “Oh, I mean your Linkedin profile.” [I LOVE THIS STORY!!]

Sophie Lagace from Eureka (!) writes:

I have used several other LinkedIn resources, including Jason Alba’s own book and blog, and I’m employed, not looking. Yet I still found value in the tutorials, and I took several new actions to connect with people and improve my profile.

Cultural Tofu writes:

Although it’s geared towards job seekers, I found the information to be relevant for non-job seekers just trying to build their professional brand and grow their professional network. … I highly recommend this DVD to anyone interested in updating their professional brand using LinkedIn.

Thom Allen in West Jordan, UT writes:

Most of the information in the DVD isn’t a secret, but Jason brings new ideas on how to use the features that already exist for LinkedIn users. You will find more opportunities to improve your LinkedIn connection base than ever. You need this DVD.

Julie Walraven in Wausau, WI writes:

… even though I have read his book before and worked with LinkedIn for a couple of years, I found a few more tips and changed my profile once again. … Screen by screen with Jason giving clear advice, jobseekers will learn what to do and what not to do with LinkedIn and why. As a professional resume writer, I am excited to use this new tool with my clients and am recommending it on my website.

Marc W from West Jordan writes:

Jason Alba shows us in his new DVD what works and why and how to implement it. He presents his material in a very easy to follow format with excellent examples.

Thomas Clifford writes:

What I like best is I can review any of the segments quickly and easily and then jump onto LinkedIn and execute the concept. … Books on LinkedIn are fine; this is like having a private one-on-one tutorial in your home. Pretty cool!

Awesome folks, thank you for those testimonials!

If you haven’t gotten a copy of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD, yet, click here to order.

Today is the last day of the LinkedIn for Job Seekers DVD sale price - I just asked my main web guy to change the price to $59.95 plus shipping and handling tomorrow.  Tomorrow I expect the box of DVDs to arrive at my office, and I’ll ship a bunch in the afternoon.

If you want to save $10 and have me eat the shipping and handling, you need to order today .  Additionally, I’ll throw in some kind of THANK YOU for ordering early thing - not sure if it will be free premium of JibberJobber, or one of my other webinars (Blog Marketing 201 - 501 or Write Your Book), but it will be something cool (any ideas?).

LinkedIn for Job Seekers has the following chapters/session:

1. Profile Review Part I - Above the Fold - I critique the top part of five LinkedIn Profiles, and make suggestions on how they can make them stronger, and increase the chances of being found in search results.
2. Profile Review Part II - Below the Fold - I critique the rest of the five LinkedIn Profiles, specifically the stuff that you see when you scroll down (education, work history, etc.)
3. Applications - To wrap up the “LinkedIn Profile” stuff, I had to talk about the new “LinkedIn Applications,” and what I suggest you do as a professional.
4. Account and Settings - It’s a big menu page, but what do you need to worry about? We’ll go over some of the things I recommend you pay attention to.
5. Getting and Giving Recommendations - How to get and give LinkedIn Recommendations.
6. Answers - Asking Questions - Ask questions in LinkedIn as a part of your networking and personal branding strategy.  Here’s how.
7. Answers - Answering Questions - Not ready to commit to asking questions regularly?  Answering questions is also very powerful, and doesn’t come with any regular commitment.
8. Searching - If you aren’t using advanced search, you are missing a big part of LinkedIn.  There are a few simple tricks that can take you a long ways in LinkedIn.
9. Browsing Connections - Your first degree connections might have some golden contacts for you - here’s one way of finding people you need to network your way into.
10. Exporting Connections - Exporting your contacts is one of the four things I talk about in my seminar.  Here’s why and how.
11. Growing Your Network - I had 5 first degree contacts when I first got started, and that was a huge mistake.  Instead of saying “get thousands,” we say “get the right connections, and here’s what that means!”
12. Groups - Groups for the job search?  Absolutely, and strategically!  We talk about how to find Groups and what to do once you are a member.
13. Staying Current - I’m on LinkedIn — Now What Blog - Some info on how to keep up with current LinkedIn information, as well as communicate with others regarding issues we blog about.
14. Company Pages - The Company feature in LinkedIn is amazing… AMAZING.  I think it’s the second best thing they’ve done, next to Answers, for a user like me.  Eventually it could eclipse the value of Answers… !
15. Jobs - Looking for a job in LinkedIn’s job search area?  Here are some things to know.
16. Introductions and Communication - how to, when to, why to communicate with people in LinkedIn’s communication tools.
17. Conclusion - Some final thoughts on LinkedIn, LinkedIn in your job search, etc.

Instead of a “here is every link in LinkedIn, and if you click on it here’s what happens” training, this focuses on what I think you should focus on with LinkedIn.  So there you go - if you want it you can get it whenever, but if you want to save some money and get some other goodies then order it TODAY.

I’ll decide on what bonuses to give with these preorders before I ship - you can leave suggestions in the comments (or by email).

Netshare has invited me back to do a follow-up webinar on using LinkedIn (and now Facebook) for executives and professionals in a job search (or, in career management).  This event is also sponsored by Career Resumes, a JibberJobber Partner.

Wednesday afternoon at 4pm EST I will start a 90 minute webinar for Experts Connection (cost is $50).  I’m really excited about this webinar because I’m taking stuff I’ve learned from about 60 presentations this year and creating a powerful presentation for this audience.

Here is more information:

LinkedIn & Facebook Essentials for Executives: Using Both Platforms as Professional Networking Tools
Guest Speaker: Jason Alba, Founder and CEO of JibberJobber.com & author of I’m on LinkedIn - Now What??? andI’m on Facebook – Now What???

Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Time: 4:00-5:30 PM Eastern, 1:00-2:30 PM Pacific

Class Description: LinkedIn is the professional network recruiters and hiring managers use to find talent. As important, it is the social network other professionals and executives use to find partners, customers and business relationships. It is not a hotbed of job seekers…rather…decision makers. If you are not using LinkedIn, you are missing out on a viable way to optimize opportunities that are available. This presentation is designed for executives…to help you understand ways to optimize LinkedIn. We’ll cover a number of tactics you can implement immediately to grow your network, nurture individual relationships, while putting your professional brand in front of your immediate and extended network.

Facebook is regarded as a popular hangout for a younger crowd…but that crowd has grown up and started in hiring manager and influencer roles. We’ll explore techniques you can implement on Facebook to network, share your brand and communicate with other professionals.

In this 90 minute session you will learn:

• How to create your LinkedIn profile to increase odds of being found.
• How to best communicate with your LinkedIn network.
• How to use the LinkedIn search features for an executive job search.
• How to use LinkedIn “Answers” as a strategy to enhance your personal brand.
• How to use new LinkedIn features to communicate with network contacts and professionals who should know you.
• The best way to get the “right” recommendations on your LinkedIn profile.
• How to create a compelling Facebook profile.
• Two techniques to find professionals in your field on Facebook.
• Elements of a connection strategy for both platforms.

Hope you can make it!

If you are a professional, being on LinkedIn is NOT an option.  Facebook is optional. Twitter is optional. A blog is optional.  Yahoo! Groups are optional.

LinkedIn is not optional.

With that in mind, there are three things you need to know about:

The second edition of my LinkedIn book is shipping, even from Amazon.

It’s been a long time coming!  I wrote a post on my LinkedIn blog yesterday with all kinds of juicy information, INCLUDING information about how to get a FREE LinkedIn eBook!  How, you ask?  If you purchased the book from Happy About you will (or already have) receive a link to download the second edition, for free!  If you purchased the book through Amazon please go to the blog post from yesterday and follow the instructions, and we’ll get back to you with what to do to get the second edition LinkedIn eBook for free (it’s simple).  The cost is free for the eBook if you purchased the first edition, OR 11.95 for the second edition LinkedIn ebook, or 19.95+S&H for the LinkedIn paperback (or whatever Amazon charges).

Tomorrow you have the chance to learn from THE most connected person on LinkedIn.

Ron Bates is the man!  He has the largest first degree network on LinkedIn, and anyone who has a ton of connections and wants to grow their network knows who Ron is (the guy to beat :p).  Ron is offering a free webinar tomorrow, 12/10 - here’s the link to register, and here are some details (there is no cost):

If you are not able to attend the complimentary events coming up make sure to register anyway!!  Even if you’re traveling, in a meeting, or unplanned events cause you to miss the webinar, as a - no-show - you’ll receive a follow-up email with a link to access a recording at your convenience.

Do people really know how good you are??
December 10, 2008 (1pm EST) - How to Communicate Your Executive Value Proposition
Presented by Ron Bates - LinkedIn’s most connected member with over +44,000 direct contacts

Next week, Dec 17th, I will do a webinar for Experts Connection called LinkedIn & Facebook Essentials for Executives: Using Both Platforms as Professional Networking Tools.

I did a LinkedIn for Executives a month or two ago and it went really well - next week we are doing another one, and I’m really excited about this one.  Sponsored by Netshare and Career-Resumes (who does LinkedIn makeovers for $200), this is one of the most exciting presentations I’m doing this year - Netshare always puts on awesome events).  The cost for the 90 minute webinar is $50 (click here to learn more).

You better be on LinkedIn.

And you better have a LinkedIn strategy.

Do you?

Find your next job at Job Search USA.

Someone asked me to include a worksheet they could use to track their LinkedIn efforts.  Here’s what we created… the page numbers coincide with the pages in the book.  Please download this LinkedIn worksheet and feel free to share it with your friends!

Wow, I am SO glad to have this submitted to the publisher so I can get on with the rest of my life!  Actually, I’m very happy to have this second edition out, which is cleaner and of course more current than the first edition.  As I was writing it it seemed like daily people would come back and say “make sure you include LinkedIn Applications,” “make sure you include LinkedIn Group Discussions,” “make sure you include LinkedIn Events,” etc.  I was going crazy…!

Alas, it’s done, and the LinkedIn ebook and paperback is available for purchase on the Happy About site, and Amazon might have it up as early as Friday (black friday).

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this process, leaving reviews on Amazon, emailing me, reading the LinkedIn blog, suggesting me as a speaker, etc.  I am super-duper appreciative of YOU.

LinkedIn has changed. Most of the changes you see are with their technology.  I guarantee in a year this second edition will feel outdated by the end of next year as new stuff comes out regularly (seemingly faster than before).  Regardless of the technology changes, let me suggest a few things I think are core to your LinkedIn experience and any success you might have on LinkedIn:

1. Relationships, relationships, relationships! The key to short term and long term success (in many areas of our life) centers around relationships.  Focus on real relationships with real human beings.  The technology might change, but this idea doesn’t.
2. LinkedIn is powerful. If you are not getting value out of LinkedIn, I’d seriously try and figure out what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong.  I know many people are getting value out of LinkedIn, from many different industries.  Go ahead and ignore it, but I’ll tell you, in professional business networking, LinkedIn is the 800 lb guerrilla and no one is going to displace them anytime soon.
3. LinkedIn provides a great learning opportunity. Whether you want to see how to interact with other professionals online (or how not to), or you want to do industry or product research, LinkedIn is a terrific resource for more than “finding and being found.”  Just go in and lurk in the LinkedIn Answers section and you might find some rich, helpful stuff to help you be better at what you do.

I’d like to invite you to be an affiliate for my publisher, and get 30% of the purchase price for all books sold from his site.  This is way better than Amazon’s 4%, and if your audience (blog, newsletter, etc.) could get value out of my book, sign up!  Just go to http://www.happyabout.info/linkedinhelp.php and sign up in the upper right corner.

The price for I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? is $19.95 for the paperback and $11.95 for the ebook.

Three months ago I wrote LinkedIn Maintenance: Do This Right Now (or else), strongly encouraging you to back up your network (export connections in Linkedin) and download your profile as a PDF.  I got 49 comments on that post, and a bunch of bloggers shared it.  I didn’t mean to use a scare tactic, as I think those are generally lame, but the story about Susan Ireland’s account getting deleted (or, becoming inaccessible) by LinkedIn is a reality that most LinkedIn users won’t want to face.

Today I want to present Part II of LinkedIn Maintenance (or else) to you.  If you don’t do this when you read my blog post, don’t call me asking to help you - because I won’t be able to.  First, the story:

I got a desperate email and few voice mails, and then finally connected on the phone with a recruiter.  This is someone who has read me, known about me, heard from me, etc. for over a year.  She was practically in tears, and clearly distraught.  She had built her LinkedIn network to over 1,500 connections, and used it religiously in her work as a recruiter.

Can you imagine taking all the time and making all the effort to build a network that big, and using LinkedIn on a daily basis as she did her job?  LinkedIn is to her what a hammer is to a carpenter.  Critical.

She ended up leaving her employer.  And shortly after, probably within 24 hours, her LinkedIn account was… GONE.

Wait, it wasn’t totally gone.  This is scarier than “gone.”  From what I understand, here’s what happened:

Her boss must have done a “forgot password.”  Since her primary, and ONLY email address on her account, was the corporate email account he provided her, which he now had COMPLETE control over, he was able to login as her.

And he changed her LinkedIn password.

And he changed her vanity URL (from her name to his name).

And he changed the name (the one at the very top of your Profile).

It looked 100% like HIS account.  But there were two problems:

1. All of the 1,500 connections were connected to this new, bogus, fraudulent account.  Sounds like a HUGE breach of privacy/security to me.  And embarrassing and disrespectful to the lady, who had built the relationships.  Not to mention the complete disrespect for each of her LinkedIn connections.
2. All of the recommendations had HER name, not his.  He couldn’t change that.  If I happened upon the Profile I would have guessed it was a bug in LinkedIn.

But it wasn’t a bug.  It was a fraudulent situation.  I said, “YOU DIDN’T READ MY BOOK!”  Because in my book I say, MAKE SURE the primary email address is one that you will have 100% complete control over, like a gmail account, or Yahoo, or AOL, or Hotmail, or something like that.  The second address in your account can be your employer’s address, but it should NEVER be your primary address.  NEVER!

That’s it… no more story, no more writing about this.  GO NOW to your LinkedIn Profile, click on Account & Settings, then on the right click on Email Addresses, and the rest should be obvious.

If you want more info on using LinkedIn, you can buy my book or follow the I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? blog.  I blog regularly over there.

Please, go do this NOW.

I’ve never done it this inexpensive before, and I won’t do it this inexpensive again. Now’s the chance to get in on a smoking hot deal. I’ll copy the text from the sponsoring organization’s blog post:

Sign up for the special Social Networking bundle–LinkedIn, Facebook ($35.00 special)

The social networking bundle in October 2008 includes the two workshops listed below, and can be purchased online at:

————-> Register online now ($35 special)

• Workshop 1: LinkedIn in Action, Monday October 6, 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Workshop 2: Facebook in Action, Monday October 20, 12:00 to 1:30 pm

They are made available for a nominal registration fee of $35.00 (this includes both workshops). This is a special one time offer and seats are limited. You can order up to 10 seats.

PS: Please note that People-OnTheGo offers a number of public and corporate workshops. Feel free to e-mail us at training@people-onthego.com if you have questions, or if you would like to discuss bringing the workshops to your team.

We look forward to your participation!

If I were a good salesperson, I’d have upsell and back-of-the-room stuff to sell during this webinar.  I don’t have that, just my two books… so don’t worry about getting pressured into anything on these webinars.

This is going to be awesome, and if you’ve ever sat on the fence about listening to me speak or present, now’s the time to do it.  The first webinar is on Monday, so book it now.

This week is “re-write the book” week for me.  Last year, I remember sitting for about eight hours reviewing the final version of my book before it went to the print shop.  I was nervous, since I wouldn’t be able to fix anything after it goes to print like I could a blog post… but I remember closing the book and thinking “This is good - I’m proud of this!”

Then I saw a few reviews on Amazon that were almost scathing.  Professional writers wrote about the book saying it was… well, essentially crap.

I was confused because I got a lot of feedback from others, saying the book was excellent, and it was exactly what they needed.  Of course, I wanted to believe this feedback, since people were talking about “my baby,” but I had this nagging idea in the back of my mind that I really did a disservice to everyone since I didn’t get great reviews from everyone.

Guess what?  I have to agree with the professional writers.  I cracked the book open with a pen, and started marking up the necessary changes.  I think I averaged 7 - 10 changes PER PAGE… I can’t believe the first edition went out like this!

Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but the second edition is going to be much, much better.  Here’s my process: 

1. Fix typos and grammar.  Tighten up the writing so it reads easier.  Done (I think)
2. Reword sections that don’t make sense.  I read and reread, and if I thought HUH???? I wrote “rewrite.”  That’s what I’m doing today - finishing up the rewrites.  
3. Update the content.  In the last year there have been plenty of changes to LinkedIn… that’s the whole reason I’m doing a second edition  

I put a question on LinkedIn Answers asking what I missed in the first edition, and what should be in the second edition.  I got some excellent responses… which I’ll be sifting through the rest of this week and putting into the content of the book.  If you want a sneak peak of what might end up in the second edition of THE LinkedIn book, and what others think is important, go check out the LinkedIn Answers page with my question (and the answers, so far).

By the way, did you know I have a blog behind the book … ?  It’s the I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? blog!  Check it out!

If YOU have any suggestions for the second edition of I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? feel free to email me or leave a comment here … I know the second edition is going to be way better than the first edition!

This post is sponsored by Karen P. Katz, providing CAREER MANAGEMENT and SUCCESS STRATEGIES for EXECUTIVES and PROFESSIONALS Karen P. Katz is a career & online identity strategist who promotes career change and success strategies for those seeking work/life balance.  Karen’ offers insight and practical solutions to career challenges based on 20+ years experience as an HR Generalist, Operations/Sales Manager, and Outplacement Career Management Consultant.       

The Career Acceleration Network (CAN), LLC is the channel through with Karen implements cutting-edge strategies that effectively empower clients to take control of their long-term career goals. A proponent of life-long learning, Karen has earned industry certification as a Credentialed Career Manager; she was awarded a Master’s in Adult Learning & Organizational Development in 2005. Contact Karen at CareerAcceleration.net.  Karen blogs at Career Acceleration Notes, and is a JibberJobber Expert Partner. 

I got an e-mail from Susan Ireland, at the Job Lounge.  She asked me if I knew anything about LinkedIn deleting people’s accounts… I’ve heard a little about this, but mostly just hand-slapping for looking like spammers.  Getting an account deleted can be a huge problem, especially as you use LinkedIn more.

She writes about it here (I can almost hear a tear drop on her keyboard as I read it… ouch!!!).

The two issues are (1) why she was deleted, and (2) what LinkedIn can/will do about it.  I have no idea why she was deleted, and apparently she doesn’t either.  As far as she knows, she wasn’t doing anything wrong with her LinkedIn account, or LinkedIn connections.  As far as what LinkedIn can or will do, here is their response:

“At this time we do not have a recommended back up system for your account. Once something has been deleted there is not a back up at this time to recover any information. …One thing you can do is copy your profile information and save it as a word document so that you will always have it on your computer.”

Not very comforting, is it?

Here are two absolute must-do’s, right now, on LinkedIn - and they will take less time than it takes to read this blog post (so do it now!):

1. Export your contacts. Simply click on Contacts, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on Export Connections, and follow that process.  Just leave everything at default and you’ll end up with your connections in a .csv file, which opens in Excel.
2. Export your profile. You’ve probably put a fair amount of thought into creating your profile, right?  What about any references you have gotten?  Simply click on Profile, then find the grayed-out icons above your name, and click on the adobe pdf icon.  This exports your profile, including recommendations, into a very nice, presentable document (kudos to whoever at LinkedIn did that formatting, it is very well-done!).  Here’s an image of where the icon is:

These are the two most important things for me to grab, if I knew my LinkedIn account might go away.  (1) Who I connected with, which includes e-mail addresses very every single contact, (2) my recommendations  (I can always rethink and recreate a profile, but those recommendations are priceless!).

Please, don’t even take 2 seconds to comment on this post, just head on over to LinkedIn and do this very easy, very quick maintenance!

I am frequently asked “how old is LinkedIn,” and my response lately has been “I don’t remember.” Here’s an easy way to remember - LinkedIn started on May fifth, five years ago. Happy birthday LinkedIn!

On their birthday blog post they show some interesting stats, announcing LinkedIn is over twenty-two million users (more appropriately would be “signups”), and their staff has grown from ten people five years ago to almost three hundred people today.

Also on their blog post you’ll see the two founders, Reid Hoffman and Allen Blue. I thought that Konstantin Guericke was also a founder. Note that Reid is the Chairman of the Board (and President?), working with current CEO Dan Nye. Konstantin moved on to found and run Jaxtr, but Allen Blue is still in active management at LinkedIn, apparently as VP of Product Strategy.

I started on LinkedIn during my last job, although I forgot about that account and actually created another account during my job search, a little over two years ago. So I’ve probably had an account at LinkedIn in their first two years - how about you?

I’m frequently asked if I’m an employee or evangelist of LinkedIn. I respond that I am not. I think LinkedIn is a great tool for professionals, and that you can get a lot of benefit from having a good profile and a decent strategy on LinkedIn… but I realize there are issues with LinkedIn. For now, though, I say, ride the wave!

What are the problems? I won’t go into them here. Heck, Scott Allen, author of The Virtual Handshake didn’t go into them on his post where he talks about backing off of his LinkedIntelligence blog. His point #3 is titled “LinkedIn is doing some things far worse now than they were two years ago.” Well, I can’t tell you what they were doing two years ago because I really wasn’t paying much attention. And if they flew me out to their Silicon Valley office I’d be happy to talk about what I think they are doing wrong now, and what they could do to improve, but that is … well, about as likely as me going to the moon.

Nonetheless, I still think the tool should fit into your personal branding and networking strategy… as one component. If you haven’t started yet, or at a loss on what to do, check out my book. If you don’t want to pay the 19.95 + S&H, download the eBook for just 11.95. After reading it you should be able to wrap your brain around LinkedIn and know how it would fit into your your overall social strategy.

Again, happy birthday LinkedIn - we’re anxious to see what the future has in store!