I'm on LinkedIn -- Now What???: A Guide to Getting the Most OUT of LinkedIn [Paperback]

This overgrown pamphlet is filled mostly with stuff you could figure out for yourself by signing up for LinkedIn and giving it a try. The most useful part is the insights at the end of each chapter from experienced users. If this had been priced at $10.00 I could have given it a higher rating.

When I got the book in my hands the first impression was that it should cost 5-6 bucks - it is very small. Well, the format is not what makes the book informative though, and therefore worth of the money. I started the reading.

Before the book arrived I have spent about 2 hours reading Help on the LinkedIn web site and a few blogs, which I found by searching Google for "LinkedIn Tips".

The book practically does not offer more than I found myself within 2 hours.

I liked this book a lot. It does a great job of introducing LinkedIn to the reader. Then it explains how to create a member profile. And then it explains the various features of the Web site. It talks about "LinkedIn Answers" which is why I joined LinkedIn yesterday. And lastly it explains how a member should communicate while using the site so they don't do anything shady or obnoxious which could get them banned from the site.

I have found that books like this one are necessary to help a community Web site find members. People will only join a Web site community if they think there is something for them there, AND it is fairly easy to join and get involved. A book similar to this one [Sell Your Book on Amazon (ISBN: 1432701967)] has proven to be very helpful for people who want to promote themselves by joining Amazon's "reviewer" community. And there are books on how to get involved at Yahoo!, eBay, and MySpace, too.

LinkedIn is a tool, nothing more and nothing less. It is a tool that can be used by different people for different things. Some people (wanta-be employees) treat it as a resume post so other members can find them and offer them jobs or offer to find them jobs. Some people (employers and recruiters) treat it as a database of resumes and use it to find candidates for jobs they need to fill or would like to help fill. While other people treat it as a self-promotion tool for their own company that offers a service or product. I fit into this last category. I plan to become a regular user of the "LinkedIn Answers" function and build a stack of contacts/connections through helping or impressing others.

I thought the book was very well written and outlined. I thought it logically started at Chapter 1 and proceeded fluidly all the way through to Chapter 17. And I liked the order in which the author chose to cover the various topics. He provided much insight into how LinkedIn has benefited him and how he used the site. He was very clear in explaining how important getting contacts/connections is for the member to benefit from using LinkedIn. And he explained about the three levels of connections that are relevant to all members.

I would have liked the book more if more had been written about connecting with other members of LinkedIn. I know Chapter 5 was devoted to this. But that coverage amounted to a mere 7 pages. And the pages in this book are small. My hunch is that this book will not really help the typical job searcher who joins this site to get connected. The typical person will search out people that attended their school. They will search out people that share a common employer with them. Or maybe they will search out people with the same credential they have, i.e., CPA license or bar admission. Or worse, they will search out people they already know, but who can't help them achieve anything. Joining this site is not about getting a stack of contacts/connections. This site is about getting a stack of contacts/connections that can help you be more successful in whatever you are trying to do. Keep this point in mind. It's an important concept to grasp.

My recommendation is to join this site in order to get involved. The more involved you get through "LinkedIn Answers" you will find yourself getting more quality connections. By answering questions you build credibility for yourself. You get known; you're not just a resume. Don't expect LinkedIn to help you find a job if you haven't already built a network before you need a job. Think ahead. If you build your network on LinkedIn now, then it will be there for you to use when the time comes for you to find a new job. Use this book to help you get started in building your network now. 5 stars!