Last year I started following Jason Alba on twitter. We tweeted back and forth a couple times and sometime later, I asked for him for a consultation. I always go for quality when I can afford it. I was about to give my first Linkedin consultation in a few days and thought it would be smart to get one myself before giving one. He is a networking master after all. Jason wrote the book “I’m on Linkedin, Now What?“, “I’m on Facebook, Now What?“, and is the founder of JibberJobber.com, a powerful online tool that lets you really manage your career.

Jason and I spoke on the phone a little over an hour and he gave me some excellent feedback. He was a pleasure to talk to, easy going and answered all my questions and then some. Of course he suggested I spend more time asking and answering questions on Linkedin, that’s something that almost every Linkedin user would benefit from. He also offered specific suggestions and ideas of how I might say things differently, depending on my career goals. But overall, he said that I had a done a good job of being professional while letting my personality show through.  At the end of our consult I got a big “thumbs up” on my Linkedin profile and my general Linkedin knowledge! I remember I was beaming like a little kid when I got off the phone. It was like I had just received a gold star from the teacher.

This is my first post about Linkedin, but it certainly won’t be my last. I feel very strongly about this particular social network. It’s professional, straight forward and most importantly, a goldmine of information waiting to be tapped.

If you want to know the Linkedin basics fast, pick up a copy of Jason Alba‘s little jewel, which is now in it’s second edition! It’s a great primer for a beginner and a informative handbook for any Linkedin user. Jason reminds us that Linkedin isn’t just about what we can get, but what we can give to others. That’s what true networking and relationship building is all about.

Simply put, this book really does answer the question, “I’m on Linkedin, Now What?“