I don’t write about many products or services because it’s rare that I find one worth writing about. Let’s face it, the Net is rife with hyped-up garbag-io. But sometimes something comes along that’s worth talking about. Even then, I can’t get interested in a product until I know who is behind it.
I met Jason Alba a couple of years ago at a conference where I gave the keynote. We spoke afterwards, I took his card, and I checked out his JibberJobber.com, which is such a simple idea implemented elegantly in software that I saved the link so I could look at it in more detail later. We discussed partnering on something at some point since he’s a fan of Ask The Headhunter and we’re both fans of keeping things simple. Then I ran into Alba again, indirectly while talking to a friend at Microsoft who sang his praises. That was the tipping point and I started paying attention to what Jason was doing.
So I spent some time on JibberJobber, an online job hunting tool that helps you organize your job search. Kinda like an Act! for job hunters but tuned specifically for the task. I liked what I saw so much that I got back in touch with Jason and we started talking. But this is not about JibberJobber. (I’ll talk more about that in another post.)
This is about LinkedIn. Jason told me he’d produced a DVD training program for job hunters, aptly (and simply) titled LinkedIn for Job Seekers. (It’s based on his book, I’m On LinkedIn: Now What?) Still trying to figure out LinkedIn for my own purposes, I welcomed a chance to learn by watching.
I expected a slick video of Jason in a suit lecturing me. (I dunno about you, but I can’t stand scripted videos and droning talking heads.) What makes this video so effective is that it focuses entirely on the LinkedIn screen while Jason stands over your shoulder and walks you through every important page, screen, feature and tool LinkedIn has to offer. There’s no droning…
My plan to skip around and get a feel for the DVD was dashed. I wound up taking my time and taking notes! I’m not job hunting, but I learned much of what I need to know to use LinkedIn for my business. (Job hunters will walk away knowing how to leverage LinkedIn for job hunting.) All I can say is, thank you, Jason, for not reading a script — thanks for standing over my shoulder and walking me through it like a private tutor!
This list is by no means complete because there are 18 chapters on the DVD, but here are some of my notes about what Jason will teach you in LinkedIn for Job Seekers:
- How to structure, format and present your resume so it’ll work for you
- How to engage employers through deft selection of what to put in your LinkedIn profile
- How to use LinkedIn to leverage your references, and how to manage quality vs. quantity
- How to use third-party applications to add value to your image and presentation without going overboard
(When I signed up on LinkedIn, I studied how to use it, but nothing showed me how LinkedIn actually works as an integrated collection of tools… to absorb that, you have to see it all in front of you.)
- How to protect yourself and your privacy
- How to use LinkedIn’s “ask questions, get answers” tools to build your credibility and reputation
- How to give and get recommendations (Seeing how to turn these into professional references is worth the price of the DVD by itself.)
I think this product works so well because Jason Alba is immersed in JibberJobber and he spends all day long thinking about what helps job hunters. LinkedIn for Job Seekers costs $49 (if you catch the current promo price). An hour with a tutor will cost you more than that. Yah, this is a sales pitch: I recommend Jason’s LinkedIn tutorial. No, I don’t get paid a dime. It’s tough enough finding someone else online who produces really good products — and I want to help Jason keep producing good products that I can use myself.
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