Are you on LinkedIn? It’s a reasonable question, since a LinkedIn profile is rapidly becoming a “must have” element of every professional’s online presence. While LinkedIn boasts over 30 million users, I’m constantly amazed when I meet business people who haven’t taken the time to join the business networking site.

LinkedIn is one of the first places I look for information about a person, whether it’s a colleague I’m meeting for the first time or a prospective client. And it’s one of the places people are looking for me, judging from the number of people who tell me they read my profile and the call I got from a recruiter the other day who was searching for candidates on LinkedIn.

If you’re not on LinkedIn, set up a profile today. The site has a simple interface to guide you through the basic steps, after which you can always go back in and edit your information, add jobs, schools, and other information. LinkedIn recently added new capabilities that you might also want to explore, including a way to add your recent blog posts, upload a presentation, and more.

The good news for newbies is that there are some excellent resources to help you get started, get connected, and get active on LinkedIn. I love Jason Alba’s I’m on LinkedIn, Now What? blog, which offers how-to advice on everything from honing your profile to using LinkedIn Answers effectively. And LinkedIn’s own blog is filled with case studies and helpful information.

What are you waiting for? Get LinkedIn today.