The Ultimate Layoff Survival Guide

Finding Your Next Job

2) Grab your valuables. Assuming you do have access to your computer and more than 10 minutes to clear your desk, what should you salvage besides your work samples and your colleagues' contact info? Letters of praise from customers and coworkers, winning performance reviews and anything else that proves you know how to hit it out of the ballpark.

Forget about cleaning personal e-mails off the company computer, though. "They've been backed up to a corporate server, anyway," said Scarborough Civitelli.

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And don't overlook memberships to professional associations or subscriptions to industry publications and databases that your employer purchased for you to keep, Scarborough Civitelli advises. Be sure to grab the necessary contact information so you can transfer these to your personal e-mail or snail mail address.

3) Don't leave benefits on the table. Depending on which state you live in, you may be entitled to cash in your accrued vacation days when you lose your job, said Maurice Emsellem, public policy director of the National Employment Law Project, an employment research and advocacy organization. According to Workplace Fairness, a worker advocacy Web site, 24 states -- including New York and California -- require employers to add accrued vacation pay to your last paycheck.

Then there's the pesky matter of health insurance. If you can't jump on a spouse or domestic partner's plan, it's worth looking into whether you're eligible for COBRA benefits -- essentially, continuing the health plan you had through your employer for the next 18 months, only on your own dime -- and how much it will cost you. But before you sign up for COBRA coverage, compare the cost with buying a plan of your own. (See eHealthInsurance.com or contact a health insurance agent in your neck of the woods for help.) Reason being, the COBRA route often costs a pretty penny. Whatever you do, don't let your health coverage lapse, unless you don't mind being hit with nasty waiting periods or denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions.

You may also be eligible for other severance benefits, such as access to company premises and equipment while conducting your job search. (One high-tech firm I contracted at gave laid-off employees access to company equipment and resources for six weeks after their last day of work.) To make sure you receive all the benefits you're due and get all your questions answered, Scarborough Civitelli recommends going home, collecting your thoughts and coming up with a list of queries for HR.