911 REPAIR: With layoff notices washing over the country like a tsunami, you're not alone if you've found yourself jobless. Millions are struggling to make sense of how to survive the unemployment office. Which reminds me of a New Bedford, Mass., man who was using a blowtorch to melt the ice on his back porch. He ended up setting his house on fire and causing $30,000 in damages. After being laid off, you're probably feeling ice cold, too, and ready to light a fire under the people at the unemployment office. But you've got to avoid bringing the heat, because like all bureaucracies, things can crawl to a halt if you don't know how to play the system. I've included three Do's and one Don't below to help you manage the process effectively. For more, check out Barbara Kate Repa's "Your Rights in the Workplace" (Nolo, 2007).

-- DO check whether you're covered. According to Repa, 97 percent of us should be covered by unemployment insurance. Most states require than that you've worked for at least six months, be a U.S. citizen, be physically and mentally able to do the job and be available to be recalled to either your old job or a similar job. Check with your local unemployment office to see what qualifies you for these benefits.

-- DO bring documentation. We've all heard of the TV show "Dancing with the Stars." You're facing a variation on that theme, "Dancing with the Slugs," when you step foot into the unemployment office. You should never give a bureaucracy a reason to delay or deny your claim. So get your act together before you even get to the office. Collect the following information so you can avoid the dreaded "go back to the end of the line." Bring a detailed work history, pay stubs, Social Security card and a dismissal notice. Don't take anything for granted: overprepare. You also should talk to people who've dealt with the system to learn how it works and whether there are places where you can take shortcuts.

-- DO explain your predicament properly. Unless you were fired or let go for disciplinary reasons, you want to say that you were "discharged without any misconduct." It sends up the fewest red flags. There can be liabilities with the alternative descriptions. For example, laid off is often considered a vague term. And things can be complicated for you if you were fired or quit. So start with the bureaucratically friendly "discharged without any misconduct."

-- DON'T reduce your odds. There is a short list of things that can disqualify you from these benefits. Being fired for deliberate and repeated misconduct is a tough one to get around. Also, if you have refused a similar job and similar pay. Finally if you were on strike or quit your job for no reason.

Play the game right and at least you won't torch the rest of your savings. You'll get some money to help you pay your bills.