-- Polish your skills. This period of downtime may be your only opportunity to take classes to further your education or to learn a new set of skills that will set you apart. "Check out your peers in the industry. Do they have skills or expertise that you don't? If so, figure out what you need to do to stay competitive," says Crawford. That might mean brushing up on new technology -- social networking and viral marketing strategies have already swept the business world, and they're going to become increasingly important in the next few years -- or learning a new language so you're an asset to one of the many companies that have offices overseas. This, by the way, is something you should be doing whether you've been laid off or not. Keeping your skills sharp is one of the best ways to avoid being the next person on the chopping block.

-- Re-brand yourself. Or, as Webber says, "If you want to see with fresh eyes, reframe the picture." Say you have ten years' experience in public relations, but on the side, you've been doing small graphic design work for friends -- designing Web sites or maybe business cards or party invitations here and there. Sometimes it's hard to recognize how our hobbies can contribute to our day jobs -- or our search for a day job -- but in many cases, there is a tie-in. "A lot of this comes naturally if you follow your own interests.

Instead of living inside the box of a narrow job description, let your interests expand that box so you're bringing in things that get you excited as an individual," he explains. When you're interviewing for jobs in PR, the fact that you have experience in graphic design may very well set you apart from the other applicants. And while you're applying for those PR jobs, why not send a few resumes to graphic design companies, or start selling your designs ! as a side business? Even a small second stream of income can sustain you during a prolonged search for your next "day job."

-- Keep a sense of humor. We all know that times are hard now. But being miserable won't help in your day-to-day life, and it certainly won't help in your interviews. Potential employers don't want to hire someone who is down on himself or filled with anxiety -- they want someone who is upbeat, happy and optimistic. Obviously stress is unavoidable in these kinds of situations, but employ just enough so you're motivated to keep moving forward, but not so much that you appear fatigued.