By Rachel Slajda | MainStreet.com

Call me a hippie, a new-age weirdo, a The Secret fan (actually, don’t call me that), but I believe that when you’re looking for a job, it pays to have a positive outlook. Yes, you will get a job! A good one! That pays you money and doesn’t tempt you to jump out of a 15th floor window!

Most stories about the job market are bleak. But there are golden nuggets of hope out there, which MainStreet is committed to finding. For example, there are jobs that employers are actually struggling to fill.

Last week, Manpower (Stock Quote: MAN), a rather large staffing firm that claims it made $22 billion in worldwide revenue last year, released its annual survey of the 10 hardest jobs to fill. After surveying 2,000 U.S. employers, they came up with this list:

1. Engineers
2. Nurses
3. Skilled/Manual Tradesmen
4. Teachers
5. Sales Representatives
6. Technicians
7. Drivers
8. IT Staff
9. Laborers
10. Machinist/Machine Operators

Now, most of these careers require specific skills and training. So if you’re, say, an out of work investment banker, you’re not going to walk in and get a nursing or engineering position. But all 10 of these jobs have appeared at least once before on Manpower’s survey, which it’s been conducting for four years.

And that, my friends, means these jobs are consistently in high demand. If going back to school or becoming an apprentice could guarantee job security, it’s worth it, no?

By Althea Chang | MainStreet.com

Employment seekers are increasingly looking for temporary, contract and seasonal work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

These days it pays, however, to go into a temporary work situation fully armed with information on how the system works. Sometimes, it makes more sense to avoid temp work.

“When the economy is down, employers are more likely to use questionable employment practices,” says David West, executive director for the Center for a Changing Workforce, an organization providing policy analysis on employment issues for temporary, contract, and part-time workers.

Here are a few things to consider before you commit to a temporary, part-time or contract gig.

1. Securing Health Insurance

If you’re looking for temporary, part time or contract work, not many companies will offer you health benefits, or any benefits for that matter, says John Challenger, of executive search firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

Temp agencies and staffing firms are often used to fill temporary posts, especially the lower paid positions. Regardless of where you are placed, if the staffing firm is technically considered your employer, you’re paid through the agency and they don’t have to give you benefits, West says.

Some companies, such as like Starbucks (Stock Quote: SBUX), Walgreens (Stock Quote: WAG) and UPS (Stock Quote: UPS) are known for generous benefit plans even for part-timers. Many temporary staffing firms that do offer health coverage only offer it through limited benefit plans, according to West.

“They’ll pay for a few doctor visits and that’s it,” says West. And if you don’t read the fine print on your health coverage, you may not realize that’s all your plan covers, he adds. “It gives you a false sense of security, and if there’s an emergency, your health care costs could put you close to bankruptcy,” West says.

If you’re a worker with special skills and you’re being wooed by a company, you may be able to negotiate for a better benefits package, says Challenger.

But if you are offered benefits they may still be expensive, warns West. If a company does promise you benefits, make sure you get it in writing, West advises.

2. Saving for Retirement

If your employer doesn’t offer you a retirement plan, consider opening an IRA on your own.

3. Beware of Non-Compete Agreements

If you’re considering a temporary or contract job handling sensitive information, you may be required to sign a non-compete agreement promising that you won’t take a similar job at a company’s competitor for a certain amount of time, say six months or more.

Such an agreement can be a hindrance if you are actively searching for a position in your industry, as sometimes it is not possible to defer a competitor’s job offer.

Non-competes usually affect a small group of higher-wage earners, including software designers or sales people, keeping them from working at a company’s direct competitor.

“You always want to understand what restrictions the company is putting on you, especially if they’re asking a lot,” warns Challenger. They technically can’t restrict take your ability to move very much, however, because non-compete agreements have to be very specifically written and pertain to a specific time frame after you work for a company.

4. When to Avoid a Temp Job

If you’re interested in a temp job, but you can live off unemployment checks or have sufficient emergency savings, you may want to reconsider.

Some workers who on paper are considered temporary or contract workers have been at the same job for years. They’re known as permatemps, and they may go years without health, retirement and other benefits.

Challenger says he usually advises people not to take on part-time, temporary or contract work unless it has full-time potential, or unless it’s absolutely financially necessary.

“Usually taking a part time job deters people’s searches” for permanent full-time work, he says. “It’s important to think about whether the job has the potential of turning into a full-time job. Is it the kind of job you’d want to take full time?”

By Bobbi Dempsey | MainStreet.com

Looking for part-time work? You’re in luck. There are plenty of part-time opportunities out there, especially now, as employers turn to the much cheaper resource of part-time employees, who generally don’t receive a full benefits package and receive a lower hourly rate.

These jobs can be a good choice for students, retirees, parents with young kids or people who recently lost their full-time job or had their hours cut, as well as anyone looking for a second job. (If you lost your job, you can usually earn a certain amount per week without a reduction in unemployment compensation benefits, although this varies by state).

To attract the best candidates, many companies now offer at least some benefits for part-time employees. These can range from health insurance and paid time off to employee discounts or free merchandise.

Here are three companies with lots of part-time openings available right now:

1. Six Flags (Stock Quote: SIXF)

Type of work available: Six Flags, which operates 20 parks in the U.S., is hiring in food service, games, merchandise, rides, park service and entertainment, which includes dressing up as a character.

Hours per week: Employees are usually expected to work at least 30 hours per week. The shifts available are typically night shifts that begin at 2 or 3 p.m. and last until park closing, usually some time between 10:30 p.m. and midnight. Most departments request that employees be flexible regarding shifts. Also remember that most employees will have to work weekends.

Starting pay: $7.75 per hour after completing the training.

Benefits: Employees get free admission on their days off, and earn a “buddy pass” after working 150 hours. The pass permits each employee to bring a friend in the park for free with their admission. Employees also earn free tickets and discounts on tickets and merchandise. There are also special events for employees, and each department offers special events and incentives.

Requirements: Training is provided for most positions, including those in food service, rides, games, merchandise, entertainment and park services.

The inside scoop: “The ideal candidate is a friendly, outgoing individual ready to entertain our guests,” says company rep Stephanie Helander. “After successfully completing an online application, candidates are called for interviews based on positions available. Interviews are conducted at the park and are individual interviews.”

Apply: SixFlagsJobs.com. Character candidates must set up an audition by calling 847-249-2133, ext. 4606.

2. New Jersey Turnpike Authority

Type of work available: Toll collectors

Hours per week: Part-time workers are scheduled for eight hours each Saturday and Sunday. Shifts are 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights; 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings; or 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Most new collectors will be assigned a rotation of these until a steady shift becomes available.

Starting pay: $11.32 an hour

Benefits: None

Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old and pass two pre-screening tests and a physical, including drug test. Must have a valid driver’s license and pass a background check.

The inside scoop: Part-time workers must successfully complete a one-year probation period before being considered for any full-time positions.
Apply: Online application (pdf).

3. New York State Thruway

Type of work available: Toll collectors

Hours per week: Shifts run between three and eight hours, depending on your availability. Holiday work is a must and preference is given to those who are available on weekends.

Starting pay: Starting wage of $9.66 plus an additional $.40 per hour paid worked between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m., and an additional $.60 per hour between11 p.m. and 7 a.m. There are yearly raises, up to $11.21 an hour. Holidays are paid at time and a half, plus employees are provided with uniforms, paid training and free parking.

Benefits: Limited benefits for part-timers.

Requirements: Applicants must be 18 years of age, enjoy working with people and able to handle money in a fast paced environment.

The inside scoop: Lots of patience, and the ability to withstand occasional verbal attacks, is a necessity. “These positions require continuous contact with the traveling public,” a job posting warns. “Toll collectors serve as representatives of their agency and are required to act in a courteous manner while working in situations which are sometimes stressful due to inclement weather, traffic backups, etc.” First consideration will be given to successful candidates who are residents of the county and/or adjacent counties in which the vacancy occurs.

Apply: Online application (pdf).

As the job market putters along like an unmanned schooner during an electrical storm, here’s some pointers that can help you cope with the possibility of a new job.

By Althea Chang | MainStreet.com

Looking for a career in an industry that’s projected to grow instead of shrink? One that can survive recessions both deep and shallow?

Industries that provide services will see a boost in jobs compared with industries that produce goods in the next several years, according to projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are a few industries that are expected to grow:

A Healthy Workplace
With an aging overall population, there’s high demand for healthcare and social assistance services including work in assisted living facilities. On the other end of the social services spectrum, the demand for child care is increasing.

“Healthcare, certainly for lots of reasons, has withstood the stresses of this recession,” says John Challenger, CEO of executive search firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. For example, he says, “there are some extraordinary scientific developments going on. Identifying the human genome has led to new product development.”

More than three out of every 10 new jobs created in the U.S. between 2006 and 2016 will either be in healthcare, social assistance or public and private educational services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. And there’s always a need for good nurses. If you’re looking for a nursing job, try AccessNurses.com.

Services for the Young and Old
Education and health services jobs are expected to grow nearly 19%, adding nearly 5.5 million jobs. Jobs for those providing public and private educational services are expected to grow by 10.7%, adding 1.4 million new jobs through 2016.

If you’re looking for a teaching job, try EducationAmerica.net. Most teaching jobs require a master’s degree in education, though if you haven’t gotten your master’s or you’re working on it, you can try PublicCharters.org or USCharterSchools.org to find teaching jobs that don’t require a master’s degree.

Keeping Informed
Newspapers may be a dying industry, but other sectors related to the dissemination of information should see a rise in employment in the next several years. Jobs in the information sector are expected to increase by 6.9%, and information tech jobs employ a wide range of skills. In this arena, software publishing is expected to grow 32%, Internet publishing and broadcasting could grow more than 44% and wireless telecommunication carriers are expected to increase their staffs by 40.9%. The growing industry also includes movie production and broadcasting, cable service, high-speed Internet connections, and software industries.

As businesses increasingly rely on information technology and require system and network security, professional, scientific and technical services will grow by 28.8%, adding 2.1 million new jobs by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even better, computer systems design and related service jobs will grow by more than 38.3%, the bureau says. And management, scientific and technical consulting services will grow at 78%. To search for technology jobs, try Dice.com.

A Little Escapism
The leisure and hospitality sector is also expected to grow in the short and long term. In the near term, discount hospitality companies and, possibly, services that let you forget about your economic woes will grow.

McDonald’s (Stock Quote: MCD) is doing particularly well, as well as beer companies and beer distributors, Challenger says, adding that people tend to drink more in a bad economy. “It’s not something people stop doing.”

Overall employment in leisure and hospitality is expected to grow by 14.3% by 2016. Arts, entertainment and recreation will grow by 30.9%, and 79% of these job openings will be in the amusement, gambling and recreation sector. For jobs in hospitality, try searching HCareers.com.

The Bright Side of the Decline
Automakers like General Motors (Stock Quote: GM) are suspending manufacturing at some U.S. plants this summer and car dealerships seem to be closing left and right. But, Challenger says, “People servicing the cars are in a great time.”

Consumers are holding onto their cars and other expensive items longer, Challenger explains. So in addition to mechanics, retailers selling replacement auto parts and people who fix computers and other gadgets are also doing well.

Manufacturing jobs are expected to decline by 10.6% as automation and other updates improve manufacturing productivity. However, employment in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing is expected to grow by 23.8% and add 69,000 new jobs by 2016.

“And people are going to continue to buy food, just not upscale food,” Challenger says. That means many food product companies and grocery store chains will continue to do well.

In the long term, however, employment in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is expected to decrease by 2.8% due to rising costs of production, increasing consolidation and more imports of food and lumber. Crop production will see the largest job loss, with 98,000 fewer jobs in 2016 than in 2006.

Among other industries that are expected to see a decline in the next few years, production related occupations could decline by 4.9% and employment in mining could fall by 1.6%.

By MainStreet.com Staff Writers

Why not find a better summer job that is fun and rewarding? Here are the top five best summer jobs and where you can find them:

Lifeguard
Who doesn’t want to spend the summer poolside? You can look for government-sponsored life guarding jobs at StudentJobs.gov or check your local state and city government web sites for local listings. You can also apply for jobs at country clubs, private residences or life guarding agencies in your city. You will need to have training in water safety and emergency response techniques, so be prepared to undergo at least a weekend of intensive training. These classes can be found at the nearest Red Cross branch.

Resort Jobs
Whether at a beach or ski getaway, there’s nothing like working at a resort over your summer vacation. Not only will you be surrounded by beautiful scenery, but most resorts also provide employees with discounts on rooms, food and entertainment. This can be a great way to pay for a fabulous vacation and still earn money in the process. CoolWorks.com offers listings of fun resort jobs all over the country.

Traveling Au Pair
GreatAupair.com lists nanny jobs all over the country. You can choose jobs for the duration of the summer to take advantage of prime traveling time for many upscale families. Most of your time will be spent taking care of children, but all your travel expenses are typically covered, as well as room and board. Salaries range from a few hundred dollars a week to more than $1,000 a week for high-profile families.

Cruise Ship Jobs
Want to travel while you work? Cruise ships offer students great summer positions that can take you all around the world. Keep in mind, though, that you will be subject to different rules than ship passengers. Although you will be allowed to go on some excursions, many staff members are limited to how much they can leave the ship, so be sure to read contract details carefully before embarking on a cruise ship assignment. Also, you may need a passport, so be sure to apply for this from the federal government at least six weeks before applying for a position. CruiseShipJobs.com has complete listings of cruise ship jobs leaving from locations all over the U.S. You can sign up for installments over your summer vacation or throughout the year, if you have the time to dedicate to constant travel.

Retail
As typical as this sounds, getting a job in retail can actually be one of the most rewarding positions for young people. (Hey, most stores are air-conditioned!) You can get discounts on your favorite clothes, shoes or other items to outfit you for the upcoming school year. Check out MyFirstPaycheck.com for listings of retail jobs in your area.

By Tania Khadder | WomenCo.

I didn’t think it would happen to me. As a news producer for a television network, I reported on unemployment numbers daily. I was detached. Analytical. Objective.

Then one day, without any prior warning, I was out of a job, and the subject of someone else’s news story.

It’s not that I thought I was immune, or somehow above it all. It’s just that, like so many other Americans, I was blindsided; tricked into believing my company was in good health, that my job was safe, and that I would somehow be protected from the global  economic meltdown. In hindsight, there was plenty of evidence to the contrary. I believed I was safe because I wanted to.  

Was I distraught? Sure. Resentful? Of course! But it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

And now, nearly five months later, I’m back to work. My days of wrestling with the unemployment office and spending far too much quality time with myself are over, at least for now.

But as I look back on my experiences as a “layoffee”, I can honestly say that I’m better off for having gone through them. Here are ten things I learned:

Unemployment is temporary
Being jobless is kind of like being a homesick study abroad student. You put off doing all the things you want to do because you feel like you’re going to be there forever. And besides, you’re just too busy moping to make any plans.

Get a grip. You will find a job – possibly a lot sooner than you imagined. When you do, you might have to start right away. And then it will be too late to go to the zoo at 2pm on a Tuesday.   

Don’t mess with the unemployment office
Securing your unemployment insurance benefits can be one of the most infuriating experiences in a job loss. If you make even the slightest error on your form, you will find yourself in an unending web of poorly managed bureaucracy. I know I did. It was so preposterous that I might have laughed, if I hadn’t spent so much time crying. 

So, be EXTRA CAREFUL when you fill out the weekly forms (which they send you in the mail – they are not downloadable online). It’s surprisingly easy to make a mistake, and since the whole process is automated (think: Scantron sheets), there is absolutely no room for nuance. If you color in the wrong bubble, your little clarification note next to it will do nothing but further confuse the evil computers. 

To be on the safe side, make a photocopy of each form before you fill it out. If you mess up, they may not send you another one. They may, instead, request that you call the toll free number to nowhere. And if you think there is an office you can visit to work it out face-to-face, you’re wrong. All communication with them is now by phone, fax, email or post. I found this out the hard way. Make photocopies of your forms, and you’ll at least have a shot at resending them.

Now, this may seem like a no-brainer. But I assure you, I have a brain, and it didn’t occur to me to make photocopies the first time around. I never imagined the process could be as archaic as it was. And as a result, I spent two months without benefits, and came dangerously close to a nervous breakdown.

You just can’t spend all day looking for work
It has been said that looking for a job is itself a full time job. It absolutely can be.

When you’re unemployed, it’s easy to feel guilty for doing anything other than job hunting. A matinee or park stroll feels like wasted time – time you could have spent getting an edge on the job boards.  

But trust me on this one. For your own sanity, you have to give yourself permission to do other things. Of course, you wouldn’t choose to be unemployed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the extra daylight it affords you. Besides, you can apply for jobs just as easily at 10pm as you can at 10am.

Choose your daytime television wisely
After countless hours of research, I have concluded that hosted talk shows (like Tyra, Oprah and The Doctors) are more enjoyable (and educational!) than your run of the mill Soap Opera. Whatever you do, avoid Maury Povich at all costs – unless, of course, you have some kind of academic interest in paternity testing.

Don’t take your joblessness out on your figure
When I lost my job, I craved comfort food. Mac’n’cheese, grilled cheese, or just plain blocks of cheese – if it was yellow and/or cheesy, I was game. Four months and ten pounds later, I had finally learned my lesson.

Even if you aren’t prone to eating your feelings, it’s hard to be healthy when you’re unemployed. You’re broke. Health food is expensive. And allegedly, KFC is bailing out Main Street. But there are ways to eat well on a budget. You don’t have to buy organic vegetables, you don’t even have to buy fresh vegetables, but buy vegetables for goodness sake. If a 93 year-old woman can eat well on a Depression-era budget, so can you.

The pity party helps no one
Losing your job sucks. But feeling sorry for yourself is not going to get you your next job. It won’t pay your bills. And it definitely won’t make your former employer regret their decision. So cheer up! If not for your own sake, then for the sake of your friends who are really sick of hearing about it. 

Time is relative
When you’ve got a job, going to the bank, post office or vet are activities you miraculously squeeze into a lunch hour.  You know that you only have a very short window of opportunity to get things done, so you take full advantage of it. But when you’re unemployed, you can build an entire day (or week) around any one of these activities. The fact of the matter is, when you have less to do, you stretch everything else out to fill the time. My retired father explained this phenomenon to me long before I lost my job, and like so many of his pearls of wisdom, it was absolutely spot on.   

Idle hands really are the devil’s playground
I let myself have about one week of idleness, and then I got busy. Busy looking for jobs; busy blogging; busy taking on freelance work, however poorly paid; busy spending time with my family and other unemployed friends.

I always say that if it weren’t for my blog, I would have lost it. It didn’t matter if it ate into some of my job search time, or if no one was reading it – the point is, I had a daily publishing deadline, and I did my best to stick to it. It kept me busy doing something I love, and made me feel useful in some way. I was also working on it with a friend, which helped stave off some of the daytime loneliness that can come with joblessness. Our little creative endeavor stopped me from sleeping the day away or zoning out to day-time  television (except, of course, for research purposes ). I had a reason to get up in the morning. I think keeping busy with things you love is the key to surviving a layoff, sanity in tact.  

A little bit of humor goes a long way
Like all of life’s difficult times, laughter helps a lot. Especially when it comes to dealing with friends and family who don’t quite know how to react to your predicament. They’ll tiptoe around it, or be uncomfortably sympathetic. Which will only make you feel worse.

So keep it light, and hopefully they’ll loosen up. But bear in mind that it’s kind of like making fun of your own brother – you’re allowed to mock, but no one else is.

I am not my job, and neither are you
Is your work important to you? Sure. Should you be doing something you love? Absolutely! Should your work be the only way you define yourself, or quantify your own worth? Heck no. If it does, you will find losing your job that much more devastating. More than a financial crisis, you’ll be facing an identity crisis.

But sometimes by losing your job, you gain bit of perspective. You may find that there are plenty of things you like to do, and that make you who you are, that are not tied to your work. And if you’re lucky, your unemployment might even help bring those things to light, and give you ample time to explore them.

By MainStreet.com Staff Writers

In tough economic times, many companies would rather cut back on employee hours, rather than layoff workers. Switching to a 32-hour workweek from a 40-hour workweek is a popular way many small businesses are cutting back on wages, without sacrificing health or retirement benefits for their workers. Additionally, many employees seek flex time to work around the changing needs of children, spouses, school and second jobs. As an employer, though, you have to be careful that negotiating flex time doesn’t take away from a productive work environment, or cause feelings of imparity among your office staff.

Negotiate Individually

It is always best to negotiate privately and individually with your employees. No two employees will likely have the exact same needs, so these details are best worked out with a human resource person present and in a closed-door setting.

There are psychological benefits to giving your employees flex time, but you have to ensure that your work caliber is not adversely affected in the process. When recruiting new hires, be honest and open about your policy on flex time. Further, don’t single out flex time benefits for your “favorite” workers. If you can’t afford to give flexible hours to everyone in the same department, then don’t do it at all.

Avoid Giving Too Much

If an employee wants to come into work a little later and leave a little later on Tuesdays and Thursdays in order to avoid traffic, this is typically an easy agreement to achieve. However, when an employee with a shallow work history wants to telecommute from home three days out of the week, he is usually asking for too much. The key is to find a balance that will still allow your employee to accomplish all of their needs without sacrificing their quality of work.

A great way to draw the line in negotiations for flex time is to set rules. For example, some businesses institute “core time.” This is a window of hours that every employee must be on site in order to schedule and accommodate group projects. For example, this could be from 10am to 4pm. During this time, all of your workers are on site, which allows you to schedule company-wide activities without hesitation. Whatever flex time arrangements are made outside of this time is up to your discretion.

Things to Keep in Mind

Flex time is ideal for some people, but it simply doesn’t fit every type of business. If you operate a critical industry, such as a medical facility, flex time may not be an option. As a matter of fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in four employees are eligible for flex time, but only one in 10 actually utilize it.

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By Taylor Smith | MainStreet.com

It’s every employee’s worst nightmare: The call from human resources, the sit-down with the boss and that HR rep from corporate, and the scripted declaration of “It’s not you, it’s the economy.”

Indeed, workers across the U.S. increasingly are taking the fall as companies reel from the one-two punch of fewer customers and a tight credit market. In January, nearly 240,000 workers received pink slips, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ mass layoff data, which tracks instances in which companies lay off 50 or more employees. The January numbers—the most recent available—represent a nearly 60% increase from last January.

And although any employee would like to avoid getting laid off, it’s rarely something you can control. But what you can control is how you leave a company—and, most importantly, the size of your severance package. Fact is, there’s often room to negotiate the terms of a severance package, and employees need to know what to ask for, and how to ask for it, to get the best deal. “The severance offer is just that: an offer,” says Kirk Nemer, president of Denver-based Career Protection, a national firm that helps employees negotiate severance packages. “That’s the leverage employees have to negotiate their own terms.”

The first step is to understand why companies offer severance packages even though they aren’t required by law to do so. (Hint: It’s not just to be nice.) When you sign on the dotted line to accept a severance package, you waive your right to bring employment-related claims, such as age discrimination, against the company. In that way, offering each employee extra pay and benefits can be a fiscally prudent move, heading off potentially costly legal trouble down the road. “Companies offer severances to smooth the transition when employees are laid off,” says Robert Ottinger of The Ottinger Firm, a New York-based employment law firm. “If someone has a potential employment claim, that creates a very un-smooth transition for the company.”

So if you find yourself facing the firing squad, how can you make sure to leave with the best possible package?

For starters, don’t sign anything. HR reps often will present employees with documents to sign when they’re laid off. Instead of agreeing on the spot, take the document home and mull it over. Chances are you’ll be less emotional and you’ll have a clearer picture of what the severance agreement offers.

Take a close look at the severance agreement. The key piece of these agreements is the money, that is, how much you get and for how long. You may be able to negotiate more money, especially if you’re a long-time employee and can demonstrate your loyalty to the company. “Every case is different,” says Ottinger. “You just need to find the pressure points that work.”

Because many companies laying off workers are strapped for cash, you may have difficulty negotiating more money. But that doesn’t mean you have to take what your employer is giving. Consider asking for an extension of your health care coverage, or ask your employer to designate a person at the company who will field inquiries from potential employers on your behalf. Or ask for access to an outplacement firm for resume and interview assistance.

Meanwhile, getting laid off doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the company. Ottinger says some firms may be willing to hire laid off employees on a contract basis. Ask your employer if this is an option.

Throughout the layoff process, be sure to adopt the right attitude. That means curbing the impulse to point fingers or make emotional comments. It also means listening and calmly asking why you were chosen to be laid off. Human resources professionals are well-trained to offer plain vanilla reasons, but Ottinger says he’s represented many clients who were told they were being laid off for being too old or too sick, both of which amount to employment discrimination.

If you suspect you’re a victim of discrimination, contact a lawyer who specializes in employment law. Otherwise, Nemer of Career Protection suggests keeping lawyers out of the equation. If you don’t, he says, the company will likely drag its legal counsel into the discussion, complicating the entire severance process. “The best severance deals come from your friendly human resources department,” he says.