Sign up for a personal e-mail account. Include this personal e-mail address on your resume rather than your business e-mail address. If you lose your job, your business e-mail account will no longer be valid. If you decide to pursue a new job while still employed, use your personal e-mail account to transmit your resume to employers.

Research outplacement services. Outplacement services are career transition services that employers pay for to help you with your job search. To be prepared in case of a layoff, research services provided by various outplacement firms to determine what would be of most value to you. Would you want an outplacement firm that would write your resume and cover letter for you? Do you value one-on-one time with a career transition consultant? Or are you interested in attending group workshops to learn how to prepare your own marketing materials? If you are laid off, be prepared to negotiate for outplacement services that you feel will benefit you. The best time to negotiate is when you have most leverage, prior to signing your separation letter.

Ask for a letter of recommendation. If you are laid off, ask for a letter of recommendation from your former employer. Reach agreement with your employer on this request prior to signing your separation letter. Negotiate your severance package. If you are downsized, negotiate terms of severance package you are offered. Again, best time to negotiate is when you have most leverage, prior to signing your separation letter.

By following these tips, you can prepare yourself to recover as quickly as possible should you be laid off.

Copyright 2004 Quest Career Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

You can start by asking: "Which attitudes are operational in my life, and what is their outcome?"

3. Plant Right Every farmer knows that in order to have a bountiful harvest you need to plant right seed, in right place, at right time, using right method. That is law of harvest! Use it too during your downtime. Life is about planting seeds, and if you plant right you maximize your harvest.

4. Reframe Take responsibility for where you are by understanding your situation, identifying how this situation is impacting on you and choosing kind of outcome you desire or prefer.

When you have done this, clarify your values, so that your next steps are not going to clash with your values. And then, clean up any past memories not consistent with what you want to achieve.

5. Focus Faith Faith is deference to God, allowing him to work by his unlimited power within your limited circumstances. It also means enabling God to exercise his faith.

You focus faith by having faith in God, yourself as well as others. You also focus faith by having foresight, being organized, by concentrating effort and courage, by working with understanding and by seeding and serving.

It is easy to make good use of your downtime. Follow these five steps and see what difference it can make in quality of your life.