Gather your belongings
Even if you feel your job is secure, always make sure your resume is in order and stored somewhere other than your office hard drive. Often companies lock laid-off employees out of their computers for security purposes. Make sure you store important documents and contact information somewhere else.

Depending on what you do, you may want to gather samples of your work, says Anne Maxfield, co-founder of Project Solvers, a company that connects freelancers with jobs in the fashion industry. "Only take what rightfully belongs to you and is not considered confidential business material," Maxfield says.

If your life revolves around the office, start building a world separate from work, both socially and practically. Make sure your home voice-mail is working and your message sounds professional. Open a personal e-mail account using your name or something close to it. You may even order generic business cards with your name and home contact information.

Start working the phones
How much time you spend networking should depend on how confident you are in the job.

"If you like your job and there is no certainty you will be laid off, you don't want to do anything prematurely." Casey says. If you don't think your position may soon appear on the endangered-species list, start a passive search. Send out resumes, consider offers you might have otherwise ignored and be more aware of opportunities.

Even if you think a layoff is imminent, realize there is a fine line between protecting yourself and blatantly looking for another job. "If you're faxing resumes from the office you will be increasing your chances of getting canned and killing an opportunity to leave with a good reference," Maxfield says.

As a final precautionary step, learn as much as you can about your post-employment benefits and the company's severance policy. You'll not only help ease some of the stress of losing your job, you'll protect yourself from getting short-changed should you be inducted into the unemployment club.

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