The Best Job Advice on the Web Today

December 17, 2008 02:44 PM ET | Liz Wolgemuth

If you've recently been laid off, or your hours have been cut, or your workload has tripled--you may be tempted to badmouth your company to friends, family, and new acquaintances with whom you're sharing your current plight. The Boston Herald says it's a bad idea to even show visible anger. If this upsets you further, take comfort that the reason is satisfyingly self-serving--the fact is that "the organization you are leaving may be your best source for new employment through referrals and references.

The two keys to success are people skills and self-management, says Tom Hoobyar. It's his first law of life. He has a dozen. "If you learn to manage yourself you can accomplish anything you can dream up," he writes. It's an empowerment boost for those losing sleep over the state of the job market. Other laws are also useful, particularly no. 9: "There is no 'happily ever after' in the real world." Instead, after every crisis, the sun rises again--that's the good news.

Anxiety is running high among the still-employed. Employees feel stressed when they don't feel in control--and who feels in control right now? Even executives are answering to Congress. The Work Buzz blog suggests three moves you can take to help with the anxiety. First, make sure you have copies of all the documents, contacts and whatnot you'd wish you'd made copies of if you were laid off. Second, take advantage of your healthcare coverage while you still have it. Third, start networking sooner rather than later.