How Slacker-Searchers Can Survive a Layoff

Almost all advice on surviving a layoff involves hard work. The paid daily grind gives way to the unpaid daily grind, as you "treat your job search like a job" and work your connections, perfect your resume, clean up your cover letter, and network, network, network.

But is that really the advice that everyone needs to hear? Don't most people who have just lost their jobs realize that to get another one, they're going to have to work at it? The fact that we're in a recession and the job market is lousy has moved well beyond page 4E in the business section--most people know about it.

So, there's definitely some merit in advice of a different kind, such as this guide to surviving a "post-layoff existence" at Fast Company. While some of the tips require actual work--like auctioning off your junk on eBay or going back to school--they do seem well attuned to the plight of the slacker-searcher.

Here's one key survival tip:

• Mooch. As writer Adam Frucci puts it:

"Now's the time to call the folks and ask for a little help. Assuming it's been a while since you asked for money from them, the chances are good that they'll give you a loan or even a gift of some cash. And what about your friends that still have jobs? Now is when you need to start guilting them and guilting them hard. They should provide you with free drinks at the very least, if not free meals. Try to rotate through employed friends in an organized way to spread out the mooching over as long a time period as possible."