What I told my kids:
Your word is your bond. Be honorable.
Find something you love to do; not just a job.
Be Pro-Active. See the need and work toward the goal.
Be a problem solver, not another problem.
You may not be able to avoid being laid off. Get up and get out there and find the next great thing you're going to do.

I would like to add some more factors that in my opinion are as important as those presented in the article. Aside from demonstrating value to one's supervisor or one's department, it is a plus to be able to demonstrate value to the organization as a whole to avoid being targeted in a massive layoff by the number crunchers. In a large company, this means having the opportunity to be engaged and serve with distinction in visible projects, not all of which is within one's control, and not having the opposition of persons of influence - a delicate balancing act.

I was laid off two weeks ago and your suggestions were right on time. My old boss left the organization and I inherited a new boss that was not interested in having an assistant with all my skillsets. I was overqualified for her needs therefore I was let go. I was the only one in the dept. to be laid off. We hired 2 new people!! I have learned a valuable lesson. I was laid off in 2004 due to downsizing from an airline that used seniority. So here I go again seeking employment.

In our society today, boot licking is in high demand. We have the ones that rat on the others to gain just a pat on the head, and others in order to gain recognition will do and say anything to be recognized at the expense of others. Go the extra mile will only mean that they will expect more for less. Oh sure you keep your job but at what expense, moral values, and ethics. People of color are expected to produce more and accept everything in order to fit in. This is a problem not discussed in earnest.

These are all good ideas, but they won't do any good for people who have a union job, because they layoff strictly by seniority. While having a union is good as far as providing good benifits and good pay, they(unions) hinder companies from selecting employees by who are better for the company and who have the best work habits. Just wanted to add that because I work for a union company who is talking of closing the facility where I work in as early as next year.Just wanted to give another side to this scenario since job cuts seem to be affecting all of us in some way.