Three of his friends have been issued pink slips in the past two weeks. Dinner conversations center on the latest layoffs and Net shutdowns. One day at work recently, Tom phoned a career counselor he hadn't spoken to in months and asked if he could take part in her weekly teleconference call with folks who are either out of work or thinking about a job switch. Participants share job-search advice and news about possible openings. In any job, you have to stay in the loop.
Nobody is protected.
As layoffs pile up across Corporate America, other workers fear they may be affected, too. In a recent poll of 1,000 adults, nearly one in four say they're worried about dismissals in their field, according to outplacement firm Bernard Haldane Associates. People who've witnessed layoffs at their own companies may have reason to be nervous if they think the bloodletting isn't over. But career counselors say they're also fielding calls from people like Tom, who have no inkling that their job is in danger but are wading back into the market just in case. They're not going to sit back and wait.