If it’s hard to determine exactly where the telecom industry is headed, how low the NASDAQ will go, which companies will survive this time of turmoil, and which ones won’t—it’s not for a lack of trying. Industry analysts and pundits are vociferously preoccupied with these issues, and for good reason. If the New Economy is undergoing some kind of rite of passage, it will behoove all of us to have an idea of what it’s going to look like on the other side.

But if you are a recently laid-off telecom worker, the issues you’re dealing with are most likely a bit more immediate and personal in nature: How am I going to tell my family? How long will I be able to live off my severance check? How will I maintain my current lifestyle without an expense account? Who’s hiring and who’s my competition? Does this mean I’ll have to give up my company car? Today?

Yes, you’re going to need a plan of action—we’ll get to that in a minute. Right now, all you need to do is calm yourself. Take a deep, cleansing breath. And above all, don’t panic. If you panic, you will lose perspective. If you lose perspective, even the most sound advice will seem useless and futile. So read on, but only when you’re ready.

Okay, bottom line: you’re out of work. In most cases, this is not good news; at least it doesn’t feel like good news, not at first. Sure, you can try to look at it as blessing in disguise, a chance to re-evaluate and take your career in a new direction or make a new start. If you can manage to pull that one off while the pink slip’s still warm, more power to ya! Truth is, most of us mere mortals will need a little more time to adjust to our new unemployed status. So, go ahead and indulge yourself—sleep in, pout, weep, throw a fit, be the guest of honor at your own private pity party—just don’t let yourself get stuck there. Give yourself a day or two—three, tops!

Then, it’s back to work. Yes, work! Because, until you pull your new chair up to your new desk in your new office, searching for your next position is your full-time job. Each day, you will put in the same number of hours as you did at your former job.

1. Don’t just wake up, GET up! Keep your morning routine in tact. Set your alarm as usual. Get up and get dressed. It’s important to stay in control of all you can, starting with your schedule.

2. "Hire" an interim boss. Self-discipline is a beautiful thing, but most of us are more productive with a little supervision. Make yourself accountable to someone—a close friend or relative. Agree to call him at a designated time every morning, when you’re dressed and ready to get to work. Tell him what you want to accomplish that day. Ask him to call you at the end of the day (or during the day) to check on your progress.

3. Re-invent yourself—in writing. Start by writing out, in detail, your ideal job description and post it in a prominent place. Next, open a new email account that you’ll use solely for job-hunting purposes. Give the new address to friends and business contacts; let them know you can no longer be reached at your former (company) email address. Clear your wallet of your old business cards. (Go ahead and burn a few, if it makes you feel better.) Replace them with a brand new batch of personal calling cards; order them or design and print them yourself. Include your name, mailing address, email address, and phone numbers.

4. Birth a Salesman. What? Not in sales, you say? Well, now you are! You’re going to have to market yourself to potential employers. (With the current state of the industry, you’re going to have to be pretty aggressive.) So, get on the phone. Call in all favors; go to great lengths to get good job leads. Start making lists: goals to accomplish, deadlines to meet, companies to target, internet job boards to check, colleagues/acquaintances to contact, topics to research, search tactics to try, social/networking functions to attend, etc.

5. Check under the hood. Not only are you the salesperson, you’re also the product—so you’d better make sure your product is up to snuff and looking good. Is there a certification you’ve been meaning to get? A course you want to take? A book you know you should read? Well, guess what? Now you’ve got the time to do it. So do it. Do whatever it takes to maximize your employability factor. Do your homework: find out what kind of person telecom employers are looking for and become that person.

6. Turn on the charm. Invest some energy into becoming a more well-rounded person, someone who can engage in relevant, interesting conversation with ease. Visit a museum, see a foreign film, read a book that has nothing to do with telecom—expand your cultural horizons. When interviewing with a potential employer, you don’t want to come off as some out-of-touch, tunnel-vision techie. With more candidates to choose from these days, hiring companies can afford to hold out for the best of both worlds—someone who’s technically savvy and personally appealing. But, let’s face it: all the charm in the world won’t do you a lick of good if you look like hell! To look healthy—physically and mentally, you’ve got to make it part of your daily regimen. Because we are more vulnerable to illness when absorbed by pessimistic thoughts about the future or bitterness about the past, more than ever, you need to eat, exercise, rest properly and work on keeping a positive attitude.

7. Clock out. End your day, every day. While this should be a full-time job, it should not be a 24-hour-a-day obsession. Anyone who’s ever worked from home knows the dangers of letting your job take over your life. So try to keep the two somewhat separate, somehow. Go for a drive or take a walk around the block, in place of your evening commute. Of course, as with any job, there will be days you’ll need to put in some overtime. Just make sure it’s not everyday.

8. Go to happy hour; act accordingly. (Happy, that is.) You might assume that hanging out with the "employed crowd" will be depressing, but try it; you might be surprised. You need to unwind and relax as much as they do, maybe more. And you could certainly use the interaction. Happy hour offers a perfect opportunity for casual networking, strategic eavesdropping and shameless gossip-gathering; so arrange to meet up with friends after "work" once a week, preferably on a day when you’re feeling particularly encouraged. It is possible to be upbeat without being fake. Just be honest; people appreciate honesty. And remember, it’s okay to have a sense of humor about your situation; it’s not permanent!

Telecom is not going away, and neither are you.