If you thought that the most scary words that every salaried person catches on the daily news bulletin is "bomb blast", think again! Even those of us who can hardly distinguish between bulls and bears and a load of bull in between, the two scariest words on television are pink and slip. Of course, we have variants like lay-offs, downsizing, restructuring etc., but there is nothing that makes us see red than the words pink-slips.

Since getting fired is not something that we can control, we are trying to put together a to-do list that can serve as your survival kit in the unhappy event of having to survive a layoff. But, before we get down to brasstacks, the one obvious facet that forms a pre-requisite for using this survival kit is hyper action sans self-pity.

So, here goes a laundry list of items that you can keep handy though we hope and pray that it never gets used as we would be the last ones to count page views when our users are in dire straits...

(1) For starters, don't blame yourself for whatever happened. Getting fired can happen to anyone, so it's better not to dwell on it and feel self-pity. Try and focus on what your next course of action is and how to find another job.

(2) If you had advance notice about the layoff, keep a keen lookout for tell-tale warning signs. Have the words expenditure cuts, hiring freeze, travel cuts, entertainment cut suddenly appeared in the vocabulary of senior colleagues? Has some of the senior management left? If so, there could be trouble brewing.

(3) Don't rave and rant about a job loss. Walk out with dignity without feeling remorse or spiteful. Before you do so, try and secure a recommendation from your HR department. This job is already on your resume so pad it up with a good review too. If you lost to downsizing, insist on a recommendation letter.

(4) Have written proof that you lost your job for no fault of yours. So, it is a good idea to have a good rapport with your former boss at the time of collecting the pink slip as he can write you a recommendation letter.

(5) Never mention that you were fired from your last job either in your resume or the covering letter. Continue to focus on the positives and the basic information that a new employer might need.

(6) Check out if there are any quick part-time options available. Create an emergency fund as this would be critical for your sustenance in case of a layoff, given that India doesn't give out the dole. Find out about the benefits you can continue to retain for a brief period after the layoff. For e.g. you can continue to hold health coverage for a couple of months.

(7) If you held a customer facing or market facing role, be sure to clean out your desk and carry all the visiting cards and contact details of everyone that might help you find another job. Of course, don't buzz of with your company laptop!

(8) Don't panic. Don't think where your next meal will come from. Try and work out a planned approach to finding a job by listing out the companies that may require your skills; visiting websites etc.

(9) Also consider the option of enhancing your skills though some online training. Maybe, that career shift that you always dreamt about could become a reality now.

(10)Finally, do not forget to check with the HR for any openings in other departments of your own company. In the heat of the moment the HR may have forgotten to tell you of avaliable slots because he probably is under threat himself. So, it may not be a bad idea to ferret around for possible hirings in other departments where your skills might be a good fit.