So you've been laid off. You've gotten the pink slip. The writing is on the wall. You’re out of there.

Becoming one of the hundreds of thousands that have been laid off in the last few months is easily one of the more life-changing things that will happen to you in a couple of years. But before you clean out the desk or slap your boss, there are a few small things you can do to make the whole process a big simpler.

To start, handle the details. You're now eligible for unemployment, so utilize it. Be sure your severance pay is fair (though the terms likely aren’t too malleable). Find out the rub on your health insurance, such as the premiums for COBRA. Get your 401(k) information (and don't do an early withdrawal, if you can avoid it. Rolling it over into an IRA fund will save you money because you won’t have to pay any penalties).

And be polite. More likely than not, this wasn't a decision your boss made but one that came down from the corporate man behind the curtain. Burning bridges now will do nothing more than act as a temporary way to express your frustration. You can also ask your boss for a recommendation you can post on your online portfolio.

Be sure to get personal email addresses for all your coworkers too. You never know when they'll come in handy. If it was a mass firing, think of creating a little list serve of sorts so folks can keep up with each other and pass along job leads. People often bond in these sorts of situation. Use it to your advantage!

Also, be sure to let other professional contacts know you are leaving, and that you can be contacted through a personal email. You never know when they'll come in handy!

While we're talking about professionalism, go ahead and make yourself a Web site, if you don't already have one. If you aren't a Web designer yourself, maybe you have a friend who knows some codes and could help you design a site. They could list you as a client on their freelance resume so everyone wins. Don't forget to make up some business cards as well. They're cheap and effective. Plus they make you look like you know what you are talking about.

And you know that annoying term "make lemons with lemonade?" Now is a good time to put those words into some sort of action. Do you work in a creative or consulting field? See if you can get some freelance work. Many firms are switching to freelancers only, largely because they'll no longer have to cover things like health care benefits or employee perks. You're a valuable member of the team, right? Position your offer to do freelance as a benefit for them, not necessarily to you. After all, you have severance coming.

While we're on the subject of freelancing, see if recent work you did could be used in another capacity. For writers, maybe you can rework an article to sell to another publication. For designers, maybe imagery that isn't going to be used by a client.

Maybe you are a photographer who used the company’s equipment for your job? If the hard times have fallen on the employer, they may be up for selling that equipment to you on the cheap. For example, when the Birmingham Post-Herald closed in 2005, the laid-off staff was able to purchase cameras, lights and computers for next to nothing. You might be able to work out a similar deal.

All in all, though, enjoy the fact that you are getting some severance and freelance cash without having to go into an office. You didn’t need that dumb job anyway, right?