A furlough is a big, flapping red flag that your job is in danger.
Forcing workers to take unpaid time off helps employers reduce costs and, ostensibly, avoid layoffs. But a company that decides it can do without your services for a few days might very well decide to do without them permanently.
Yet way too many workers fiddle while their careers burn. An online poll at The Consumerist found the majority of those furloughed treat the days as unpaid vacations. My informal poll of readers and posters on the Your Money message board found that many used the time to sleep late, pursue hobbies or catch up on household chores.
Now, I'm as fond of snoozing and clean closets as the next person, but people, come on. If you're forced to take furlough days, you should be using them to ready yourself for your next job. You might be looking sooner than you think -- and in case you haven't heard, it's not a great time to be unemployed.
People who get a head start on burnishing their résumés and networks will be in a far better position to find their next job than people who bury their heads in the sand, said Lois Frankel, a career coach and the author of "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" and "See Jane Lead."
"Nobody's safe anymore," Frankel said. "You should be making the investment of time now."
If you're facing a furlough, here are some ideas for making the most of your time off:
1. Create your layoff plan. Unpaid time off means less money coming in, so you'll need to adjust your expenses just to cope with a smaller income. But while you're trimming expenses, cut back a little more so you can build up your emergency fund. If there's an expense you'd cut if you were laid off, trim it now and bank the extra cash. (Donna Freedman's "In case of layoff: A financial fire drill" is a must-read. And read my "Survival guide for the unemployed" for tips about handling the worst if it happens.)
2. Get serious about online networking. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo are free and allow you to reach out to former colleagues, friends and old classmates, all of whom can be a gold mine of potential job leads. Stanford sociologist Mark Granovetter discovered that many people find jobs not through their nearest and dearest but from "weak" connections: acquaintances and friends of friends. The bigger your network, the better your chances of uncovering your next great position. Résumé expert Tony Beshara, author of "The Job Search Solution," recommends writing down the name and number of every single person you know as a kind of master networking sheet, then working your way through it to let folks know you're looking for your next post.
3. Network offline, too. Consider joining at least one professional or social organization that can help you expand your network. Maybe you can use some of your unpaid days to attend the group's meetings or annual conventions for more face time. Volunteering can help you build contacts, as well as a sense of gratitude.
4. Create some goodwill. Keith Ferrazzi's excellent networking book "Never Eat Alone" emphasizes the importance of doing good deeds for others without direct expectation of rewards. Write a glowing recommendation for someone, tell someone else about a job prospect, encourage someone who's feeling down. This stuff is easy to put off in the rush of a typical workday but is essential to building a strong network -- and feeling good about yourself.
5. Start building your credentials. The right courses could make you more valuable at your current workplace and a more desirable prospect at your next one. "Go and get that degree you said you didn't have time for," Frankel recommends. "Or look into certifications that would make you more attractive in your next job." Or perhaps you just need to burnish a skill, such as speaking another language or mastering Photoshop. Check into local colleges, extension services and online courses to find what you need.
6. Test-drive another job or career. If you're ready to make a big change, you might consider volunteering in the position or field you want to try. Frankel recommends VocationVacations, a company that allows would-be job changers to shadow mentors and experience what the "dream job" involves. Someone interested in running a bed and breakfast, for example, would be matched with an innkeeper for a day or two.
7. Set up a business. A sideline business can offer extra income and tax benefits (read "The ultimate tax shelter: Owning your own business."). Your furlough can give you the time you need to research, incorporate and build your business without forcing you to give up your day job. Until you're ready to, that is. Visit MSN's Business on Main for more small business resources.
Sick of worrying about work? Here are two other pursuits to consider once you've gotten a start on the tasks above.
8. Step up your workouts. Worrying about losing your job can take a serious toll on your body, but increased exercise can offset the stress, give you more energy to cope with life's problems and help you sleep better at night. You don't need a fancy gym membership -- walking 30 minutes every day with a friend can improve your health and give you much-needed social time.
9. Tackle a (reasonable) home repair or improvement project. If the job's within your skill set, you can lose yourself in the flow of a repair or improvement project -- another great way to reduce stress. Or pick a task that will give you a good payoff in money saved, money earned or sheer satisfaction. You could declutter the house and sell the excess in a yard sale, for example, or catch up on all those little painting and repair jobs to save yourself the cost of a handyman. Read "5 things it's cheaper to do yourself" for more ideas.