All the good statistics in the world still don't mean that the best job for you is going to fall out of the sky and hit you on the head as soon as you get laid off. And getting laid off is certainly in the stars for some of us. Just look at all the merger-and- acquisition activity. And the uncertainty that comes with Nassau County's fiscal mess. And the dot-com shakeout -5,000 layoffs were reported last month in that sector alone, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement firm that monitors such activity. No, even in this job market, you've got to have a strategy for what to do if a pink slip falls on your desk.

First of all, advice for the day the ax falls: Don't leave your office without your Rolodex or a printout of your key contacts for networking reasons, assuming you don't have them recorded on a PDA. More than a few people are so shell-shocked that they just put on their coats and leave, says Jane Cummins, a senior career counselor with Right Management Consultants' Melville office.

She says she's seen a definite increase in the number of layoffs on Long Island in the past month or so, and adds that it still takes people at the managerial level three or four months to land another job.

You'll also want to have copies of non-confidential reports, spreadsheets and designs you've done so you can jog your memory when you prepare what she calls an "accomplishment statement." And yes, even in this job market, employers want to know about what you've done and how that can help them.

If your antennae are well-tuned, then you'll probably see that layoff coming, so why not pull some of this material together ahead of time? Or better yet, just make a practice of keeping what counselors call a "success file" -one that contains not only the work you're proud of but also positive reviews and other kudos.

Those established employers who dump large numbers of people have probably thought through their approach to outplacement counseling. But if it's not mentioned, why not ask for it anyway? A company may pony up some money for you to get some help in thinking through your next options. And more and more, you can find such services online.

You are also wise to ask for severance money, even if you don't think you deserve it, says Kate Wendleton. "Even a few weeks or months of pay could help reduce stress and keep the mortgage paid," says Wendleton, founder and president of the Five O'Clock Club, a national career counseling network based in Manhattan. That group offers virtual group counseling by phone. (For information, check out www.fiveocloclockclub.com.)

You might be tempted to plunge into the job-search fray immediately, but instead, why not take some time to strategize your next move? "Better to have a direction than run around in circles," she says.

"The job market is so great right now that the issue is not finding a job but heading your career in the right direction. Even in these great times, panicked job hunters make the mistake of leaping at inappropriate jobs just to get the search over with. Instead, give yourself a few extra weeks of searching to increase the chance you'll make the right decision rather than just a quick one."

That's exactly what Christine Harmel is seeing-people taking a brief breather. She's the founder and chief executive of Interactive Resource, a Manhattan/Los Angeles-based Internet matchmaking and consulting company that earlier this year launched Silicon Alley Recruiting-see www.interactiveresource.com. Says Harmel: "Many of our candidates are taking their job hunt slowly and have commented that this is the first time in years that they've slowed down from 'Internet time' enough to think about what they want to do with their lives."

Slowing down lets you be more thoughtful about your next move. It sounds so simple, she says, but people being lured by stock options or high salaries were (and still are) often reacting to the offers, not thinking strategically about their careers or selecting companies that will be a good fit. With the dot-com shakeout, she says, "candidates are questioning the companies much more -the viability of the business model, the funding situation, the commitment of the founders."

In short: It takes anticipation, planning and time to think to make today's job market live up to its reputation.