In our current business environment, with unemployment tsunamis sweeping through the job market, nobody can stay neutral. You either become the type of person who buries your proverbial head in the proverbial sand, ignoring the career carnage surrounding you, or you become alert as a jungle cat, your layoff radar turned on full blast, 24/7.

Let me hasten to add that neither approach guarantees an escape from an unseemly and untimely firing. Even savvy employees get the ax. And let's face it, burying your head can be very relaxing, though you do tend to get sand up your nose.

Still, for those of you action-oriented types who keep your periscope up above the walls of the cube farm, I am happy to share a few good ideas from Elizabeth Garone, a reporter for The New York Times on what to look for when you're looking for trouble.

For example:

1. Trust your gut and don't delay.

Citing the example of one Alex Satin, who "had a feeling something wasn't right." Garone suggests, "If you feel something is amiss, or see signs that the company is in serious trouble, start looking for a new job."

It's sound advice, but when even razor-sharp professional investigators, like the Securities and Exchange Commission, do not notice a Bernie Madoff stuffing his pockets with $50 billion of his clients' money, how are you supposed to spot something amiss, especially in a lame-o company like yours? After all, the business has survived this far with pathetic products, moronic managers, and mediocre marketing. Heck, they even continued in business after they hired you.

Still, there are warning signs. If you see the chief financial officer in the cafeteria loading his pocket with napkins, silverware, and packets of NutraSweet, that's bad. Or if HR announces that future company contributions to your 401(k) plan will be made in the form of magic beans, that's very bad. (Though you might check the stock market. On the day this was written, magic bean futures were up 200 percent.)

2. Get everything in order.

"Don't wait until after your company begins a mass layoff to update your resume," writes Garone. I absolutely agree. The best time to start looking for a new job is the first day you report to work. "By searching while you're employed, you'll be more attractive to employers," Garone adds. I'm not so sure about this strategy. The danger of looking for work when you're employed is that the potential hiring manager may himself be on the edge, and will use your interest in his company to rat you out. On the other hand, your management will probably be very impressed by your lack of loyalty, your basic ratness being all they need to promote you to a safe and secure management position. Continued...