As the mega-merger spree continues, leading to more deals like Verizon's multi-billion-dollar bid for MCI, employees are wary that companies could be preparing to shed thousands of jobs. With that in mind, the New York Daily News takes a look at what steps rank-and-file office workers can take to avoid a layoff. According to some experts, the main priority is to solidify existing relationships at the office with people willing to go to bat for you: "The more people who know about you and your accomplishments - and feel comfortable with you - the more chance you have that a person will be in a meeting where decisions are made about who to save, who to let go, who to promote."

It's also not too late to brush up on brown-nosing skills: "Learn to be a 'company person,' 'yes man,' or however you define it, very quickly. You begin with a blank slate. Agree to anything new management says, do extra assignments and work others don't want."