As profits tumble, companies are slashing headcounts once again. To ease laid-off employees' trauma and help them become re-employed quickly, many large firms provide outplacement packages that include a variety of programs, ranging from one- to three-day job-search workshops to unlimited use of all services offered by the outplacement firm. These may include visits with a personal coach, psychological and financial counseling, administrative support and postal services, plus job-search and networking workshops.

While the concept of receiving career counseling is foreign to many executives, the benefits can be substantial. Lynn Nowicki participated in an executive program at Right Management Consultants, a Philadelphia-based outplacement firm, after leaving a dot-com company. Her counseling included weekly seminars with 10 or 15 other senior candidates.

"We helped each other with leads," says Ms. Nowicki. "They were able to come up with good questions: `Have you looked at their business plan from these four or five aspects? Have you explored their financials in this way?' They might say, 'Hey, I know somebody at that company or I know one of their competitors.' " Ms. Nowicki joined MessageLink, a Berwyn, Pa., wireless products and services company, where she's now president and chief operating officer.

The three largest outplacement firms are Lee Hecht Harrison of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., (150 offices); Drake Beam Morin (DBM), based in Boston (204 offices); and Right Management Consultants (200 offices). All have an international presence. Boutique firms with from one to 50 offices sometimes focus on particular industries or geographic regions, and many belong to a trade group, the Association of Outplacement Consulting Firms International.

The services of outplacement firms don't come cheap, so why do major employers seeking to cut costs pay considerable fees to help ex-employees? Cynics may say it's to avoid wrongful termination lawsuits. But Judy Kneisley, senior vice president and general manager of Lee Hecht Harrison's Woodland Hills, N.J., office, says preventing litigation isn't the primary reason outplacement firms are hired.

"They provide the services to be good corporate citizens," says Ms. Kneisley. "It also provides a positive message for those who stay behind."

Employers typically contract with one outplacement firm and send downsized employees to its closest office. However, some companies provide laid-off staffers with a fixed amount they can spend on outplacement and allow them to "shop" among organizations to find one that works best for them.

"A lot of people don't understand what outplacement is, " says Joan Luciano, managing consultant in Albany, N.Y., for DBM. "It's a service that allows one to learn how to manage and develop one's career. People have to think more broadly about their careers and skills. We teach people how to market themselves."

Carl Mankat of Chandler, Ariz., was laid off from IBM Corp. in 1993 after "29 and a half years" as a systems analyst. IBM sent him to DBM for outplacement assistance, which Mr. Mankat describes as a "real help," and he landed another corporate job similar to the one he'd held previously.

"I was never that down on IBM" about the layoff, he says. "I figured they had to do what they had to do. It's a business, not a fraternal organization."

Laid off again a few years later, Mr. Mankat received outplacement help from Right Consultants. That time, he says, "I learned that there's life after corporate America." He's now a business consultant in the Phoenix area.

If you're given the option of outplacement, these four steps can help you maximize your benefits:

1. Don't try to be the Lone Ranger. "Avoid the I-can-do-it-on-my-own mentality," says Mark Miller, group executive vice president with Right Management Consultants in New York. "Most executives know this in their careers, but they fall short when they manage their own job search."

Many candidates "think they don't need the experts," Ms. Kneisley agrees. Instead, they might read a book about career transition or have received outplacement during a recent transition and think they can reapply the same advice, she says.

In their previous jobs, executives developing programs or ideas typically sought input from senior management, their subordinates, outside vendors, officials in other departments and customers. Candidates in outplacement need to take the same approach with their searches, says Mr. Miller. One way is to adopt a brand marketing strategy -- using themselves as the brand.

2. Go to work each day -- at the outplacement office. Working daily from an outplacement firm's offices allows candidates to take advantage of other candidates' talents, knowledge and networking contacts. Maggy Siegel, a former president of a European luxury-goods company, was able to expand her circle of contacts through the people she met in outplacement at the Right office in New York. As she puts it, "Everyone I knew, knew everyone I knew."

Maintaining a daily routine as though you're still employed also is helpful, says Ms. Siegel. She dressed in work clothes and commuted to Right's offices every day. That way, she was ready for networking lunches. "I was never embarrassed to meet anyone, anytime," she says.

If "you come from an environment where you worked with people all the time, it's hard to go cold turkey" and stay home, says Mr. Mankat.

Participating in an outplacement program provides structure and support, says Dr. Luciano. "You almost give them permission to feel what they're feeling," she says. "To feel better, you have to be active. Outplacement helps people be structured. They've lost the routine of getting up and having a place to go. I don't want them feeling isolated at home."

Going into an office isn't always an option. John Kaeli was given outplacement assistance with DBM after losing his job as a manufacturing manager with R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. book publishing services. However, his home in Harrisonburg, Va., is a two-hour drive from Richmond, Va., DBM's nearest location, so he participated in the DBM Latitude Program. This combines in-person meetings -- Mr. Kaeli flew to Atlanta to meet with his counselor -- with computer exercises and access to services. Mr. Kaeli took online skills-assessment tests, which indicated he might want to switch to sales from engineering. He also worked with his counselor via e-mail and phone, eventually accepting a job as regional sales manager with the Book Technology Group, a Stratford, Conn.-based company that provides manufacturing equipment for the publishing industry.

Mr. Kaeli thought staying in contact with friends during his transition was important, so he became more active in his church and with the Boy Scouts of America. "You're feeling a lot of emotions," he says. "You need to be able to talk to people and get your feelings out."

3. Take advantage of everything your program offers. When Bernie Crowley was laid off from a traditional health-care provider in Pittsburgh, he moved to California, "shopped" outplacement companies and selected Lee Hecht Harrison.

"I wanted to do my future, not my past," says Mr. Crowley of Reseda, Calif. Lee Hecht Harrison assigned him to a counselor with a health-care background who began to steer him in new directions. He went to the office almost every day and took advantage of classes, research and networking opportunities. "You have to go in. Those who don't miss the camaraderie," says Mr. Crowley. "Certain days you'll get rejections, and it helps to have others around you who are in a similar position. You get new ideas."

Mr. Crowley eventually signed on as vice president of operations for HealthAllies Inc., a Glendale, Calif., organization that provides add-on health benefits to individuals and companies.

Fortunately, a transition allows for self-centeredness. "Be a sponge," says Ms. Nowicki. "This is, hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really learn about yourself [and] what makes you happy. Take time to invest in yourself because it will pay off in the right job opportunity."

4. Bond with counselors. Career advisers vary by tenure, sensitivity, industry experience and seniority. If you're able to shop outplacement companies, ask to meet with a counselor and learn about available resources. The person selling the program may not be the same person you'll meet with regularly.

Ms. Siegel says she was in shock after her job ended. She worked with consultant Phyllis Tama at Right Consultants to regain her career footing. "She deserves much of the credit for my mental health," says Ms. Siegel. "Also, having the strong support of family and friends. It's a very difficult time." Ms. Siegel became vice president of fine jewelry and watches for Chanel Inc. in New York after a 15-month search, but she hasn't forgotten Ms. Tama. "She's not getting rid of me. I asked her to my son's bar mitzvah!"

Jean-Claude Noel met with his counselor each week while in Right's outplacement program. Formerly senior vice president international for TNT Post Group, an international postal, logistics and express-delivery company based in Amsterdam, Mr. Noel found the one-on-one attention invaluable as he attempted to transfer his skills to another field.

Being in outplacement allowed him to explore options. "When you're on a job you don't have any time. It's difficult to find something. If you run a search while you're working, you end up in the same field, doing the same job. You make mistakes because you haven't taken the time." Mr. Noel is now chief operating officer for Christie's, a worldwide auction house based in New York.

Counselors also can give you a reality check on the current market. John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., says candidates often think that someone on the outside -- a counselor, executive recruiter or friend with a hot lead -- will "save" them. Outplacement counselors need to help clients realize that the only factors that matter during a search are their skills and initiative, he says.

Some candidates are so unrealistic that they expect to land better jobs after being laid off, says Mr. Challenger. For instance, controllers might expect to jump to a CEO post, forgetting that they're competing with current CEOs for such roles. In this case, a counselor may say, "Don't expect the market to give you a promotion," and direct them to smaller firms or controller positions with promotional opportunities, he says.

Counselors also can help with problem situations. Joan W. Schwartz was general counsel for American Waterworks in Marlton, N.J., before the company closed its regional offices. She received outplacement from Right Consultants in Philadelphia, where her counselor guided her through a complicated salary negotiation.

"The consultants were very knowledgeable about the marketplace. They were a wonderful resource. They have done this for a long time [and] are good at prepping you for behavioral interviews," she says. Ms. Schwartz is now assistant general counsel of Teleflex Inc., a diversified industrial products firm in Limerick, Pa.

By taking advantage of outplacement, candidates gain a "framework" to support them during their transitions, says Mr. Noel. "You're a lot more efficient. You have to accept that you have to do your own marketing. You need a bit of structure. You may have created that for the companies you worked for, but you haven't done it for yourself."