The headline in my Charlotte Observer this morning says it all. “Thousands of Charlotte layoffs likely after Wachovia’s stunning fall.” There are headlines like that all around the country these days.

The financial crisis means there will be lots of layoffs. There will be mergers, too. What do you do if you’re in one of the companies that gets “merged.”

You’ve got two key challenges when the company you work for is merged into another. Look out. And look good.

Look out. Too many people figure “they won’t get rid of me” and then get surprised. Too many decide to “wait and see what happens” and wait until it’s too late.

Don’t be one of them. Get your credentials together. Tune up your resume. And start looking.

If you’ve got great performance reviews make sure you have copies that you can share with prospective employers. If you’ve got bosses who love you, ask if you can use them as a reference with their personal contact information, if necessary.

Fire up your network and start looking for opportunities and possibilities. It doesn’t matter what situation you’re in, there’s an opportunity in there somewhere.

Look good. These quickfire, forced mergers are different from classic mergers. Instead of taking place over months with plenty of time to evaluate talent, they took place over a weekend. The first order of business for your new bosses will be figuring out who they want to keep.

No matter how you’re feeling, make sure you’re focused, productive and pleasant in the office. Look like what you are: the employee everyone will want to keep. It’s way better to find a new job when you choose, not when you’re out on the street with thousands of others who look just like you.

Getting merged will change the world around you. It won’t be easy. But what comes out of it is up to you.

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week.

I’m pointing you to items about matching your personality to your career, resignation letters that won’t come back to haunt you, resumes falling into the black hole of cyberspace, how to deal with a counteroffer from your current employer, and advice from corporate recruiters.

From Employment Digest: Best Jobs For You - How to Match Your Personality to Your Career

“Why is it that one man or woman’s job search produces a dream career while another’s turns out to be a nightmare? The often overlooked reason is personality mismatches with the chosen career.”

Wally’s Comment: This post helps you look at career choice through the lens of personality.

From Kris Dunn, the HR Capitalist: I Quit!! Resignation Letters Gone Bad….

“Ah yes, the resignation letter. Properly crafted, an act of thankfulness, dignity and perhaps most importantly - full of language that doesn’t cause the proverbial “bridge” to combust into flames.

Wally’s Comment: When it’s time to go, go gracefully. It might feel good to do otherwise, but it’s usually a bad idea.

From Rusty Weston at My Global Career: How Résumés Find Black Holes

“What do job seekers and astronomers have in common? Dumping your résumé into a corporate receptacle is like plunging into a black hole in cyberspace. Okay, not always, but often enough to be a problem.

Wally’s Comment: You don’t want your resume to get lost, right?

From Forbes: Receive a Job Counter-Offer? Don’t Take It

“In my 25 years of experience, I have learned that accepting a counter-offer is usually career suicide. Watching your boss scramble to keep you may be a heady experience, but in exchange for that sweet moment, you’ll have squandered your honor, a sacrifice that will haunt you for many years. Even more troubling, you may never know exactly when or to what extent your reputation has been sullied. ”

Wally’s Comment: Accepting a counteroffer from your current employer seems like it might be a good idea, especially if the counter offer is really big. But beware. This is one of those situations that almost never turns out well.

From Career News: Recruiters Advice to Job Candidates

“We asked our Corporate Recruiters: What’s the most important advice you would give a Job candidate to gain the edge above the competition and get that interview?

Wally’s Comment: Here it is, folks, career advice from some of the very people you want advice from.