I've been laid off twice, but don't think my education was a rip off. The true rip off is the economy and employers milking it for what it's worth.

My advice to you? Start putting yourself out there and uncomfortable and network. Here's ways to start doing it:

-Call your library and ask if they have a networking group that meets or if they know of one.
-Call a local large church and ask if they have a group that meets or knows of one.
-Call city hall, local colleges, etc. and ask the same thing.
-Once you find a networking group, attend it and talk to people about what they did. Did they rewrite their resumes? How did they build contacts?
-Consider volunteering for a local non-profit with their sales, marketing, or public relations team. Even contributing a few hours a week makes a difference in keeping yourself busy, building contacts, and utilizing some of your skills.

Most important, remember there are thousands of other people in your safe position. We're not alone even though it seems we are.