To follow up and add to what Sam said:

I've been unemployed "against my will" also,
twice since entering my field. The first time
was for three months, and the second for four.
Neither time did it affect my credit rating...
really all you need to do is pay your minimum
payments on time and you'll be fine. Of course
if you have hefty monthly payments like a
mortgage or car payment, it'll be more difficult
to do. I had neither of those during my two
periods of unemployment.

DO sign up for unemployment benefits if
you're able to. It's free money. Yeah, it's only
half of what you were making (maybe less) but
it's better than nothing. Draw unemployment
for as long as you can, because you can be
much more productive in searching for a new
job if you're not working as a burger flipper just
to pay the bills.

What Sam said about contacting people is
called "networking." It works. Both times I was
unemployed, I found work through networking.
The first time, I was referred to the company by
the brother of a woman I know from church,
and at this job, it was even more indirect...
someone I used to work with worked at a
company that I interviewed at; I didn't get that
job, but the woman who interviewed me was
friends with the HR director *here* and
referred my name to her. Weird, but it worked.

Don't waste any time. Get your resume
updated and out there. Use every means
available to land that next job. The longer you
wait, the longer it will take you to get into "job
search mode."

Grishny