[First of two parts.]

Throughout the fluctuating trends, mixed indicators and false starts of this agonizingly slow—and often euphemistically termed “jobless”—economic recovery, one reality remains clear: layoffs are not going away. If they’re down one month, they seem to roar back in full force the next.

RiseSmart was recently compared to Netflix and Pandora in Fast Company.  Now we stand alongside Facebook, Twitter and TheLadders in a list of the hottest technology companies.  Here's an excerpt from today's press release: 

RiseSmart Ranked 73rd on Momentum Index List of Top 100 Technology Companies 

Provider of cloud-based outplacement solutions rises to top among more than 10,000 startups tracked.

In part one, I discussed how layoffs have become a prime time for transitioning into a new career. But for many people, jumping into a new career means giving up a familiar working world and starting from the bottom floor. Just how do you get a job in a field that may not be represented on your resume? How do you navigate the learning curve? And who are the new contacts you’ll need to make? That’s what we’ll look at in part two.

Outplacement providers are traditionally called upon when companies undergo mergers and acquisitions.

But what happens when there's an acquisition that combines two outplacement companies -- particularly when both are of the large, low-tech variety that have been lumbering around the Fortune 500 landscape since the '70s?

It might go something like this --

China Gorman, former president of Lee Hecht Harrison and DBM and newest member of RiseSmart's Strategic Advisory Council, was recently interviewed by Peter Clayton at TotalPicture Radio. Here's an abridged transcript: