The word "éclat" means the success of your prior achievement, and the organization's mission is to help individuals, groups, government agencies, and the military manage a successful career move through purposeful planning, training and development, and professional support.
Alan Malinchak, Éclat Transitions's co-founder and CEO, explains that his vision for the organization grew from discussions with public sector and military employees who were eligible for retirement but had no definitive post-retirement career plans. "They knew they still wanted to work, but didn't know what to do or how to do it—other than throw their resumes on Monster.com," he says.
Working with Éclat Transitions's co-founder and president, Maria Chaloux, Malinchak began to build services around this vision. These services include career transition labs, executive-level programs, seminars, career workshops and counseling, and resume writing and interview assistance.
The half- or full-day career labs give participants a step-by-step road map to plan and execute a successful public-to-private sector career change. Topics of instruction include financial considerations, emotional factors, certifications and other professional education options, interviewing, networking, and negotiation. Participants take the DiSC Profile self-assessment prior to the lab, and leave the interactive training with an action plan and timeline for transitioning to their impending private sector careers.
With recent presidential directives and approved legislation by Congress, the federal government is encouraging businesses to hire more veterans. Last October, Éclat Transitions held a career lab for a group of wounded warriors from Warrior Bridge to help build this growing population's awareness of the education and professional services available to them.
"Veterans have tremendous capabilities, work ethic, and integrity—all of the characteristics you want from someone who has already been in the workforce," Malinchak observes.
For any public sector or military employee thinking about retirement, it's never too soon to begin planning for the next step. "You can't come to our lab and get a job in the next few weeks," says Malinchak. "But you learn what you need to do to get that job. You're not starting over, but you are reinventing your skill set to make yourself more competitive for your next career."
Learn more online at www.eclat-transitions.com.
