Career & Professional Development
You’ve been given a lot of financial or investment advice in your life. The stock market, the housing market, crypto, peer-to-peer lending; the options are endless and quite frankly, confusing. We often forget that there is one thing that’s always a good investment:
YOU.
We are here to guide you through the journey of finding the career you love, the job that satisfies you, and the confidence to overcome imposter syndrome all with compensation that’s appropriate for your expertise and contributions.
Andraste Advisors offers customized career and professional development services such as:
Resume Review
Cover Letter Review
LinkedIn Profile Reviews
Interview Preparation
Salary Negotiation
Career Coaching
Why should you have a coach?
Just like movie stars and professional athletes have agents, your coach helps employers see your best attributes and the value you bring to their company. We review your resume/cover letter/LI profile, make sure you’re highlighting the experience and accomplishments that align with the career goals we've set together. With a coach on your team, we can avoid common pitfalls like impostor syndrome, narrow industry or role specific language, and help you see your own contributions in fresh light.
All services and rates are custom based on your unique needs and situation.
Please contact us for more information.People We’ve Helped…
“I was nervous to negotiate a higher rate with a long-time client, and Ciara helped me navigate through my fears and craft an honest, professional request that got an immediate positive response. She encouraged me not to limit my thinking about myself and my worth and hyped me up in such a genuine way that I was able to clarify my strengths and accomplishments to myself first. She then helped me discover effective ways to discuss my merits and successes with my client, which resulted in my client suggesting the higher rate I was hoping for!”
— MK, Freelance Salary Negotiation
“Ciara helped me cut through the noise to identify the strengths and showcase them in concrete terms that speak to employers. Her positive, supportive style of critique and direction made the revision process easy, and the process boosted my confidence in my qualifications. The final version landed me interviews for great positions almost immediately!”
— SK, Resume Review
“When I was hired for my dream job I was very tempted to take whatever salary was offered. Ciara didn’t ask about the market rate or what I thought I could negotiate; she asked how much I wanted. Once I realized that was my number we talked through all my excuses and reluctance to ask for more. In the end I got $5,000 above the original offer, and I’m earning what I’m worth at a job I love.”
— EC, Salary Negotiation
“I recently engaged Ciara's services regarding my annual performance review. I had a great year and I wanted to ensure I represented my accomplishments and future goals in my self-assessment. I really hoped to continue to move my career forward and have that reflected - but I was at a loss as to how! Ciara is a trustworthy professional who helped me see my results from the past year in a new light, in addition to showing me how best to communicate them to leadership. The confidence she gave me made me go into my review meeting without fear and with a game plan in case it did not go the way I hoped. The meeting concluded with a promotion and a salary increase - exactly what I felt I had worked for all year!”
-AJ, Career Coaching
Who are we?
Andraste Advisors was founded by Ciara L Melancon in 2019 from a passion for helping others see their true potential and recognize their own achievements. In addition to leading Andraste Advisors, Ciara has worked with multiple organizations and teams building healthy, sustainable, revenue growth through positive customer experience. As a people leader and coach, Ciara has helped individuals in the accounting, SaaS, freelance creative, sales, customer success, hospitality, office management, and compliance fields. She has certification in AGILE Leadership with her BA from the University of Massachusetts.
Who was Andraste?
Andraste, also known as Andrasta, was, according to the Roman historian Dio Cassius, an Icenic war goddess invoked by Boudica in her fight against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60.[1] She may be the same as Andate, mentioned later by the same source, and described as "their name for Victory": i.e., the goddess Victoria.[2] Thayer asserts that she may also be related to Andarta. The goddess Victoria is related to Nike, Bellona, Magna Mater (Great Mother), Cybele, and Vacuna—goddesses who are often depicted on chariots. Her name has been translated as meaning "indestructible" or "unconquerable".
"Let us, therefore, go against [the Romans], trusting boldly to good fortune. Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves." When she [Boudica] had finished speaking, she employed a species of divination, letting a hare escape from the fold of her dress; and since it ran on what they considered the auspicious side, the whole multitude shouted with pleasure, and Boudica, raising her hand towards heaven, said:
"I thank you, Andraste, and call upon you as woman speaking to woman ... I beg you for victory and preservation of liberty.”