YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services
1 hire on Thervo
14 employees
11 years in business
About this pro
We are the DC metro area's top-rated career success company on Google, Angie's List, and the Better Business Bureau. The owner is an award-winning writer, and the company received the Angie's List Super Service Award in 2016 and 2017. On average/median, our clients get interviewed by 5 organizations, contacted by 8 recruiters, and get an offer for 19% more in 8 weeks. Please learn more or request your free phone consultation at yeswriting.com.
I love giving our clients specific feedback on what they are doing well and what they can do better (and how) in their interview coaching. I love editing resumes to sell clients the best we can. And finally, I love hearing from clients who have, as a result of working with us, found work that feeds their souls and/or greatly improves their standard of living.
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Credentials
Alexandria, VA 22312
Email verified
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Michael and Katherine are top notch. I have been having a hard time moving my career along and when the opportunity arose for me to move jobs, they were right there with me every step of the way. From how to interview to how to negotiate. Katherine and Michael are extremely responsive and gave advice that you just can't get anywhere else. As part of the package I purchased, I received a tailored resume and LinkedIn profile. The resume writers simplified and clarified sections of each making my resume much better. Furthermore, I learned more about how to work LinkedIn to my advantage. When I was shopping for career coaching, I looked all over the U.S. and finally decided to go with Your Edge for Success. Looking back, it was the right decision as the team provides a personal touch and key insights into careers. Thank you!
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This review is long overdue. I inquired about YES resume writing and interview skills training several months ago because I had been wanting to resign from my then current job for about two years. I reached out to YES and one other business that I found on Yelp. The other business didn't have any availability for about three days. On the other hand, I was able to set something up with Katherine from YES for the next day. We did a telephone consultation and I chose a package that included resume, thank you letter, and cover letter as well as interview aikido! I thought I was a great resume writer but after seeing what Katherine and the YES team produced, I wished I would have thought about hiring them sooner. She used information and very detailed examples that I provided in an assessment/questionnaire to create my perfect resume. I had my sessions with Michael. They were really useful for not only job searching but everyday life in general. I could apply our discussions to any relationship. One of my favorite things was ranking what I value most in my career. It allowed me to look at job opportunity with a fine-tuned lens so that I could eliminate those opportunities that wouldn't make me happy because they weren't consistent with my values. YES highly recommended networking, so another great thing that they do is put you in touch with their contacts that they think can help connect you which was very helpful. Michael always said that most jobs come from networking as opposed to applying online and he was right because that's where mine came from. I highly recommend YES!
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I have been working in retail for the past 7 years and I recently decided I was ready for a career change. I knew that I needed help navigating this career jump, so I purchased the Rocket Fuel Package from Your Edge for Success, and I am so happy that I did. Michael's career counseling was invaluable, and he is truly dedicated to my personal success. His enthusiasm and positive guidance has been such a motivating force. He is always available when I have a question or need feedback and I am so thankful for his help. Katherine was a pleasure to work with as well. She always responded to my questions immediately and informatively, and my resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile were delivered quickly. The formatting and the verbiage were perfectly tailored to my target position and her expertise was immediately evident. Finally, the interview training was a vital part of this process. Katherine gave me constructive feedback and critical advice, for which I am so grateful. From the mental preparation to the interview strategy, it has given me the confidence to succeed. I would highly recommend YES to everyone beginning a job search or career change.
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I have been very pleased with the service that YES has provided. I am in the middle of a major career change, requiring a complete rework of my resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letters. Katherine and Michael have been valuable assets through the entire process, providing excellent career coaching, solid advice/perspective/ideas, and new content that really highlights my strengths and experience. I would also recommend setting up a practice interview with Katherine. Her feedback to me was extremely helpful. I was comfortable, prepared, and relaxed when I recently interviewed for a new position. At the end of that job interview, the interviewer told me that I had done very well and that it was clear that I had come prepared. The YES team is experienced, dedicated and responsive. I am glad that I chose them for my needs during this career transition.
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FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We start with a free 30-minute phone consultation to understand your needs and goals. We explain our offerings and facilitate your purchase if and when you are ready. We sign a professional services agreement with you and provide you access to our proprietary resume tool and/or a personality test and meeting with our coach. If you are getting a resume, we assign you to a writer once your worksheet is complete. That person asks you 20-30 questions to improve the content and targetting of your documents. We send you drafts five business days later (or sooner if you need a rush), and then you have 30 days to get any needed edits. If you are in coaching, you may first work with the coach to get clear on which direction you want to go. The coach will work with you throughout your job search to create and coach you on implementing a job search plan rooted in networking.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Michael Akbar, our career coach, has been named a Certified Diagnostic Coach by CMT International. He has over 40 years of experience in sales, marketing, IT, and entrepreneurship (as a business owner and business coach). He specializes in helping people determine what they want to do and then coaching them through the process of getting it.
I oversee the resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn team and personally provide interview coaching. For the editing tasks, I use my skills as an award-winning writer who has coauthored two books and over a dozen magazine and journal articles. For the interview coaching, I use my skills as a teacher and tutor, as well as my acting experience, to provide a realistic mock interview experience and helpful feedback.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
Our coaching services run $149 to $189 per hour, and most sessions are provided on a half-hour basis to make your investment go farther. Our clients typically get the job done in 8 to 12 half-hour sessions plus an hour-long mock interview.
How did you get started in this business?
I, Katherine Metres Akbar (owner and president), struggled for a decade to figure out what to do career-wise. I became an expert in writing resumes and cover letters that marketed my varied background for different types of jobs. I realized that most people want to be successful and happy in their careers, and that if I could help them attain success, I would attain mine as a byproduct. YES started as a tutoring company and morphed into a career services company due to resume-writing service demand. We still consider ourselves primarily teachers who coach our clients to successfully manage their career.
What types of customers have you worked with?
We have worked with all types of customers, from college students to retirees. We have worked with people in diverse fields: IT, data analysis, management, administration, law, accounting, real estate, construction, healthcare, marketing, sales, writing/editing, human resources, international development, public service, and many more.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
-Make sure you are working with more than one pro. No one mind can be as good as two or more experts strategizing on how to sell you best.
-Work with a company that understands your local marketplace.
-Work with a company that offers a satisfaction guarantee so you don't waste your money.
What questions should customers think through before talking to pros about their needs?
Do you know what type of position you are targeting? If not, would you like coaching to get clear on that? How good is your LinkedIn profile? Your interviewing skills? Your network?
Services offered
Career Counselors Resume Services Work-life Balance Coaches