Our Career Coaches and Professional Resume Writers

President, Interview Aikido coach, and award-winning writer Katherine Akbar holds a BA in political science with high honors from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.

She is a contributing author of Seeing the Light: Personal Encounters with the Middle East and Islam and has published academic papers in the Michigan Journal of Political Science and the Michigan State Journal of International Law, as well as 17 journalistic articles. She ghost wrote the five-star-rated Success: Tales from the Front by Darnell Palmer. She received the Virginia Voss Memorial Award for Excellence in Writing in two categories—Journalism and Academic Writing.

After serving as an aide to Sen. Edward Kennedy and U.S. diplomat in Africa and Italy, Katherine worked as a human rights professional in Palestine, where she won $3M for grant projects she developed and wrote. As executive director of a civil rights non-profit in New York, Katherine did extensive public speaking. Katherine’s 19 years’ teaching, tutoring, and coaching experience and two years’ professional acting experience also prepared her well to provide mock interview services and coaching.

Michael Akbar is a Certified Professional Career Coach, Certified Federal Career Coach, Certified Diagnostic Coach, and Certified Business Advisor. He is also a senior executive with extensive experience working in start-up, mature, and growth business environments. He has a unique blend of sales, marketing, and operations experience in the IT, manufacturing, services, and federal sectors, as well as nonprofit board of directors experience. In addition to 7 years helping people get their dream job, Michael has spent 14 years as an entrepreneur coaching business owners to break through their barriers to success. Throughout, he has demonstrated strong communications and process skills, offering strategic and tactical leadership during significant transitions. Michael’s CPCC certification is from the same association that provides Certified Professional Resume Writers with Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) certification. Wed to the pres (aka “jefe”), Michael specializes in keeping Katherine sane as well as dreaming up ideas for YES’ expansion.

Krasi is a Certified Strengths Coach and a Certified Career Management Coach with 11+ years of experience as a career coach, writer, English tutor, and educator. She holds Masters of Arts (MA) in international human rights from the University of Denver and in clinical psychology from University of Houston - Clear Lake, as well as a Certificate in Teaching Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. In her role as associate director of coaching & education at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Krasi leveraged her enthusiasm for life design and professional storytelling to support business professionals through all steps of the career journey, including career exploration, networking, and mock interviewing. Writing has always been an essential aspect of Krasi’s life, and she is excited to help clients communicate their value to potential employers through high-quality documents and optimized LinkedIn profiles. When not working with clients, Krasi can be found exploring new and familiar places through walking, often hot on the trail of the most delicious baked goods in town.

Daisy, a doctor of radiology, has seamlessly transitioned to virtual work, excelling as an operations manager. Her recent role as operations manager for a retention marketing agency allowed her to master the art of virtual operations, emphasizing precision and efficiency. Now, as a client success manager, Daisy empowers clients in their career journeys. Trust is paramount, and Daisy has earned it through dedication and experience. You can count on her for guidance, support, and a dash of humor to support your career aspirations.

Beyond her professional life, Daisy finds joy in spending time with her son, who has special needs. This relationship has expanded her patience, ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and skills in keeping people on track. Once, she proudly brought home a waffle maker with the brand name Tough Mama. Her son cheekily quipped, “But Mom, I don’t need this—I already have a tough mama!”

Teresa’s career has always been about people. Early on, she discovered a natural talent for connecting with others and helping them see new possibilities. That talent carried her through more than 30 years in sales, marketing, and coaching, where she thrived as an advertising executive, sales manager, and business coach. Along the way, she supported professionals, entrepreneurs, and organizations as they moved through challenges, embraced transformation, and achieved results they once thought out of reach.

Now, as client success advisor at YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services, Teresa brings that same gift to every client she serves. Her passion is simple: to help people not only land the job they want but also step confidently into the next chapter of their careers.

True to her nature, Teresa is a lifelong learner who believes curiosity is her superpower. She’ll happily strike up a conversation with anyone about anything—but especially about your business, your family, and your passion. In fact, if you sit next to her on a plane, don’t expect a nap; expect to spill your life story, brainstorm your next big idea, and maybe even swap family recipes before the flight attendants collect the trash.

Prior to joining YES, John provided top-tier customer service for four years at Evoke PLC, a gaming company, and Conduent, where he helped people get benefits help. At both companies, he built a strong foundation in resolving client concerns with care, building a reputation for reliability, attention to detail, and ability to adapt to client needs. With a Bachelor of Science degree in international travel and tourism management, John fancies himself a kind of tour guide at YES, as he leads clients through their job search journeys, ensuring a seamless and fruitful experience.

Outside of work, John is often found making memories with his wife, son, and daughter. His family keeps him grounded and inspired—though his two kids often tag him out, leaving him laughing and quietly plotting how to beat them in a rematch.

Teresa graduated magna cum laude from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and English. Her first job out of college was at Sprint, where she advanced from administrative assistant to brand manager. While not related to her major, her career there provided a solid background in branding, marketing, and corporate communications. Today, she leverages those skills, along with her writing skills, to help clients market themselves to prospective employers. Teresa’s experience also includes copywriting and copyediting for a range of clients, developing digital and print marketing collateral, creating WordPress websites, and teaching business English to non-native speakers. When she’s not “wordsmithing,” Teresa enjoys spending time with her family of foster fails (two cats and a dog) and working with her three horses. She credits the horses with having taught her the value of non-verbal communication skills (and the importance of carrots as negotiation tools).

Nathan Moseley received his MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College and his BA in English from Kennesaw State University. He has worked as a translation editor for LUMINA Journal and WatchingAmerica.com. His fiction has appeared on The Other Stories podcast, and his first poetry chapbook—A Mouth Full of Feathers—came out in 2012. When he’s not writing or editing, Nathan can likely be found doing one of the following: playing the piano, getting lost while hiking, watching his friends run ultramarathons, or devising ways to visit the Galapagos Islands with his wife.

Alisa is a writer, editor, and musician with experience in both private and nonprofit organizations. She has been certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers and holds a BA in political science from Brigham Young University. In her role as a software quality assurance analyst, she authored technical test plans, release documents, and user guides. She also edited and improved user interfaces. In her work with a non-profit organization, she has written and edited press releases, concert program notes, newspaper articles, and website content. In her free time, Alisa enjoys community theatre and can often be found at the piano preparing for her latest musical.

Becca received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Florida and spent several years as a singer/songwriter before taking a position as a research and administrative coordinator in the Department of Epidemiology at her alma mater. She worked with a faculty member, drafting/editing research documents, recommendation letters, research papers, and grants. With experience at a software company and a music-based nonprofit, she is familiar with information technology, business, the arts, academia, health science, and research. She enjoys glassblowing, studying foreign languages, and is known by friends for organizing concerts benefitting Gainesville Girls Rock Camp, with her pièce de résistance being a sparkling, sequined performance in the Dolly Parton cover band, Polly Darton.

Ibrahim holds a degree in software engineering, so he’s no stranger to breaking down problems and finding the right solutions, whether in a line of code or a resume. Through Indeed, the James Innes Group, and Talent Inc., he has worked with thousands of resume clients across a wide range of industries, shaping their career narratives into compelling job application materials. Outside of helping professionals secure their next big opportunity, he’s likely immersed in a role-playing game on his trusty PlayStation 5 or tinkering with a new coding project just for fun. If job searching were a video game, Ibrahim would be the ultimate non-player character, handing out power-ups in the form of powerful resumes and cover letters.

Jamal S. Baadani is an award-winning recruiting executive and a retired U.S. Marine senior non-commissioned officer. Jamal has overseen departments and programs for numerous international companies and U.S. agencies. These include Constellis, Inova, Comcast, DynCorp International, AECOM, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State. Jamal specializes in coordinating expatriate and veteran hiring initiatives. He is also experienced with high-volume and executive recruiting. Using his diverse skill set, Jamal has built top-performing teams both domestically and internationally. He holds a master’s degree in human resources management from Concordia University.

Kristen Bell is an HR director and Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) with over 20 years of HR leadership in the technology industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. Kristen specializes in directing recruitment efforts for domestic and international staff. While with CSRA, she oversaw HR services for 500 employees. At CyberPoint, she established a focus group to develop diversity issues, such as an annual Women in Cybersecurity event that drew over 100 attendees and led to new hires. Kristen also spearheaded the talent acquisition process for the CyberPoint Abu Dhabi office, facilitating growth from 20 to over 130 expatriate staff.

Pattie is a trusted advisor with over 20 years’ experience delivering strategic HR programs that address business and operational needs in the healthcare, insurance, and legal services industries. While at Arora Group, Inc., she led HR functions for more than 800 geographically dispersed employees. As the director of employment with Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, PC, she led a recruiting team to hire over 120 physicians, executives, and operational staff members per year. Pattie develops and implements full-cycle professional recruitment, organizational development, workforce planning, and employee onboarding and engagement programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Cincinnati and is certified as a leadership and training instructor.

Tamika Mitchell is the acting chief HR officer for Universal Service Administrative Company. She holds a master’s degree in HR and counseling from the University of Bridgeport and has over 10 years of HR and organizational development experience. Tamika specializes in talent management, training, and leadership coaching. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), as well as a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Tamika is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Northern Virginia Society for Human Resource Management, American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and LeadingAge Virginia HR Committee.

Anita Simmons is an HR executive with more than 25 years of experience. For the past 15 years, she has been vice president and senior vice president of HR. Anita has overseen recruiting for the Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, helping it grow from 100 to 160 employees. At Lee Technologies, she transformed the employee benefits process, introducing changes that significantly reduced costs. Anita holds a master’s degree in HR administration from the University of Maryland—College Park. She specializes in implementing strategic initiatives for talent acquisition and retention.

Andrew Sylvia is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with over 20 years of experience managing staffing needs, optimizing HR policies, and maximizing employee productivity. As the director of talent management for National Quality Forum, he has recruited, trained, and led engagement initiatives for a workforce of over 100 employees. During a time of rapid growth, he instituted the use of an applicant tracking system, enabling easy tracking of data used in affirmative action planning. Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University. He is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) certified, a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist (CEAS).