Sometimes when I write a resume for a client, I include an excerpt from the performance review as a strategy to better market the client. Occasionally when I use this technique, I get some push back from clients. The response is often, “I’ve never seen that on a resume before; is that common?”
No, it’s not. Because most people who write their own resumes don’t include testimonials. Because they have spent years reading other people’s poorly-written, cookie-cutter resumes and they assume that what they see over and over again is the “correct way to do it”. But one of the main goals of an effective resume is to stand out as a unique candidate with a compelling message of value. Trying to look like everyone else has never been a great marketing strategy. Here are some other reasons why it makes a lot of sense to include a testimonial on a resume.
- Many hiring managers and recruiters read endorsements on LinkedIn profiles. Why wouldn’t they want to read one on your resume? Endorsements can influence how your LinkedIn profile is perceived. Recruiters can even organize candidate profiles based on the number of recommendations a person has. Generally speaking, on LinkedIn a handful of recommendations is better than none and if no recommendations are present, the hiring authority may wonder why. Many hiring managers value endorsements…so it shouldn’t matter whether they find them on LinkedIn or on the actual resume.
- The opinions of others can elevate your candidacy. It’s one thing to communicate your achievements on a resume. It’s another thing to have a third party validate those achievements. Most people ask their friends about products and services before making a purchase. Hiring managers prefer candidates that have been “vetted” by others. Testimonials on resumes can help instill buyer confidence in job candidates.
- The testimonial can capture a personal nuance about a person without being cliche. Sometimes the testimonial is the perfect way to convey that you are a dedicated, hard-working person of integrity without using those overused phrases on the resume.
Obviously, the selection of testimonials needs to be handled with care. “Joe is a smart, hardworking guy” won’t cut it. But if the testimonial reads “Joe worked diligently to appeal to all stakeholders to bring a stalled IT project in on time and $500K under budget.” a hiring authority is bound to believe that Joe is the type of candidate that can build consensus and get things done. Find a cheerleader, get a compelling quote from him, and add it to your resume to build trust and rapport with the hiring authority. The testimonial may help get you in the “yes pile” faster than you think.
I agree with you 1000%! In fact, as I am going through a client’s notes and reviewing their background, I specifically ask for quotes to support their expertise and use these to focus their job search and figure out how to distinguish them from their competition. I find that candidates are more comfortable using a quote from someone else than developing a similar statement to describe themselves.
While I don’t have any formal data on how employer decision makers view this technique, I sense that quotes not only add personality and character plus credibility, but they are also attracting the decision maker’s limited attention. Well done Barbara- this is another winning idea!
I second that agreement! 🙂 More people need to follow this advice!
From my own experience, I have had a higher interview rate since I added endorsements to my resume. As a hiring manager, however, I have seen very few candidates with resume endorsements. If I were “on the fence” about someone, an endorsement would definitely ease my mind (reducing the risk of my time being wasted) and encourage me to try a phone interview.
By the way, the same advice works for interviews. I give clients eight questions that they can ask their references in order to super-power their endorsements, recommendation letters, and reference checks. It’s a matter of telling or showing the hiring manager exactly what he needs to hear.