I’m going to start off with a disclaimer: today’s topic is a pet peeve of mine. So with that caveat, let’s talk about who should be the "narrator" for your resume. And the answer is *you*. Your resume is about you, the professional, not "Mr. Smith" or "Tony the expert in the field".
I have seen an alarming number of resumes with testimonials on them from (supposed) former clients, managers, co-workers, and "well known" industry experts on resumes. And here’s the thing: how do I know you didn’t make them up? To be blunt, having people telling me how wonderful you are is for *references*. You know, those things I ask for if I’m planning on making you a job offer. When someone includes testimonial references on their resume, to me it gives the impression that they are trying too hard, that their accomplishments don’t stand alone without external validation.
I’ve mentioned in the past that it’s a good idea to have LinkedIn Recommendations. But it *doesn’t* mean that they belong on your resume. The difference between seeing a Recommendation on your LinkedIn profile and on your resume is that LI is a tool that I can actually use to validate the comments (by visiting the commentor’s profile if I so choose.)
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Some professionals that come from a true consulting background adopt the third person formal narrative on their resume. This comes from working as a consultant, where a resume is sent to a potential client as part of an RFP (Request for Proposal) as part of the overall pitch denoting why said company is the best choice; consultants are considered human capital, or deployable assets; their expertise and experience can command top dollar from potential clients. This form of resume is *not* what said consultant should be using in their own search for new employment.
So when you are considering how to "stand out" from the sea of applicants, it’s very important to keep in mind your target audience. Are you going to be putting them off with your content or impressing them? If you have been a true consultant, you need to remember that you are selling yourself now, not your former company’s reputation and resources. Don’t talk about yourself from a lofty height; keep it real and down to earth to connect with your potential new employer.