Celebrity and customer endorsements — those attention-grabbing testimonials and user accounts on popular commercials — have also been used to make candidate resumes meatier (minus the celebrities, of course).

Career coaches and professional resume writers often showcase snippets of employer, client, vendor or peer comments to give client resumes extra punch and hiring managers something to remember about potential candidates.

"Testimonials are powerful additions to the resume package," says Frank Fox, Executive Director of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.0

They are the resume equivalent of ad endorsements.

Dawn Harris, HR professional and president of The Harris Institute for Professional Excellence, shares an important perspective: "As an HR professional, I would find it very appealing to see positive quotes. Although not a substitute for speaking with the reference directly, they could give some direction and insight into the candidate's personality, while still upholding accountability."

"It tells the reader that someone thought enough about this candidate to say good things," adds Ms. Harris.

Five Tips for Resume Endorsements

1. Choose the endorser carefully. The rule of thumb is to choose a professional who will, hopefully, convince the hiring manager of your value.

Asking yourself the question "Which individual's opinion could influence the hiring manager?" can be a great starting point. In the case of a pharmaceutical sales representative, for example, physician (perfect client), sales manager (supervisor), or peer (team member) quotes could be helpful.

The endorser's credibility, position, relationship with endorsee, availability for verification, and reputation are important factors that merit due consideration.

2. Potential resources. Reference letters, performance reviews, emails, and customer files are a gold mine of potential resume material, especially employer remarks. While written documents are a great source, don't dismiss their verbal counterparts; both can be equally as valuable.

If research doesn't help, consider holding discussions with professors, team members, supervisors, clients, or vendors. Exciting information could surface during these brainstorming sessions.

3. Seek permission. Think of the endorser as a job reference. Asking for permission is not only courteous, it rewards the opportunity to reconnect and network.

4. Know what to use. Research job postings in your field of interest or talk to potential employers. The key is to determine the needs of the position or employer and use remarks that strategically address those requirements. Consider the following examples:

Customer service representative:

"I was very impressed by the excellent customer service provided by Ms. Representative... it is due to her service that I haven't hesitated to transfer funds from other banks to your branch... her service truly defines the term 'going the extra mile'. I strongly recommend her." — P.C., Customer

Business major (student):

"I had the opportunity to review Mr. Student's work when he wrote a strategic marketing plan... he conducted extensive research on a $6 billion industry... as a professional who has co-authored over 50 books, I am very capable of judging promising talent... Mr. Student is truly at the top of his field." -- R.M., Ph.D., Professor of Management

Pharmaceutical sales representative:

"Ms. Sales is fun to watch, mixing her expertise in sales with her ability to interact one-on-one with all individuals... interpersonal skills are one of her strongest attributes." — L.M., MD & CEO

5. Location, location, location. Once the material is ready, choosing a spot that ensures visibility without obstructing other information is the next crucial step. Generally, top, middle, or end of the resume are suitable positions.

Although the number of quotes are kept to a minimum (one or two), one needs to be cautious if their inclusion pushes the resume beyond two or three pages. "Because some hiring authorities are reluctant to see a resume that exceeds two or three pages, an effective technique is to include them as an 'addendum' section to the actual resume. Thus, this material becomes a supporting section without being part of the official resume," explains Mr. Fox.

Endorsements cannot make up for a poorly crafted resume, but a little creativity can transform an ordinary resume into a career document with a compelling message: hire me.