Should you put quotes on your resume? That depends—are we talking about a testimonial from a former manager or an inspirational quote from Steve Jobs?
If you’re considering adding a motivational quote to your resume, think twice. While compelling, these words don’t give hiring managers the proof they need to evaluate your qualifications. A strong endorsement from a former boss can be much more valuable—if you know how to use it effectively.
In this guide, we’ll break down when (and where) to use quotes on a resume, why inspirational quotes don’t belong, and how to make famous career statements work without ruining readability.
Key takeaways
- In most cases, quotes have no place in a resume.
- Testimonial quotes can add credibility—but only when placed in the right context, like LinkedIn or a cover letter.
- Inspirational quotes take up space that should be used for achievements and skills.
- Recruiters and ATS prioritize results, not philosophy, so focus on measurable successes rather than borrowed wisdom.
- Instead of a quote, reframe endorsements as data-driven resume bullets.
- Use a strong summary in lieu of a quote—highlight your value in your own words, backed by experience.
Resume quotes: What are we really talking about?
When it comes to using quotes in your job application, context is everything. A well-placed endorsement from a previous manager can add credibility, but a creative quote in your resume won’t strengthen your case. The key is knowing where each type belongs—and where it doesn’t.
Use the table below as a quick guide to make the right call.
| TYPE OF QUOTE | WHERE IT BELONGS | WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG |
|---|---|---|
| TESTIMONIAL QUOTES | LinkedIn recommendations: Ideal for professional credibility. | Inside a resume’s experience section: Takes up space that should highlight achievements. |
| Cover letter: A brief, well-placed endorsement can strengthen your case. | As a standalone block quote in a resume: Recruiters skim for data, not paragraphs of praise. | |
| Portfolio or personal website: Perfect for showcasing testimonials if you’re in consulting, freelancing, or leadership. | In a resume summary: Better to quantify impact instead of inserting direct quotes | |
| INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES | Personal branding content: Great for LinkedIn posts, blogs, or social media. | Anywhere on a resume: It doesn’t add value to your qualifications. |
| Career journal or vision board: Motivating for personal growth. | Cover letters: Employers want to know about you, not Abraham Lincoln. | |
| Presentation slides or team meetings: Works well in a leadership or coaching context. | As a section header in your resume: Looks unprofessional and distracts from your experience |
Testimonial quotes: What hiring managers actually value
Not all quotes are created equal—especially when it comes to resumes. Job seekers often assume that inserting an inspiring line from a famous figure will make their application more compelling.
In reality, hiring managers aren’t looking for philosophical wisdom—they’re looking for evidence that you can do the job. That’s where testimonial quotes come in.
These statements act as endorsements from former managers, colleagues, or clients, which validate your skills, leadership, or influence in a way that a bullet point alone might not capture. If used correctly, they can reinforce your credibility and help differentiate yourself from other candidates.
When testimonial quotes add weight
Job quotes work best in high-trust, leadership-driven, or client-facing roles, where a direct professional recommendation can make a strong impression.
Consider these scenarios:
- Executives & senior leaders: If you’re applying for a C-level, VP, or director role, brief praise from your peers can highlight your leadership style or strategic impact.
- Consultants, freelancers & entrepreneurs: Recognition from clients or business partners helps establish credibility in industries where reputation matters.
- Sales, marketing & client-facing professionals: A strong quote about your influence on revenue growth, customer satisfaction, or business development can reinforce your achievements.
- Career changers & recent graduates: If you lack direct experience but have professors, mentors, or supervisors vouching for your skills, a reference can help bridge the gap.
Here’s an example of a good quote section on a resume:
The statement from an industry leader at the top of the resume adds instant credibility, making Alexander Taylor’s achievements even more impactful. In executive resumes, third-party validation helps showcase influence beyond just numbers.
In Enhancv’s resume builder, you can easily do this by inserting a “My Life Philosophy” section and renaming it to something like "Executive Endorsement" or "Recognized for Leadership." This keeps the quote front and center while fitting seamlessly into the resume layout.
I frequently use testimonials from reference letters or LinkedIn recommendations as featured “pull-out quotes” on client résumés. Assuming the wording is strong, this is a powerful way to add credibility to a document that is filled with primarily self-reported information.
John Suarez, CPRW and book author
When NOT to put a quote from peers in a resume
Not every career quote belongs on a resume—sometimes, it can do more harm than good. The goal is to keep your application concise and scannable. If a quote doesn’t add immediate value or can be placed elsewhere, it’s best to leave it out.
Avoid quotes in these cases
- If it’s too long: Anything more than one or two concise sentences disrupts the resume’s readability.
- When it fits better in a cover letter: If a quote highlights your work ethic or leadership style, it may be more effective in your cover letter where there’s room for context.
- If it repeats what’s already in your resume: It shouldn’t just restate achievements that are already backed by data. That’s right, in resumes, numbers speak louder than words.
- When your portfolio or LinkedIn is a better place: If you have a personal website, portfolio, or LinkedIn recommendations, place testimonials there for easy access without taking up space on your resume.
- If it’s taking space from more valuable content: A strong summary, skills section, or a quantifiable achievement will almost always serve you better than a quote.
- When it lacks authoritativeness: If the quote isn’t from a well-respected industry leader, former manager, or key stakeholder, it won’t carry much weight.
The best places to use quotes
If you have strong testimonial quotes, here’s where they’ll resonate the most:
- LinkedIn recommendations: The best place for colleague and client testimonials.
- Cover letters: One well-placed endorsement can strengthen your pitch.
- Personal website or portfolio: Ideal for freelancers and executives.
- Reference letters: If a former employer is willing to vouch for you, a strong reference letter is more effective than forcing quotes into your resume.
Crafting a resume is all about strategically marketing yourself in a way that feels both professional and authentic. That’s why every element—including quotes—should be used with intention.
Let’s take a closer look at why some job seekers are drawn to inspirational quotes and why they often feature them in their resumes.
Inspirational quotes: What won’t help your resume
It’s easy to see why job seekers incorporate inspirational quotes into their resumes—they want to express motivation, values, or a mindset that aligns with their career goals.
While these words of wisdom might feel empowering, they don’t add value in the eyes of hiring managers. Instead, they take up space that could be used for concrete achievements and make your resume look more like a personal mantra.
Recruiters scan resumes for evidence of impact, not philosophy. Using a famous quote can signal inexperience—suggesting that instead of having your own accomplishments, you’re relying on someone else’s words to make an impression.
What recruiters expect to see instead
- A strong, personalized summary: Your resume should start with a clear, concise statement about who you are and the value you bring.
- Quantifiable achievements: Employers look for metrics and results that show how you contributed in past roles.
- Skills that match the job: Instead of a quote about hard work, highlight practical skills and leadership qualities that prove it.
- Concise, scannable formatting: Every line should serve a purpose, and anything that doesn’t help your case should be left out.
- A professional tone: Resumes are business documents, and recruiters expect them to be clear, factual, and straight to the point.
Better places for inspirational quotes
While motivational quotes don’t have a place on a resume, they can still be powerful tools for personal branding when used in the right context.
Instead of taking up space in your job application, consider integrating them into areas where they can genuinely enhance your professional image or keep you inspired throughout your career journey.
Consider the following:
- Your personal brand: A well-placed quote can strengthen your messaging on LinkedIn posts, portfolio introductions, or personal blogs, helping to express your values and mindset.
- A career vision board or journal: If a particular quote resonates with your goals, use it as motivation to stay focused on your professional aspirations.
- Presentations, speeches, or leadership materials: If you lead teams or speak publicly, a quote can amplify your meetings, keynotes, or training sessions.
31 Famous quotes to boost your career confidence
Here’s a selection of powerful quotes to fuel your ambition and help you tackle your next career challenge with confidence (just remember, keep them out of your resume).
“Quotation is the act of repeating erroneously the words of another." - Ambrose Bierce
Quotes about hard work
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." - Thomas Edison
"Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy." - Robert Half
"There's no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession … I am not talented. I am obsessed." - Conor McGregor
"Ideas do not work … It is YOU who has to do the work." - Manoj Arora
"Work hard, keep your nose clean, and just stick around." - Clint Eastwood
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal.” – Winston Churchill
Quotes about journeys
“Not all who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” - Ursula K. Le Guin
“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.” - Henry Ward Beecher
“I made up my mind not to care so much about the destination, and simply enjoy the journey.” - David Archuleta
“The only journey is the one within.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
Quotes about never backing down
"Perseverance is the act of true role models and heroes." - Liza Weimer
"Experts were once amateurs who kept practicing." - Amit Kalantri
“Never give up, never back down!” - Jean Roqua
“Failure comes when we don’t get back up and try again.” - Jack White
“If you fall, get back up. That’s what life is about.” - Keith Sweat
“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
Quotes about working smart
“The most successful men work smart, not hard” - Bangambiki Habyarimana
“Those who work hard, work alone. Those who work smart, work as a team.” - Utibe Samuel Mbom
“It's not all about how you work hard but it's about how you manage your time, resources, mind to work together for a better output.” - Jayson Zabate
“Working hard and working smart sometimes can be two different things.” - Byron Dorgan
“Work smart. Get things done. No nonsense.” - Susan Wojcicki
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” - Aristotle
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
Quotes about courage and risk-taking
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.” - Soren Kierkegaard
“Courage faces fear and thereby masters it.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” - T.S. Eliot
“Leap and the net will appear.” – John Burroughs
“It’s worse to spend your life on the outside looking in, wondering what if, than it is to try and dare greatly and risk the chance of failure. Dare greatly; get in the arena and try.” – Brene Brown
Should you use resume quotes?
The short answer is no. Quotes on a resume usually count as fluff and won’t do you any favors. Instead of borrowing someone else’s words, let your skills and achievements do the talking.
Feeling tempted to add a quote anyway? Keep these tips in mind first:
- Use a testimonial quote if it’s concise, relevant, and placed in the right context.
- Skip generic inspirational quotes—they don’t add value.
- Instead of pasting a testimonial into your resume, rework it as a quantifiable achievement.
For example:
Testimonial quote (ineffective in a resume, as it lacks proof):
"Sarah is an incredible leader who transformed our client experience."
Rewritten as a resume bullet (more result-oriented)
- Led a CX initiative that improved customer retention by 25%, earning recognition from leadership.
How to improve your resume without generic quotes
If you want to strengthen your resume without relying on quotes, here’s what to focus on instead:
Lead with a strong summary
Use your summary or objective statement to spotlight your expertise, career highlights, and what makes you the right candidate. Keep it concise, targeted, and results-driven.
Instead of a generic motivational quote, such as:
"Hard work and perseverance lead to success."
Write:
“Results-driven manufacturing executive with 15+ years of experience optimizing operations, leading high-performance teams, and driving efficiency in biotech and pharmaceutical industries.”
Weave in measurable achievements
Rather than quoting a former manager’s compliment, turn their praise into data-backed results in the projects or experience section.
Instead of:
"Anna is an outstanding leader who transformed our supply chain."
Write:
“Redesigned supply chain operations, reducing costs by 20% and improving delivery times by 30%.”
Optimize for ATS with relevant skills & certifications
Most applicant tracking systems (ATS) scan for specific skills and industry-relevant terms—not personal quotes which are often subjective and creatively worded. If a quote takes up space that could hold essential keywords, your resume might get filtered out before a human ever sees it.
Instead of a quote about leadership, use a dedicated skills section to list relevant expertise:
- Lean Manufacturing | Process Optimization | Supply Chain Management | Risk Mitigation | Regulatory Compliance
Instead of a quote about dedication to learning, list certifications that prove your expertise:
- Lean Manufacturing Certification – Lean Enterprise Institute
- Advanced Project Management – Project Management Institute
Place quotes where they matter
If you have a testimonial from a former manager or client, put it where hiring managers expect to see it. In most cases, these are your LinkedIn profile, your website, or a letter of recommendation.
Frequently asked questions on resume quotes
Still unsure about whether (or how) to use quotes in your resume? Below are some common questions job seekers have when it comes to this tricky topic.
Are there resume templates with quote sections?
Most resume templates don’t include a dedicated quote section—because hiring managers focus on skills, experience, and achievements. If you still want to add a quote, use a custom section and rename the heading to something relevant to your role or industry.
With Enhancv, you can do this with any one of our templates to fit your needs. Just keep it clear and professional, and trust our expert-designed layouts to help you build a job-winning resume.
How should I format a testimonial quote in a resume?
Keep the quote short and easy to scan—ideally one or two sentences. Use quotation marks and write the name and title of the person giving the endorsement. Avoid bulky text blocks that disrupt readability, and edit out any unnecessary details to keep it sharp.
Before (too long & unfocused):
"Alexander’s strategic leadership, deep understanding of market dynamics, strong negotiation skills, and business acumen transformed our supply chain, improving delivery speed by 30%." - Former Director, Nestlé
After (concise & impactful):
"Alexander’s strategic leadership, [...] and business acumen transformed our supply chain, improving delivery speed by 30%." - Former Director, Nestlé
When using quotes, less is more—cut the fluff and keep only what adds value.
Do I need permission to include a quote from a former manager or client?
Yes, it’s always best to ask. Even if someone gave you positive feedback in the past, using their words in a public document without consent could be a risk—especially if they still work at the company. A simple email or LinkedIn message asking for approval ensures you stay professional and respectful.
Conclusion
Before you copy-paste any endorsements into your application, take a step back and ask: “Does this add proof of my value, or is it just filler?”
If it’s the latter, it’s time to ditch the quote and let your achievements speak for themselves. If the quote truly strengthens your case, find the right format, and don’t let it take over your resume.
Make one that's truly you.
