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I'm currently in my university's work-study program, had 3 internship so far. During my past internships(especially the most recent one), I got some very good feedback from my supervisor's evaluations, they have some quotes such as:"he learns new concepts and computer languages very quickly, exceptional in implementing this new knowledge." or "Completes tasks in a very timely fashion and produces very high quality work."

So since internships are the main work experience I had, I'm going to include and emphasize these internship experience in my resume. I'm very proud of my performance in these internships, and I'm thinking about include parts of my manager's evaluation, just to give the interviewer a basic idea how I did in my past internships. But on the other hand I feel it might be bit of too cheesy and I'm not sure if it's really appropriate to include them.

Should I include quotes from my performance review? If yes, how should I list them on my resume?

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  • A reference letter never hurt anyone (except when you have to wait for it ~1-3 months). I just wouldn't put it on documents you produce. – CKM Feb 18 '16 at 22:24
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In a word, "No".

As nice as it might be to include praise like this, your resume summarizes your work experience. Thus it should show the jobs you've had, and tell the duties and accomplishments you've had in those jobs. (Ideally, you tailor this for each job you apply for, but that's getting off the topic of the question.) In three decades of reading about preparing resumes, I've never seen advice to include praising statements from supervisors or others.

What you might put on a resume are awards you've earned. For example, you might have an section like:

Awards:
Ig Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 2015

(Okay, you might not really want THAT as an entry, but it provides an example.)

Generally, you would list as a reference the supervisor who made the statements you want to put on the resume. They can then provide the praise directly. Coming directly from the source would be better.

If you're submitting a cover letter, you might indicate in it that your work was successful and praised.

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  • Outstanding reviews wouldn't be an accomplishment? – Myles Feb 18 '16 at 23:21
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    @Myles: Not the kind of accomplishment that goes on a resume. The sort of accomplishment that goes on a resume would be something like "Completed XYZ project, saving $NNNNN". – GreenMatt Feb 19 '16 at 1:35
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    I was going to submit an answer of my own but I can't really add anything to this. I'll just confirm that a truly enthusiastic reference from a manager is incredibly useful and will often put you at the top of the candidate list (assuming you're qualified). Just make sure to ask permissions to list him as a reference first. Managers are expected to do so but you're also expected to ask first to give them a heads-up. – Lilienthal♦ Feb 19 '16 at 10:59
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    @Myles the problem is, those words need to come directly from the source, otherwise you can be seen as putting words in peoples mouths. Taking a sentence here and there can remove a lot of context, which the manager would rather be kept (and of course you might have reason to want to not keep). If the manager wants to give you a glowing reference, then they can do so via a separate reference letter, not as selective quotations out of their control. – Moo Feb 19 '16 at 10:59
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No, I wouldn't include the quote on your application because:

  1. Quotes may be subjective. Usually you want to list tangible achievements such as "added an extra £1 million to company revenue", as opposed to qualitative quotes, such as "this employee was great"
  2. Quoting people is unconventional on applications. The closest people get in most CVs is to say "references available on request" at the bottom. You may want to include your managers as references, if they give permission to do so, but be advised that many references from companies will just state purely factual information, such as dates of employment, job title, attendance record etc.
  3. The quote may be out of context. For example, my manager might have actually said "you are great at your job, but you have terrible people skills". Naturally I would pick the parts that make me look good, and the hiring manager may feel suspicious about quotes out of context

I would advise that you ask your manager for a review on LinkedIn though, as it is an achievement the can be used to sell yourself, and LinkedIn is that best place to show this type of praise.

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  • +1 for the last point, since it gives the OP a way to achieve something approaching his original desire. – Dan Neely Feb 19 '16 at 23:28

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