A resume is the summary of your skills and job experiences. The word 'Resume' in Latin means "curriculum vitae" which is a written history of ones past. It highlights your accomplishments in the workplace as well as your achievements in extracurricular and volunteer experiences. The whole purpose of a resume is designed to get you a job interview - and ultimately a job.

But how do you write a good resume?

Secrets of the Executive Resume is a guide designed to help you perfect your resume and proper your career to higher levels.

Here are a few tips when making a resume:

• Pick a few topics to highlight in your resume. If you have leadership or team building experience, that's a perfect thing to highlight on your resume. Employers love team players because they create a stable work environment. Having leadership qualities is a plus also.
• Break your resume into sections. For example, "Education", "Experience", and "References" are a few different sections you can list. Separating each one allows you to pinpoint and highlight each area of your resume making you look better to potential employers.
• Volunteer work: volunteering looks great on a resume. In some circumstances, volunteering can demonstrate your skills even more than paid work

A well constructed resume gives employers a great perspective on you. Some people fail to get jobs strictly because of a poor resume, even though they might have many skills and are even overqualified for the position. A great resume shows initiative and drive. Sometimes, people with a few less skills and experiences can land an interview because of a great looking resume.

Here are a few other often overlooked tips for your resume:

• Leave white space on your resume - don't make it look crowded
• Design your resume for easy skimming: emphasize by boldfacing, capitalizing and italicizing - but don't go overboard. Make it look professional.
• Use white or off-white paper. No colored paper.

To learn more, I suggest Secrets of the Executive Resume. Remember, your resume is one of the biggest factors for landing a job and securing a future. The hardest part about finding a job is actually landing an interview - and nothing helps you land an interview like a great resume.