Your resume is your personal sales tool for success in business. It's the all-important first stage in selling yourself and your skills to recruitment agencies and potential employers.

For job seekers entering the market, it's important to present yourself, your skills and study achievements in the most positive light.

That's why the resume is so important in communicating your unique set of skills to prospective employers.

As a result, it's essential to plan what you need to say to accurately detail what you can offer. You may need to redraft your resume several times until you get it right.

It's important to keep it simple, concise and correct.

It should highlight your strengths and achievements and encourage readers to understand what you can offer the organisation, while still wanting to see you for an interview.

Top tips for writing a winning resume are:

• Layout is important. Use spacing to ensure your resume is easy to read and easy to follow.
• Proofread your resume for spelling errors. Get a friend to proof it as well.
• Include your contact details, including phone number, address and email.
• Keep personal details to a minimum. Just give the necessary information.
• List your most recent work experience first.
• Use short statements or bullet points to make it quicker and easier to read.
• Put headings in bold but avoid too many fonts and graphics.
• Include any volunteer and charity work or significant achievements.