With the economy going down and unemployment rates going up, updating the old resume is a daunting task. It means brushing away the cobwebs, checking the most recent formats, rewriting areas of job search to be more specific and detailed, and forcing a person to think like an prospective employer on every aspect of a job search. With the given national situation however, revisiting the resume may be necessary even if it's already been mailed on a new job search.

Having been on a job for years without any foreseeable change still doesn't mean locking the resume in a file somewhere; keeping a resume updated is always a good idea. Some companies require an updated resume for promotion within the same company; editing job descriptions as activities in the position change is much easier than trying to remember down the road just what the job actually entailed.

There are also a lot of questions on formatting a resume for new positions, transitional jobs and career changes. Should the resume be chronological or functional? How many pages should it encompass? While the specifics are up to the individual in deciding how to best present themselves, there are a few universal points regardless of selected format.

The first question is how many pages should be included in a resume. The old-school thoughts lean toward one page only. However, the workforce has changed considerably over the past 50 years. Years ago, no one was expected to have had more than one, two, maybe three jobs in a lifetime. Today's workforce moves however, going from one job to another within a five- to six-year span. By the time a person reaches their 40's today, they may have had several jobs in which case one page will not adequately describe the experience level.

Although human resource managers do not have the time to cull through every word of every resume received - remember, high unemployment means more resumes making the circuit - the first page should be structured to give them an overview, a summary, of qualifications and experience right off the bat. If the summary meets the requirements of the position available, the hiring manager will make the time to look closer.

If education level is weighted more heavily than experience, it should receive a higher standing in the resume format. The opposite is true if experience will produce more of an impact or is more recent.

There are also a few rules to consider regardless of format. Applicants do well to use action verbs to describe activities on the job rather than simply noting areas of responsibility. Instead of saying "responsible for sales to meet or exceed goals," using action words like "consistently met or exceeded monthly sales goals" or even giving the revenue numbers or percentages will garner more interest from any sales manager looking to hire. Awards received on the job will also set the applicant above the crowd.

Years ago, personal information was also expected on a resume. While most people no longer add age or gender, etc., the laws are such that it bears repeating here. It is illegal for a potential employer to ask such questions and having it on the resume taints the hiring process. It can spark legal issues for the company later if the applicant is hired. The same goes for personal associations. The only associations appearing on a resume should be those of a professional nature.

In respect to volunteer positions, two things are relevant. "Charitable marketing" is big in industry today and many hiring companies want to see an applicant's commitment to community. Volunteer positions also give applicant opportunities in areas they may not otherwise be considered qualified; this gives an applicant the experience needed to bridge gaps in education or job experience.

The final concern is grammar and spell check. Do not depend on the computer! Read and re-read the resume to confirm it is grammatically correct and error-free. This can't be stressed enough. Try reading it backwards - this presents the words out of context making typos or spelling errors leap off the page. If unsure of grammar, look it up and make sure the words selected present the exact intention. A potential employer is busy; they don't have time to re-read a sentence or a paragraph when they've been distracted by a typo or poor grammar.

In any case, set your resume above the crowd. With today's employment statistics, a well written, well presented resume may be the only opportunity to make a good first impression.

Laura Anderson, The Pen Pusher LLC, has over 20 years freelance writing experience and 17 years experience specifically in advertising and marketing. For more information and writing tips, visit http://thepenpusherllc.com