1
Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)
Chapter 15 Building Careers and Writing Résumés
1) The best time for college students to begin developing a job-search strategy is
A) about six months prior to graduation.
B) now—even if they are a year or more away from graduation.
C) no earlier than the second semester of their senior year.
D) immediately after graduation.
E) when they locate a promising job ad.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
2) One of your first steps in preparing to seek employment should be to
A) write the story of you, including what you’re passionate about, your abilities, and so forth.
B) call some potential employers and ask for interviews.
C) visit promising businesses and ask if they have any openings.
D) come to terms with the fact that you will have little to no control over where you end up.
E) update your online presence, including Facebook and LinkedIn sites.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
2
3) Customizing your résumé for each job opening is
A) a waste of valuable time, since your qualifications are the same no matter where you apply.
B) necessary only if you are slightly exaggerating some aspect of your qualifications.
C) a good way to get into trouble, since you might forget what you wrote on one of the versions.
D) not necessary unless you are applying for senior executive positions.
E) an important step in showing each employer that you will be a good fit.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
4) Posting a job opening on a major job board such as Monster is often
A) a company’s first step in seeking promising candidates.
B) helpful for high-tech companies, but not for others.
C) the most successful way for companies to discourage unqualified candidates from applying.
D) an effective way for companies to limit the number of applications they receive.
E) a company’s last resort, after it has exhausted other possibilities for finding desirable
candidates.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
3
5) Learning which keywords will be most effective on your résumé
A) is easy when you access leading business publications, blogs, and other sources.
B) is impossible unless you already have a job in the industry you wish to work in.
C) can only be accomplished by calling potential employers and asking them.
D) is unnecessary, since most employers no longer pay much attention to them.
E) is easy since most firms look for the same skills and abilities.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
6) Business-related blogs and microblogs
A) are generally not very helpful to job applicants.
B) can help you get comfortable with the jargon and buzzwords in a particular field.
C) can be useful in a job search, but only for those seeking positions in technical fields.
D) are very difficult to find online.
E) are almost always thinly veiled attempts to sell products and services.
AACSB: Information technology
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
4
7) The best way to find job opportunities is usually
A) searching online job boards such as Monster.
B) looking for them in the newspaper’s classified ads.
C) counting on the people you know to keep you in the loop.
D) identifying the companies you want to work for and focusing your efforts on them.
E) to send a form letter to as many companies as possible, asking that they call you when they
have openings.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
8) Starting with your initial contact and continuing throughout the interview process, you should
A) stress to the employer how much getting the job will mean to you.
B) press for a decision because you are scheduled for other interviews.
C) let the employer determine how to use your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
D) explain how your skills and accomplishments will meet the needs of the employer.
E) determine how much your skills are worth to the employer.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
5
9) The vast majority of all job openings in the United States are
A) advertised in the newspaper.
B) posted on Craigslist or Monster.
C) never advertised to the general public.
D) senior positions that require years of experience.
E) entry level.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
10) The best way to become a valued network member is by
A) expecting others in your network to help you.
B) emailing your résumé to everyone you meet.
C) broadcasting other people’s contact information.
D) asking others to provide information that you can find yourself.
E) helping others in some way.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
11) By definition, a résumé is a
A) detailed account of a jobseeker’s personal journey through life.
B) structured summary of a person’s education, employment background, and job qualifications.
C) random sample of a person’s education, employment background, and job qualifications.
D) catalog of a person’s education, employment background, and job qualifications.
E) written account of someone’s musings about the job-search process.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
6
12) Regardless of a candidate’s work experience, the prime source of jobs in general appears to
be
A) recommendations from current employees.
B) online job posting services.
C) college job fairs.
D) postings on company websites.
E) newspaper and trade journal ads.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
13) Contacting people in a job candidate’s online network for background information
A) is illegal unless the candidate has listed them as references.
B) occurs very rarely, since most employers don’t have time to check online networks.
C) is possible only when the candidate provides contact information.
D) violates Facebook and LinkedIn user agreements.
E) is becoming more common among employers.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
14) Many companies judge the success of their recruiting efforts by the
A) quantity of hire.
B) quality of hire.
C) cost-benefit hiring ratio.
D) social media click-through rate.
E) corporate turnover ratio.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
7
15) Your ________ is an essential part of your potential quality as a new hire.
A) perceived ability
B) salary and benefits package
C) motivation
D) professionalism
E) reliability
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
16) Your mobile device should be used as a
A) tool to abandon a search at nonmobile friendly companies.
B) tool to enhance your personal brand and online portfolio.
C) tool to conduct a background check on a firm.
D) blogging device for networking.
E) tool to separate your personal life from your professional life.
AACSB: Information technology
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Synthesis
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
17) Because the competition for most jobs is so great, even a seemingly minor mistake (such as a
typo on a résumé) can eliminate your chances of success.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
8
18) A good résumé is targeted for specific situations and prospective employers.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
19) Briefly explain the best time to begin designing a personal job-search strategy.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
20) What is meant by quality of hire, and how do companies use it?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
21) How can reading business-related blogs, microblogs, and podcasts help you prepare to seek
employment?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
9
22) Explain what it means to take the initiative to find job opportunities, and why it is necessary
in today’s job market.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
23) Explain the importance of networking as part of your career search, and describe how to go
about finding helpful networks.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
10
24) List at least five common mistakes that can severely hinder your job search.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
25) If you are just graduating from college and have limited professional experience,
A) a traditional chronological résumé is your only option.
B) a functional résumé is your only option.
C) your chronological résumé should probably list educational qualifications before listing
experience.
D) your résumé can be written in a casual, informal tone.
E) avoid mentioning volunteer work.
résumé organization.
AACSB: Information technology
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter