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Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)
Chapter 16 Applying and Interviewing for Employment
1) The best approach for an application letter depends on
A) how much you need to stand out from other applicants.
B) whether or not your résumé is up to date.
C) how long you have been on the job market.
D) whether you are sending a solicited letter or an unsolicited letter.
E) your relationship with the person you are writing to.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
2) When you’re writing an application letter to accompany your résumé,
A) use text-messaging jargon and emoticons to show that you’re tech-savvy.
B) remember that most employers won’t bother to read it.
C) use it as a free-form way to convey your career aspirations.
D) treat it with same care that you took with your résumé.
E) outline the job, benefits and salary range you are seeking.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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3) Unsolicited application letters to prospective employers
A) require more research than solicited letters.
B) allow a clear target to focus on.
C) should repeat key pieces of information from the résumé.
D) identify what the organization is doing wrong and how you can contribute to its success.
E) need to be more gimmicky than solicited application letters.
organizational approach to them.
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) Compared to writing a solicited application letter, composing an unsolicited application letter
is
A) much easier.
B) much more difficult.
C) equally challenging.
D) most effective when you use passive verbs entirely.
E) most effective when you use only complex sentences.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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5) You’ll impress prospective employers with your application letter if you
A) use a flashy, colorful layout.
B) show that you know something about the company and its marketplace.
C) use a personal, “chummy” tone.
D) state up front that no other applicants could possibly compare to you.
E) show the employer the value they will get when hiring you at a lower than average salary.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
6) The best salutation for an application letter is
A) “Dear Hiring Manager.”
B) “To Whom It May Concern.”
C) one that addresses a specific individual by name.
D) “Dear Sir or Madam.”
E) one that is very informal, such as, “Hi.”
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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7) When it comes to length, an application letter should
A) be at least two pages long, since it shows the prospective employer that you write well and
are serious.
B) be no more than a single paragraph.
C) contain one paragraph for every 5 years of full-time employment.
D) be short—no more than three paragraphs.
E) be long enough to cover everything that appears on your résumé.
organizational approach to them.
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) Because application letters are ________ messages, the AIDA approach is ideally suited for
them.
A) positive
B) negative
C) persuasive
D) routine
E) personal
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Synthesis
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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9) Which of the following would be the best opening sentence for a solicited application letter?
A) “I am clearly the best person for the job you’ve advertised.”
B) “I’m sure you get these letters all the time, but I hope you’ll read mine carefully.”
C) “I want a job, and you’ve got one that I could do.”
D) “Based on your company’s remarkable growth over the past three years, I can appreciate your
need for highly qualified and experienced sales personnel.”
E) “My entire life I have dreamed about working in a job such as this.”
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
10) In the opening paragraph of an application letter, it is vital to
A) indicate what you are looking for in a dream job, and how the open position matches your
goals.
B) identify the position you are applying for and your salary range.
C) explain how you can help the company meets its needs.
D) let the employer know highlights from your résumé.
E) make sure the employer understands that you need a response within 24 hours.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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11) In the middle section of a job application letter, you should
A) present your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization.
B) give your entire work history, in case the employer doesn’t review your résumé.
C) address your shortcomings and stress that you’re willing to learn.
D) state your minimum salary requirements, even if the employer has not requested them.
E) ask for an interview and include your contact information.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
12) In the Interest and Desire sections of a solicited application letter, discussing each
requirement specified in the job ad
A) will reduce your chances of getting an interview.
B) is unnecessary as long as you refer to the ad in some specific way.
C) is helpful as long as you clearly identify those that you do not meet.
D) is harmful if the position requires creativity or innovation.
E) helps demonstrate your understanding of the employer’s needs.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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13) In the final paragraph of your application letter you should
A) show the reader that you’re a contender and demand an interview.
B) close with a quote from your favorite philosopher or poet.
C) request an interview and provide contact information.
D) include information about extracurricular activities to show how well-rounded you are.
E) thank the reader in advance for interviewing you.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
14) If your application letter and résumé fail to bring a response within a week or so after the
position close date,
A) let the CEO of the company know that you’re being mistreated.
B) follow up by email or telephone.
C) cross this particular job possibility off your list.
D) send another copy of your application letter and résumé.
E) assume that the employer has offered the job to someone else.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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15) After sending your application letter and résumé in response to a job posting that lists a close
date, you should
A) always call the employer prior to that date to see if your materials have been reviewed.
B) email the employer on the morning of the close date to reiterate your interest in the job.
C) avoid following up with the employer before that date.
D) wait until the day after the close date and then call the employer to see where you stand.
E) call the employer and do all you can to set up an interview prior to that date.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
16) Accompany your résumé with a ________ when you’re responding to an advertised job
opening.
A) message of inquiry
B) follow-up message
C) message of intent
D) solicited application message
E) prospective application message
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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17) When you’re preparing an application letter, remember that ________ must clearly state your
reason for writing and give the recipient a compelling reason to keep reading.
A) the subject line
B) the opening paragraph
C) the closing paragraph
D) the second paragraph
E) the salutation
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
18) An unsolicited job application letter should begin with a statement designed to get the
reader’s attention.
organizational approach to them.
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) In the middle part of an application letter, you should indicate your salary range and potential
benefits to your employer.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter
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20) Briefly explain the primary differences between solicited application letters and unsolicited
application letters.
organizational approach to them.
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) Explain the function of each phase of an application letter written in the AIDA format.
organizational approach to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Explain how to plan, write and complete a résumé and an application letter