Chapter 8: The Employment Interview
1. What are the essential elements of a chronological résumé?
2. How can you create a network tree?
3. Write five key questions you should ask during your self-analysis prior to an employment
4. How can an applicant create a favorable first impression?
5. Describe the unique advantages of a functional résumé format.
6. List the characteristics of impressive career objectives.
7. In what ways do recruiters place importance on nonverbal communication when
interviewing applicants?
8. What are five essential characteristics of successful applicants’ answers to recruiter
questions?
9. Compose four unlawful questions and explain how you would respond to each of them.
10. List four types of answers that result in unsuccessful applicants.
11. Discuss the elements that should be included in an effective cover letter.
12. List five common questions that are expected to be asked during employment interviews.
13. Discuss five ways candidates “slip up” during interviews.
14. List five questions that are effective for an applicant to ask.
15. What are five questions you should ask yourself during your postinterview evaluation?
16. Which of the following statements is true about résumés?
a. Most recruiters spend a considerable amount of time scanning each résumé they
receive from applicants.
b. Preparing the perfect résumé gets little attention in print and on the Internet.
c. An applicant is much more likely to land a job if he or she produces only one
version of his or her résumé.
d. The sole purpose of a résumé is to obtain an interview that may lead to more
interviews.
17. Which of the following segments of a résumé is an ideal place to catch and maintain a
recruiter’s attention?
a. the education and training segment
b. the contact information segment
c. the career objective segment
d. the volunteer segment
18. Which of the following is a major advantage of a functional résumé format?
a. It is easy to organize.
b. It emphasizes experiences.
c. It focuses attention on relevant skills.
d. It is most commonly encountered by employers.
19. Recruiters react more favorably toward applicants if they do all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. respond cautiously.
b. smile.
c. have expressive facial expressions.
d. maintain eye contact without staring.
20. Recent studies reveal that 50 percent of all “speech acts” in a sample of employment
interviews were _____.
a. declarative statements
b. employer questions
c. applicant answers
d. employer answers
21. Which of the following should a job applicant do in a functional résumé format?
a. Delete the career objective segment to save space.
b. Place experiences under headings that highlight one’s qualifications.
c. List work experiences in reverse chronological order.
d. List references last.
22. Which of the following is a salient feature of a chronological format of résumé?
a. It is difficult to write and organize.
b. It emphasizes irrelevant experiences.
c. It is appropriate for creative positions.
d. It is easy for employers to scan quickly.
23. Which of the following is the essential first step for a job applicant to locating and
obtaining a position he or she wants in an organization?
a. Research on the company.
b. Buy a new wardrobe.
c. Engage in self-analysis.
d. Draft a résumé.
24. Which of the following can be identified by self-analysis?
a. personality strengths and weaknesses
b. professional strengths and weaknesses
c. communicative strengths and weaknesses
d. All of the answers are correct.
25. Most valued needs include all of the following EXCEPT _____.
a. long-range goals
b. free time
c. possessions
d. family
26. Which of the following information about a recruiter may be helpful to research prior to
the interview?
a. a recruiter’s position
b. a recruiter’s professional background
c. a recruiter’s personality
d. All of the answers are correct.
27. Which of the following statements is true about a functional format of résumé?
a. It is the most commonly encountered format of résumé by employers.
b. It is not suitable for positions in which writing is important.
c. It repeats the same skills and experiences under different positions.
d. It often does not identify dates for education, training, and work experiences.
28. Which of the following words do employers find to be meaningless in résumés?
a. administered
b. oversaw
c. recommended
d. ambitious
Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
TB-8 | 4
29. In the context of the appearance and layout of a résumé, which of the following
statements is true?
a. Applicants should keep color and graphics to a minimum when applying for a
position in fields such as advertising.
b. Applicants should use script résumé fonts or use several font styles and sizes.
c. Applicants should refrain from constructing single-page résumés.
d. Applicants should use bullet points that separate and call attention to important
information.
30. When a candidate makes a good first impression, a recruiter is likely to _____.
a. try to sell the position and organization
b. conceal important job information
c. spend more time seeking information
d. stop looking for input that supports this initial impression
31. Which of the following questions do recruiters usually have in mind?
a. Can you do the job?
b. Will you do the job?
c. How well will you fit into the organization?
d. All of the answers are correct.
32. In the context of structuring answers, which of the following statements is true about the
mini-speech method?
a. It is a variation of the STAR (situation, task, action, results) approach.
b. It is highly recommended for answering behavior-based questions.
c. It is not a good way to approach critical incident and hypothetical questions.
d. It does not focus on an interviewee’s past experiences.
33. Which of the following résumé formats focuses attention on relevant skills to match an
ideal applicant profile?
a. a functional format
b. a chronological format
c. a topical format
d. None of the answers is correct.
34. Which of the following are items NOT to include on your résumé?
a. age
b. grade point average (GPA)
c. degrees earned
d. last employer
Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
TB-8 | 5
Ans: a
35. Which of the following are items that employers do NOT like on résumés?
a. white space
b. bullets
c. typographical errors
d. different printer fonts
36. What is the name given to a collection of your work that shows you in action?
a. digital story
b. portfolio
c. e-résumé
d. scannable résumé
37. In the context of dress and appearance, which of the following guidelines should men
follow when attending an interview?
a. Wear a short-sleeved shirt during summer.
b. Wear a turtleneck shirt.
c. Wear a belt that contrasts with shoes.
d. Wear leather, laced business shoes with leather soles.
38. Which of the following is NOT a recommended color of suit for a standard interview?
a. brown
b. blue
c. gray
d. black
39. Which of the following nonverbal characteristics result in more favorable ratings by
interviewers?
a. smiling
b. eye contact
c. forceful voice
d. All of the answers are correct.
40. If a company’s manager asks you how you would handle a problem his or her company is
having with employee theft, which type of question strategy is that?
a. current critical incident questions
b. task-oriented questions
c. past experience questions
d. hypothetical questions
Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
TB-8 | 6
41. Jamie, during the course of an interview, responds to an unlawful question by saying “Is
this a test to see how I might respond to an unlawful question?” Which of the following
techniques is being used by Jamie in this scenario?
a. tactful inquiry
b. neutralizing
c. tongue-in–cheek test response
d. taking advantage of the question
42. In the context of guidelines for asking questions for interviewees, which of the following
is revealed to a recruiter when applicants ask lot of questions?
a. maturity
b. professionalism
c. interests
d. All of the answers are correct.
43. Mature applicants are informed about what is going on around them and in the world—
local, state, national, international—and have formed intelligent, rational positions on
important issues.
a. True
b. False
44. An applicant’s résumé is his or her silent sales representative.
a. True
b. False
45. Interviewers prefer standard accents.
a. True
b. False
46. Interviewees should be prepared to answer unlawful questions tactfully and effectively.
a. True
b. False
47. Interviewees should use a cover letter to explain the position for which they are applying.
a. True
b. False
Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
TB-8 | 7
48. When interviewing over a meal, it is acceptable for an interviewee to check his or her
watch, peruse his or her résumé, or check his or her cell phone for messages.
a. True
b. False
49. It is important to follow-up an interview with a brief letter thanking the interviewer for
his or her time.
a. True
b. False
50. Unsuccessful applicants ask more questions than successful applicants.
a. True
b. False
51. Unlawful questions are often asked during lunch or dinner.
a. True
b. False
52. Recruiters tend to rate leadership roles in student organizations and volunteer community
service as below average in importance.
a. True
b. False
53. If you do NOT know the person who is receiving your cover letter, using “To whom it
may concern” is equally acceptable.
a. True
b. False
54. A man should be able to insert one finger inside his buttoned collar or it is too tight.
a. True
b. False
55. Interviewees should refrain from asking for additional clarification when answering
behavior-based, critical incident, hypothetical, or task questions.
a. True
b. False
56. Volunteer experience should NOT be included in résumés.
a. True
b. False
57. The chronological format lists experiences in chronological order.
a. True
b. False
58. Passive verbs should be used in résumés.
a. True
b. False
59. On résumés, educational background is listed in reverse chronological order.
a. True
b. False
60. Job applicants should never use more than a one-page résumé.
a. True
b. False
61. Applicants should be prepared to receive a variety of answers to their questions because
recruiters, even from the same organization, have different preferences on almost every
aspect of a search process.
a. True
b. False
62. On a résumé, it is acceptable to have one’s nickname at the top of the page.
a. True
b. False
63. In fee-paid positions, you pay an agency for finding you a job.
a. True
b. False
64. In percentage agencies, the employer pays a fee to find them applicants.
a. True
b. False
Copyright ©2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior
written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
TB-8 | 9
65. A recent study indicated that half of all “speech acts” in interviews are declarative
statements rather than questions and answers.
a. True
b. False
66. Some authorities recommend that an applicant should arrive a few minutes late to an
interview.
a. True
b. False
67. An applicant’s goal should be to have his or her dress and appearance play a strong
supporting role, one that generates positive attention and approval at the start of an
interview.
a. True
b. False
68. If an applicant appears evasive or hesitant in responding to questions, a recruiter may
interpret this as evidence of dishonesty or fear of revealing something the recruiter has a
right to know.
a. True
b. False
69. Most of the people seeking positions review lists of common recruiter questions on the
Internet and in publications and mull over how they would answer them.
a. True
b. False
70. Looking at potential upcoming mergers is an example of an area to research about
organizations.
a. True
b. False