114) The first step in an information-gathering interview is to choose the right interviewee.
115) One purpose of a career research interview is to gain contacts that can help you in your job
search.
116) The most effective way to get hired is to search job postings and submit applications online.
117) Prospective employers rarely bother to check out your Internet presence, so it doesn’t matter
what silly pictures you might have posted on your Facebook site.
118) The term “scannable résumé” describes a template you can download from the Internet to
help you create a résumé with a professional appearance.
119) An interview based on the assumption that past experience is the best predictor of future
performance is known as an audition interview.
120) If you are unsure what to wear to an interview, dress on the conservative side.
121) The employment interview is an objective measurement of your skills and qualifications for a
job.
122) In an employment interview, it is not appropriate to volunteer any information that the
interviewer has not specifically asked for.
123) An employer is more likely to offer you a job if you can demonstrate how much you need the
job.
124) One important pointer for job interviews is to refrain from criticizing others, such as a former
boss or coworkers.
125) It is not a good idea to ask questions of the interviewer during the interview because you will
appear unsure of yourself.
126) According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), during an
employment interview candidates with disabilities can be questioned about their ability to perform
the job they are applying for.
127) As an interviewer, it is important to define a specific goal for your interview, because the goal
will influence the way you approach the interview.
128) The interviewer who wants to exert a lot of control over the interview should choose a
structured format.
129) The “body” of a moderately structured interview consists of primary questions and possible
secondary questions arranged under several relevant topics.
130) Secondary questions are questions that introduce a new topic.
131) “Would you prefer to work the morning shift, the afternoon shift, or the evening shift?” is an
example of closed question.
132) An interviewee has the most latitude and freedom with open-ended questions.
133) “Do you plan to continue your education?” is an example of a direct question.
134) An instructor’s goal is to find out how a student sees her. She asks, “How would you say most
of your classmates view me?” This is an example of an indirect question.
135) “How might you address a customer if they began to make violent threats?” is an example of
an opinion question.
136) An interviewer who wants to establish a casual atmosphere should sit behind a desk, at least 6
feet away from the interviewee.
137) Building rapport is a function of the closing phase of an interview.
138) The opening phase of an interview should explain what information is needed and how it will
be used.
139) An interviewer should allot rough blocks of time to each item on the interview agenda and
keep the interview moving along in line with this plan.
140) It is appropriate to express your appreciation at the end of an interview.
141) It is ethical for an interviewer to make a promise with little intention to keep it, because he is
not likely to see the interviewee again.
142) It is acceptable for the interviewee to stretch the truth if the facts would cast him or her in a
poor light.
143) How does interviewing differ from other types of interpersonal communication situations?
144) Identify several types of information-gathering interviews. In what situations would you use
each type? What are the goals of each type? How would you arrange the setting to achieve each
goal? What types of questions would you use?
145) Imagine that you will be conducting an information-gathering interview to learn about a
career you’re interested in pursuing. Identify the career. List two topics you’d like to explore. For
each topic, write three open-ended primary questions you’d like to ask your interviewee.
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146) Imagine you are about to conduct a career research interview. Explain how you would select
an appropriate interviewee, contact the person to set up an appointment, and follow up with the
person after the interview.
147) Identify and explain the three purposes of the career research interview.
148) Imagine you are preparing for an employment interview. Identify the type of job you are
applying for. Describe what attire you would select, and explain how you would prepare to answer
questions you might be asked.
149) Identify several job interview formats you might encounter. What challenges does each
format present? How would you prepare for each?
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150) What are the five common categories of key questions asked during an employment
interview? Explain why each of these is important to the interviewer and the company she or he
represents.
151) Assume you are in the middle of an employment interview for an administrative assistant’s
job. You’ve been a stay-at-home dad (or mom) for the past 10 years, but during the last 2 years you
completed an online training program with high grades. During the interview, the interviewer
states, “I see you’ve been at home for 10 years with no real organizational experience.” Write an
answer in the first person that demonstrates your ability to turn this negative perception into a
positive one.
152) What topics are generally illegal to ask about in a selection or an employment interview?
Why are these topics considered illegal? What criteria should be used to determine if a question is
legal or illegal in a specific interview?
153) LaDonna is a team leader for a software publisher. Today she is meeting with Philip, one of
her programmers, to give him his annual performance appraisal. During this interview, she sets the
following goal for Philip:
“Moving forward, I would like for you to make a serious effort to improve the quality of your code.
You’ve done a good job of delivering your work on time, but it has had too many errors. By June,
I expect the number of those errors to be down significantly.”
Evaluate this feedback and describe the ways in which it does, or does not, meet the criteria for
effective performance appraisal goals.
154) Describe the steps suggested in the textbook for planning an interview.
155) Identify three possible interview structures, and explain the advantages and disadvantages of
each one.
156) You are a student attending a college fair. You plan to interview a recruiter from one of the
colleges to find out if the school offers what you want. List at least two topics you would ask about.
For each topic, write at least three quality primary questions you could ask. Add at least two
secondary questions. Label each question as open or closed; factual or opinion; and direct or
indirect.
157) Identify five different kinds of questions used in interviews. Explain each one in terms of its
purposes and uses as well as the goals this type of question can help an interviewer attain.
158) Identify the three main stages involved in conducting an interview. What should take place in
each stage?
159) Explain the three steps an interviewer should take when opening the interview. What goals
should the interviewer accomplish in each of the steps?
160) What elements should be included in an effective closing for an interview? Explain the
importance of each element, and give an example.
161) Identify at least three ethical considerations the interviewer should bear in mind and at least
three ethical considerations the interviewee should bear in mind. Next, explain why these
considerations are important. Do you believe these ethical considerations are frequently violated?
If so, why? If not, why not?