Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Chapter 4: Résumés, Interviews, and Negotiation
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. When job seekers go through the ______ process, they consider opportunities that match
with their personal priorities.
a. career exploration
b. salary negotiation
c. priority exploration
d. contract negotiation
2. Jared has just arrived at his job interview and finds himself in a room with two other
candidates and three interviewers. Jared is taking part in what kind of interview?
a. group
b. discussion
c. panel
d. live
3. Which of the following will allow you to develop a clearer understanding of this career
choice?
a. internship
b. shadowing
c. short-term contract
d. long-term contract
4. How long does it usually take postgraduates to find their first jobs after college?
a. 1 to 2 months
b. 2 to 4 months
c. 6 to 12 months
d. 3 to 6 months
5. Joining the local, regional, or national chapter of which of these will enhance your ability to
network with professionals who may be looking to hire.
a. professional association
b. internet provider
c. private employment agency
d. word-of-mouth campaign
6. Which of the following accomplishments would be the most beneficial to highlight on a
résumé for someone applying for a leadership position?
a. 3.0 GPA
b. member of a chorus line
c. member of a basketball team
d. completion of a team-based project for a class
7. Which of the following should be included on a résumé?
a. education
b. your friends’ contact information
c. experience with legal issues
d. times you were disciplined in high school
8. Key words that match the job description should be included in the résumé because of which
of the following reasons?
a. It shows you were paying attention.
b. Scanning programs can detect the words and match the language.
c. Your résumé will look more specific.
d. They eliminate too much white space.
9. Preparing three-part answers to potential interview questions is a process called what?
a. preparing
b. scripting
c. rehearsing
d. practicing
10. The scripting process is answering interview questions using a formula that includes which
of the following?
a. answering the question directly, using a statistic or example to prove your point, and
asking a follow-up question
b. using a specific example that you have actually experienced and explaining it in three
sentences or less
c. directly answering the question, backing up the answer with a specific example, and
tying the answer back to the company and/or the position
d. connecting the answer to the company itself no matter what
11. Which is the most appropriate attire for a female interviewee?
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
a. black skirt, colorful blouse, and matching jewelry
b. black pants and a light-colored blouse
c. black, dark grey, or dark blue suit with a skirt, light-colored blouse, and minimal
jewelry and makeup
d. there is no difference between acceptable attire for males and females in the modern
day
12. Research on first impressions has shown which of these to be true?
a. Once a first impression has been made, it is nearly impossible to change.
b. Once a first impression has been made, twice as much information is needed to
reverse it.
c. First impressions are formed in the first 30 seconds of meeting someone.
d. A lasting first impression is more important than the interview itself.
13. Which of the following is an illegal question to ask during an interview?
a. total length of time at previous positions or total years of experience
b. what country the interviewee was born in
c. salary requirements
d. how soon can the applicant start
14. When is the proper time to inquire about salary?
a. at the end of an interview when the interviewer asks if you have any questions
b. before you accept the interview
c. after you are hired
d. after you are offered a job
15. How soon after the interview should you call the potential employer to see if a decision has
been made?
a. never
b. two weeks
c. one week
d. two days
16. Telling everyone you know that you are job searching and making certain to be specific
about the kind of job you are looking for are which aspect of the job-seeking process?
a. exploring
b. interviewing
c. using word of mouth
d. researching
17. When asking yourself what you are best at, what you enjoy doing the most, and what
motivates you, what activity are you engaging in?
a. self-exploration
b. self-determination
c. career exploration
d. priority exploration
18. John is involved in a work–school cooperation that involves him following around a
professional in his or her field for a week. This is known as which of the following?
a. internship
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
b. shadowing
c. orientation
d. field training
19. Alice is having difficulty finding a job out of college, so she goes to an organization that finds
potential employers for her for a nominal fee. This organization is known as which of these
choices?
a. career planning center
b. state employment service
c. professional association
d. private employment agency
20. Randy has prepared a résumé that breaks down all his useful skills into categories that will
let employers know what he can do for them. Randy has created which of these résumés?
a. chronological résumé
b. functional résumé
c. combination résumé
d. skill/asset résumé
21. Experience outside of a job that you have gained through internships, class projects,
volunteering, or student organizations is known as which of these types of experience?
a. relevant experience
b. applicable experience
c. school experience
d. extracurricular experience
22. What important document would you use to introduce you as a potential employee,
highlight your résumé, and demonstrate your writing skills?
a. orientation letter
b. interview letter
c. cover letter
d. introduction letter
23. During an interview, Todd was asked by a potential employer for an example of how Todd
had met a very short deadline. This is which type of question?
a. traditional question
b. behavioral question
c. scripted question
d. pressure question
24. Janet is nervous about an interview she has with a potential employer next Monday, so she
gets her mother, sister, and best friend to run through possible questions that she might be
asked. This is an example of which of these interviews?
a. scrimmage interview
b. practice interview
c. test interview
d. mock interview
25. The need to effectively do which of the following becomes increasingly important as your
career progresses?
a. use up vacation days
b. create a generalized résumé
c. create a reusable cover letter
d. negotiate
26. Which of these is the most common résumé and probably the easiest to prepare?
a. functional
b. chronological
c. combination
d. online
27. Interviewing is about finding which of the following?
a. the person who is the best fit for the job
b. candidate with the most qualifications
c. the person who has the best education
d. the person who has done the most volunteer work
28. What is the purpose of a generic résumé?
a. to provide a starting point for customizing your résumé to each position
b. to serve as a catch-all résumé for most positions for which you apply
c. to apply for entry-level positions
d. to provide employers with a general sense of who you are as a candidate
29. Which résumé is the one in which skills are broken down into categories that quickly
communicate to employers what the candidate can do for them?
a. generic
b. combination
c. functional
d. best
30. What part of the résumé does the following statement represent: “To obtain a position as a
reading specialist with the Altoona Area School District”?
a. objective
b. summary
c. subjective
d. thesis
31. What is the general rule about including your GPA on your résumé?
a. If your GPA is 2.0 or higher, include it.
b. If your GPA is 3.0 or higher, include it.
c. Unless you have a 4.0, don’t include it.
d. Never include your GPA.
32. The three-part formula for preparing for an interview that includes directly answering the
question, backing up your answer with a specific example that supports your answer, and
connecting the answer back to the company and/or the position is known as which of the
following?
a. scripting answers
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
b. practicing answers
c. preguessing answers
d. postguessing answers
33. Elias has a formula for answering questions in an interview. He takes a direct approach,
then backs up his answer with a supporting example, and then relates the answer to the
organization to which he is applying. Elias is doing which of the following?
a. scripting answers
b. practicing answers
c. preguessing answers
d. postguessing answers
34. Electronic résumés should be prepared in common programs, such as which of these?
a. Aldous Pagemaker
b. Apache
c. Microsoft Word
d. WordStar
35. For electronic applications, you’ll most likely be cutting information from where and pasting
it into the application?
a. the job announcement
b. your cover letter
c. your résumé
d. an internet site
36. These accompany your résumé and serve to introduce you as a potential employee,
highlight your résumé, and demonstrate your writing skills.
a. cover letters
b. references
c. statements of veteran status
d. demographic analyses
37. Like the résumé, your cover letter should be how many pages?
a. three
b. five
c. one
d. two
38. Many résumés have moved away from the objective and toward which of the following with
regard to skills and traits?
a. introduction
b. extension
c. supporting examples
d. summary
39. The purpose of the résumé is to do which of the following?
a. be the first thing the interviewer receives
b. impress the interviewer
c. highlight you
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
d. pacify a needless request
40. Sheri wants to be sure that the interviewer she will be meeting with today has access to her
professional references. In order to do this, she makes certain that her résumé has the
following note on it.
a. The phone numbers of my references are as follows:
b. References are available on request.
c. I have never had a job before, but I can have you talk to my parents.
d. Please do not contact my references.
41. The second step in the KEYS model in the job search is to do which of the following?
a. evaluate the professional context, including your audience and the organization
b. know yourself, so begin there with self-exploration
c. step back and reflect on how you rate your communication interactions
d. use your communication interaction and use other intelligent and relevant questions
to bolster your interview
42. In your job search, your first audience may well be which of the following?
a. the president of the company
b. the person with whom you will be working
c. an employee from the Human Resources Department
d. the person you will replacing in the organization
43. When Sydney went on a panel interview for the company she really wanted to work for, she
had to remember during the questioning by the panel to do which of the following?
a. acknowledge the person who asked the question as well as the other members of the
panel
b. make constant eye contact with the person who asked the question
c. address each person on the panel only when they asked a question
d. make sure she wasn’t distracted by someone who had not asked a question
1. Internships are reserved for students who are receiving credit for their work in an
organization.
2. If your work history is not directly related to the position you are pursuing, it is not
acceptable to list the place of employment, job title, employment dates, and the skills you
acquired at this job.
3. The researching stage of the job-seeking process comprises two components: researching
openings and researching employers.