Business Communication Essentials, 8e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 14 Applying and Interviewing for Employment
1) How long should you wait before following up on a résumé submission?
A) One to two weeks after the close date
B) Before the close date
C) Only when invited to do so by the organization
D) After the second submission of a résumé
E) On the close date
2) When sending a résumé to a potential employer, what should be included with the résumé?
A) An application letter
B) URL links
C) A list of references
D) Samples of your work
E) A self-addressed stamped envelope for feedback
3) Taking the initiative to write to a company even though they haven’t announced a job opening
is called what?
A) Cold calling
B) Prospecting
C) Application letters
D) Cover letters
E) Canvassing
4) When sending an unexpected résumé, what should be researched before sending the
communication?
A) Hiring manager’s field of expertise
B) What the organization does
C) Qualities the company would seek in the type of position you wish to apply for
D) Correct address to send the résumé
E) Whether the company prefers a traditional résumé or an emailed résumé
5) To write an effective application letter, which of the following should be indicated?
A) Salary requirements
B) General information about your work experience
C) Fact-based data only
D) An understanding of the company and its marketplace
E) The same data that is in the résumé
6) What type of format should be used for an application letter?
A) Direct
B) Indirect
C) Traditional
D) Online
E) Persuasive
7) When sending a solicited application letter, what should be included in the opening
paragraph?
A) Your reason for writing
B) A catchphrase opening that shows ingenuity and imagination
C) Questions to demonstrate your understanding of the organization’s needs
D) A reference to activities, achievements or changes that have been publicized about the
company
E) A list of your strongest skills that will benefit the organization
8) What should be included in the middle section of your application letter?
A) Where you heard about the job opening
B) Your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization
C) A description of your understanding of the job requirements
D) The name of a person known to and highly regarded by the reader
E) Solutions to the organization’s problems
9) In additional to core job duties, the middle section of the solicited application letter should
contain what type of information?
A) Who you know in the organization
B) Where you heard about the job opening
C) Personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position
D) Salary requirements
E) Potential start date
10) In the action section of the AIDA plan, what should be included in an application letter?
A) Salary range
B) References
C) Personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position
D) A request for an interview
E) Date you will follow up for an interview
11) Which of the following would be the least effective question to ask when following up on the
submission of a résumé?
A) Has a hiring decision been made yet?
B) Can I provide any additional information regarding my qualifications for the position?
C) What is the company’s timeframe for filling this position?
D) Can you tell me what to expect next in terms for the hiring process?
E) Can you tell me who has been hired and what their qualifications are?
12) Employers will reconsider applicants who came close but didn’t get the job.
13) An application letter should indicate how you can benefit from working at a particular
organization.
14) A poorly written application letter can prompt the employer to skip reading your résumé,
even if you are a perfect fit for a position.
15) An application letter should be used to repeat important information from the résumé.
16) Identify the purpose of each section of the application when using the AIDA approach to
persuasive messages.
17) What should be considered when following up after submitting a résumé?
18) Which of the following indicates the purpose of an interview from both the potential
employer’s perspective, and the candidate’s perspective?
A) To exchange information
B) To verify information given in the résumé
C) To find the best talent to fill a job opening
D) To find the right match for your goals and capabilities
E) To maximize salary potential
19) What is the job candidate’s goal during an interview?
A) To exchange information
B) To verify information given on the résumé
C) To fill a job opening
D) To find the right match for their goals and capabilities
E) To maximize salary potential
20) What is the employer’s objective during an interview?
A) To exchange information
B) To verify information given on the résumé
C) To find the best talent to fill a job opening
D) To find the right match for the candidate’s goals and capabilities
E) To minimize salary demands
21) During the interview process, which qualified candidate is most likely to get the job?
A) The candidate with the best skills
B) The lowest priced candidate
C) The candidate with the most experience
D) The candidate who is best prepared
E) The candidate who is most flexible
22) Which stage of the interview process allows an organization to filter out applications that are
not a good fit for the position?
A) Screening stage
B) Selection stage
C) Face-to-face interview stage
D) Final evaluation stage
E) Group interview stage
23) Which stage of the interview process helps the organization identify top candidates from all
those who qualify?
A) Screening stage
B) Selection stage
C) Group interview stage
D) Final evaluation stage
E) Unstructured interview stage
24) What is the objective in the final stage of the interview process?
A) To eliminate unqualified candidates
B) To determine which candidate is the best fit
C) To sell the candidate on the advantages of the organization
D) To allow the candidate to meet people they will be working with
E) To discuss salary and benefit requirements
25) Asking a series of questions in a predetermined order is done in what type of interview?
A) Screening interview
B) Panel interview
C) Open ended interview
D) Structured interview
E) Behavioral interview
26) Which type of interview allows a line of questioning based on the candidates answers to
previous questions?
A) Working interview
B) Panel interviews
C) Structured interviews
D) Situational interviews
E) Unstructured interviews
27) Which interview format is the most common?
A) Structured interviews
B) One-on-one interviews
C) Panel interviews
D) Group interviews
E) Final interviews
28) Which type of interview is designed to observe how candidates interact with each other?
A) Panel interviews
B) Behavioral interviews
C) Group interviews
D) Stress interviews
E) Working interviews
29) When asked to relate specific incidents and experience from your past, what type of
interview is taking place?
A) Situational
B) Working
C) Panel
D) Behavioral
E) Stress
30) Which type of interview has been found to better predict success on the job than the
traditional interview?
A) Stress
B) Open ended
C) Panel
D) Group
E) Behavioral
31) Which of the following is a key element to prepare for when being asked to participate in a
video interview?
A) It is only necessary to dress professionally from the waist up.
B) Maintain eye contact by looking at the camera, not the person’s face on your screen.
C) Use room décor to highlight personality aspects the employer will be most interested in.
D) Sitting in front of a window will eliminate the need to declutter the background.
E) Test required software no more than 10 minutes before the interview begins.
32) In addition to candidates who have the technical skills required of the position, what else do
employers look for?
A) The candidate is laid back and flexible.
B) The candidate is a good fit for the corporate culture.
C) The candidate is a team player.
D) The candidate has an outgoing personality.
E) The candidate is competitive and will work hard to prove themselves.
33) In addition to being able to handle the responsibilities of the position, what else do
employers look for?
A) A candidate who will be a good fit for the organization
B) A candidate with a lower starting salary
C) A candidate who has extensive experience in a similar position
D) A candidate who can be easily trained
E) A candidate who is flexible
34) Which type of preemployment test measures a candidate’s ethics, emotional intelligence, and
problem-solving skills?
A) Integrity test
B) Job knowledge test
C) Cognitive test
D) Substance test
E) Language proficiency test
35) Which of the following pre-employment tests measures the knowledge needed to succeed in
a particular position?
A) Cognitive test
B) Language proficiency test
C) Job knowledge and skills test
D) Personality test
E) Integrity test
36) Verifying your education and conducting an online search of a candidate is part of what type
of preemployment test?
A) Integrity test
B) Personality test
C) Cognitive test
D) Substance test
E) Background check
37) Most applicants are interviewed several times before a job offer is made.
38) The first stage of the interview process is called the selection stage, where candidates to be
interviewed are selected.
39) Employers often use a variety of interview media to cut interview expenses.
40) When preparing for a video interview, dressing is less important as the interviewer will only
see your face and top of your shirt.
41) Discuss why employers use preemployment testing and what types of testing are most
popular.
42) Discuss what employers look for during the interview process.
43) How can you best prepare for potential questions that will be asked during the interview?
A) Research the organization, industry and competitors and relate your personal experience to
support what the organization does.
B) Research the hiring manager and relate your personal experience to support what is most
important to the hiring manager.
C) Prepare a list of events from your life and use them to better explain what is important to you.
D) Identify areas of interest in your life and use short, direct answers to support your personal
areas of interest.
E) Research the organization and hiring managers and develop answers they most likely want to
hear.
44) After researching the organization, the industry and the market, what is the next step in
preparing for the interview?
A) Ensuring the appropriate business attire is cleaned and pressed
B) Thinking about and planning responses for potential questions you will be asked
C) Thinking about additional information you need to know from the organization
D) Practicing the interview
E) Preparing to arrive at the interview