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CHAPTER 16
Zooming In Critical Thinking Answers
Can novice job seekers predict what a job interview will involve?
Surprisingly enough, even novice job seekers can closely predict what a job interview
will entail. Most interviewers ask similar questions, sometimes in the form of
an invitation such as Tell me about yourself. This chapter will help
How is interviewing a two-way street? What does this mean for job candidates?
Interviewing is indeed a two-way street. Candidates must promote their best qualities and impress the
company. However, companies must sell the position and the company to candidates. Recruiters
realize that good candidates are difficult to find and that they may have other offers. In addition, it is
very expensive for a company to make a “bad hire”—that is, to hire someone who doesn’t fit in or
How can job seekers show recruiters or hiring managers that they are invested in a position
during the job interview?
Job candidates can demonstrate their interest and investment in a position by doing considerable research
to prepare for the interview. Job candidates should learn as much as possible about the company, the
Critical Thinking Answers
1. Online psychometric and skills tests with multiple-choice questionnaires have become a hot
trend in interviewing today. What are some advantages and disadvantages of this practice?
The multiple-choice scenarios that employers may introduce are designed to assess soft skills—a
new twist on the traditional multiple-choice questionnaire measuring aptitude, knowledge, and
From the employer’s point of view, the multiple-choice format is an efficient and reliable screening
tool that facilitates pinpointing the right person for the job. Some companies are even experimenting
The limitations of this approach are that this type of testing reveals only one facet of an individual. It
cannot provide all the necessary information about a candidate. Also, some questions may be too
2. Like criminal background checks and drug tests, social media background checks have
become commonplace in today’s recruiting. What are the pros and cons of conducting such
checks as a primary or sole means of screening applicants?
This would make an excellent debate topic with some class members taking the part of employers
and others taking the part of job candidates. Some of the following arguments might be made.
Employers argue that interviews often do not reveal the applicant fully. Résumés discuss only a
person’s work history and skip that person’s temperament or personality. In supporting media
3. If you are asked an illegal interview question, why is it important to first assess the intentions
of the interviewer?
Most illegal interview questions are asked in true innocence. Inexperienced interviewers are ignorant
of the law. They do not know what questions are proper and are unaware of how others could use
4. Why is it a smart strategy to thank an interviewer, to follow up, and even to send a rejection
follow-up message? Are any risks associated with this strategy?
To stand out positively in the crowd of applicants, be polite and conduct yourself in an ethical
manner. Saying thank you is common courtesy. Following up shows your commitment to the job and
makes you memorable to the interviewer. Finally, responding politely to a rejection will give you a
5. Ethical Issue: A recruiter decides not to continue the hiring procedure for a candidate after
learning that she is pregnant. Is his action legal? Ethical? What lesson could be learned
about posting private information online?
His action seems to violate numerous laws, such as Title VII, the ADA, GINA, and ADEA. Many of
these laws were enacted to prohibit discrimination in the following categories: age, sex, religion,
disability, genetic information, race/color, national origin, and pregnancy. These are referred to as
Zooming In
Your Turn: Applying Your Skills
Many students find it difficult to translate experiences from course work in school or entry-level or
low-wage jobs such as babysitting and waiting tables into anecdotes that illustrate innate skills
necessary for higher-level positions. Encourage students to think critically about the skills they have
developed in school and how they relate to their chosen careers. Perhaps jobs such as dealing with
a cranky toddler or a difficult customer at a pizza parlor can illustrate good people skills. Students will
feel empowered once they realize that they do have skills employers will find attractive.
Activities Solutions
16.1 Document for Analysis: Camille’s Poor Interview Follow-Up Letter
Weaknesses
a. Expresses excessive exuberance in opening (altogether extremely enjoyable), which is
unprofessional in business writing
b. Fails to mention in the opening the date of the interview or the exact position for which she was
interviewed.
Revision
1340 East Phillips Avenue
Apartment D
Littleton, CO 80126
June 17, 2018
Ms. Michelle Genovese
High Country Accounting
2810 East Sixth Avenue
Denver, CO 80218-3453
Dear Ms. Genovese:
Thanks for speaking with me on Thursday, June 16, about the goals of High Country Accounting and the
duties of the person hired for the assistant account manager position. The job you described seems to be
an excellent match for my training and skills.
Now that I've learned more about the specific tasks of this position and the administrative needs of High
Country Accounting, I'm especially eager to join your staff. As we discussed, my training in current
accounting practices as well as my experience as a financial consultant in the mortgage industry should
enable me to help with the backlog of client projects that you mentioned.
You will find me to be attentive to detail, enthusiastic, and eager to work on team projects. If you seek
additional information about my qualifications, please send me an e-mail at camille.montano@gmail.com
or call me at 303.455.5182. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
16.2 What Social Media Info Turns Interviewers On or Off?
We tend to turn a blind eye to our own shortcomings but discover other people’s flubs and flaws
much more readily. This exercise may sharpen students’ perceptions of the danger they may be
If students are reluctant to show their social media profiles to strangers in the class, start a
discussion of why they might be reluctant. Do they sense that they may have posted inappropriate
content? If class participants are hesitant to reveal their full social media profiles, ask them to view
On a related note, a PhD student from Brazil studying in Hannover, Germany, developed an app
called FireMe!, the goal of which is to “raise awareness about the danger of public online data.”
FireMe! collects potentially offensive tweets in several categories—for example, Haters, Horrible
16.3 Employing Social Media to Investigate Jobs
Students should enjoy this activity. More and more company and employee blogs are being created
16.4 Digging for Digital Dirt: Keeping a Low Profile Online
This exercise should generate a lively discussion. It should also raise awareness in students who
and don’t show much regard for potentially adverse effects on their job search. A special threat to
privacy is tagging, a popular feature on Facebook and other social media networks. Users can
Now, if students believe that recruiters will be happy if the search turns up nothing at all, and the
applicant is practically a blank slate, they need to think again. The absence of a footprint on the
Internet raises suspicions too because it suggests that the job seeker has no positive
16.5 Using Glassdoor to Prepare for Interviews and Find Salary Data
Results will vary. Suffice it to say that Glassdoor is a terrific resource for any job seeker or anyone
who wants to peek into the inner workings of human resources, company culture, interview
16.6 Yes, You Can Interview People in Fewer Than 140 Characters!
The assignment will help students practice conciseness while also making them think about
Question:
@jaybaer: Community management is a burgeoning job category. What makes a good
community manager?
Two Replies:
@ambercadabra: Being flexible, passionate, and above all being a bridge-builder
between people and organizations, always.
It’s a combination of communications, biz development, cust. service, and the
willingness to be what your community needs.
16.7 Building Interview Skills With Worksheets
16.8 Telling Success Stories
16.9 Talent Assessments: Evaluating Job Scenarios
1. Answer B: About 60-70 percent is correct. Any more than that would make the person
uncomfortable, and any less than that would make that person feel that you are not paying
attention.
A discussion of the questions and answers might reinforce chapter content and prompt further
reflections on tact, workplace etiquette, and so on. Parts of the assignment could be completed in
writing—for example, by having students devise their own scenarios and multiple-choice questions.
Here are additional questions without answers to spark a discussion of the purpose such questions
may serve:
a. On a scale of one to 10, how happy are you?
b. Would you disturb a busy supervisor with a problem or try to resolve it on your own?
c. How often do you yell at customers, colleagues, and your boss?
16.10 Getting Ready to Wear Interview Attire
Students need to know more than to wear a suit to an interview. The opportunities for dress code
violations are many and involve crucial details—for example, the correct fit of a suit, proper length of
Many companies today have introduced dress codes to clarify the fuzzy dividing line between
16.11 Rehearsing Answers to Interview Questions
16.12 Anticipating Situational Interview Questions
Students may enjoy writing their own situational interview questions and playing the roles of both
16.13 Examining Behavioral Interview Questions
Students should list some of the following skill areas: analytical/problem solving, communication,
16.14 Negotiating a Salary
Have two students role-play a short scenario with preliminary interview questions before approaching
the salary question. Encourage them to use their imaginations in responding realistically. One
16.15 Creating a Digital or Paper Interview Cheat Sheet
Preparing an interview cheat sheet is an excellent strategy, particularly for new job seekers. Once
16.16 Responding to Inappropriate and Illegal Interview Questions
Students may be confronted with questions in interviews that they do not even realize are
16.17 Asking Your Own Questions
Students are sometimes caught off guard when asked if they have any questions at the end of a job
16.18 Embracing Mock Interviews
Students will enjoy this activity and will learn from it. Carefully observe these mock interviews to
16.19 YouTube: Critiquing Interview Skills
In classrooms equipped with Internet access and video screens, students could watch
instructor-selected video clips of successful and unsuccessful job interviews or share previously
16.20 Minding Your Table Manners
Students may enjoy this activity because they tend to fear violating table manners more than any
other etiquette blunder. Fortunately, with some diligence, recent graduates can acquire acceptable
16.21 Thanking the Interviewer
Activities 16.21 through 16.24 enable students to prepare an interview thank-you message, a
résumé follow-up message, a follow-up to a rejection message, and a job acceptance message.
Decide which of these messages you would like your students to prepare, and consider having them
Google Sites is an excellent free option for posting e-portfolios. However, students should keep in
16.22 Following Up After Submitting Your Résumé
Solutions will vary.
16.23 Refusing to Take No for an Answer
16.24 Accepting a Job Offer
16.25 Evaluating Your Course
This activity prompts students to think in terms of targeted employer benefits rather than their
