Deck 2: Networking, Job Interviews, and Follow-Up

Question 1

At your university's career fair you get the opportunity to speak with a representative from the company you want to work for. What should you do at the end of the conversation?

A) Ask for a job offer.
B) Ask for a business card.
C) Don't ask for anything. If the company is interested in your skills, it will get in touch with you.
D) Thank the representative for his or her time.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In a career fair, if you do not hear the name of a company's representative correctly, what should you do?

A) Avoid mentioning his or her name in the conversation.
B) Politely ask the company representative to repeat his or her name.
C) Don't do anything. You will look unprofessional if you try to clarify the name.
D) Discreetly ask the candidates standing next to you if any of them have heard the name correctly.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Alicia is intimidated by formal networking events. What advice would you give her?

A) Not to go to any formal networking events, as she could embarrass herself
B) Not to worry too much about networking; the best way to land a job is to respond to job advertisements
C) Create a LinkedIn account and everything will fall into place
D) Start with her current network; groups that she is already a member of

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What do you do in an effective networking session?

A) You exchange benefits; talk about the value you bring to an organization, and listen to what the organization has to offer.
B) Make sure you spend most of the time talking about yourself.
C) Never ask questions, as you may look dumb doing so.
D) Go with the flow; do whatever seems right at the moment.

Question 5

What does your choice of cover letter formatting reveal about you?

A) My creative and innovative nature
B) My unique writing style
C) My familiarity with professional writing standards
D) My unique character

Question 6

During a job interview, what is the most effective strategy to answer a question about your weaknesses?

A) Frame a strength as a weakness.
B) Present a weakness on a quality that is not required to complete the job.
C) Select a weakness that does not relate to the work environment in any way.
D) Confirm that you do not have any weaknesses.

Question 7

At the end of a job interview at Facebook, the interviewer asks you if you have any questions. Which of the answers below will impress the interviewer the most?

A) No, thanks. I don't have any questions. I have already done a lot of research on Facebook.
B) Yes. What kind of training do you provide?
C) Yes. Is this portrayed fun work environment at Facebook for real, or is it just a tactic to attract employees?
D) My research on Facebook shows that the company helped launch Cause, a company dedicated to helping non-profit organizations fundraise. As you can see from my résumé, I have coordinated many fundraising activities for social causes in my city. I was wondering if I would have the opportunity to work on projects related to Cause or on fundraising for social causes in general.

Question 8

Which of the following do most interviewers focus on?

A) Ability to do the job, motivation, and cultural fit
B) Ability to dodge tough questions, motivation, and adaptability
C) Ability to express ideas, self-awareness, and motivation
D) Ability to express ideas, confidence, and motivation

Question 9

In a job interview, what does the following question reveal about you? Why do you think you would be successful in this position?

A) Your weaknesses
B) Your communication skills
C) Your strengths
D) Past behaviour that predicts future behaviour

Question 10

You are not sure how to approach behavioural interview questions. Samir, a student taking a Business Communications class, advises you to use the STAR technique in your responses. What does STAR stand for?

A) Situation, task, action, results
B) Subject, trouble, accomplishment, reward
C) Setback, tool, achievement, repercussion
D) Struggle, trial, attainment, responsibility

Question 11

What is the difference between a behavioural interview and a situational interview?

A) Behavioural interviews ask you to describe a time when you demonstrated a particular skill required for the job, while situational interviews ask you to respond to a hypothetical situation.
B) Behavioural interviews evaluate your personal behaviour, while situational interviews evaluate your skills based on your experiences in specific situations.
C) Behavioural interviews evaluate your ability to respond to hypothetical challenges, while situational interviews evaluate your skills based on your experiences.
D) There is no difference between them. They both evaluate your ability to perform a job based on your college and work experience.

Question 12

Why should interviewees ask questions at the end of job interviews?

A) To look smart
B) So as not to waste time researching the organization
C) To avoid further questions from the interviewer
D) To demonstrate cultural fit, knowledge of job requirements, and interest in the job and organization

Question 13

In a job interview, which of the following is the most effective approach to handling a question about a time when you experienced teamwork problems?

A) Recall a situation in which you successfully handled teamwork conflict; describe the situation, your task, what you did, and the result of your actions.
B) Confirm that you have never experienced any teamwork problems.
C) Dodge the question. Say that you can't think of any situation at the moment.
D) Recall a situation in which a teamwork conflict ended badly; describe the situation, your task, what you did, and the result of your actions.

Question 14

In a job interview, which of the below should you avoid?

A) Having an open posture
B) Leaning forward in your seat
C) Making eye contact with the interviewer
D) Leaning back in your seat and crossing your legs

Question 15

Before a job interview, what should you do to develop a mindset that projects confidence and self-assurance?

A) Go for a long walk
B) Stand for a few seconds with your hands on your hips, taking up physical space
C) Watch an episode of your favourite Netflix show
D) Anything you do will distract you; don't do anything

Question 16

In job interviews, what is the STAR technique commonly used to respond to?

A) Stress questions
B) Personal questions
C) Behavioural questions
D) Questions about academic qualifications

Question 17

During a job interview, which of the following is most effective when you don't know the answer to a question?

A) Bluff your way through the question.
B) Act like the question is stupid.
C) Provide an answer that demonstrates quick thinking and creativity.
D) Don't answer the question.

Question 18

In a job interview, why should you dress appropriately?

A) To demonstrate familiarity with business standards
B) To catch the eye of the interviewer with your style
C) To show your personality and character
D) To project confidence

Question 19

In a job interview, which of the following is the most effective response to a question about what makes you an ideal candidate for a marketing communication job?

A) I am the best candidate for the job because I have lots of experience in the field.
B) I am an ideal candidate for the position having had two marketing communication internships in Maple Leaf and having developed three marketing communications plans.
C) I basically have lots of experience in the field.
D) I am simply the best in marketing communications.

Question 20

In an interview follow-up message, which of the following should you avoid?

A) Thanking the interviewers for their time
B) Indicating the job you interviewed for and the interview date
C) Summarizing your key skills and confirming interest in the organization
D) Summarizing your résumé and confirming interest in the organization

Question 21

During networking events, you should only focus on speaking about yourself.

Question 22

Interview follow-up emails are a sign of desperation and weakness; never send follow-up emails to any of your interviewers.

Question 23

In a job interview, you should focus on the employer's needs, not your own.

Question 24

An elevator pitch is about you; therefore, you do not need to adapt it to a particular company or post.

Question 25

It is common for recruiters to reject job applications because of poor document formatting.

Question 26

In a job interview, specific examples of achievements or qualifications can prompt further questions, so job candidates should avoid giving examples of their capabilities.

Question 27

In job interviews, successful candidates use inflated words like "superior" and "best" to describe their qualifications.

Question 28

When recruiters ask you about what your previous employers would say you should work to improve, they are asking about your weaknesses.

Question 29

Job candidates who deliver successful elevator pitches practise their pitches in front of friends.

Question 30

What advice would you give a friend preparing for behavioural interview questions?

Question 31

Your Business Communications professor explains that networking is one of the best ways to find a job. What is networking?

Question 32

What does effective preparation for a job interview involve?

Question 33

What is the STAR technique?

Question 34

Describe a situational job interview.

Question 35

What is the purpose of an interview follow-up e-mail?

Question 36

In what way can interviewers and job candidates demonstrate high standards of ethics?

Question 37

If given the opportunity, should candidates ask questions during a job interview? Why or why not?

Question 38

Your friend advises you to use a 6-point font on your resume to fit as much information as possible onto a single page. Should you follow your friend's advice? Why or why not?