Deck 12: The Job Search, Résumés, Social Media, and Cover Letters

Question 1

The increase in job listings on the Internet has made personal contacts less important.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The first reader of your résumé may be a computer.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When preparing a PDF version of your résumé, you will be able to make changes to it very easily.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah is trying to decide whether to create an online e-portfolio. Which of the following cautions does the text offer about e-portfolios?

A)Many employers find e-portfolios tasteless and overly boastful.
B)If you don't use good judgement, your e-portfolio can be embarrassing.
C)Only candidates in a few fields, such as writers, models, artists, and graphic artists use e-portfolios.
D)E-portfolios are impractical for all but a small percentage of candidates who have the necessary knowledge, resources, and Web site space.

Question 5

If you use the chronological style for your résumé, you should emphasize the skills section more than any other and place it at the beginning of your résumé.

Question 6

A summary of qualifications should include three to eight bulleted statements that prove you are the ideal candidate for the position.

Question 7

The text suggests employing some of the top 10 buzzwords in your résumé because they are proven to be effective.

Question 8

The goal of preparing a persuasive résumé is to obtain an interview.

Question 9

Job seekers often complain about employment sites because their postings tend to be out of date and it can be difficult to stand out among the other applicants.

Question 10

An example of an effective career objective is To obtain a position in advertising where I can gain experience in the field and increase my level of skill and expertise.

Question 11

When you are expecting a call from a prospective employer, it's important to answer your cell phone only when you are in a quiet environment.

Question 12

Electronic means of searching for employment have totally replaced traditional methods.

Question 13

You should limit your résumé to one page whether or not the company you are sending it to uses scanning software.

Question 14

In the closing of a cover letter, suggest reader benefits or review your strongest points while asking for a job.

Question 15

Your résumé emphasizes what you have done; your cover letter emphasizes what you can do for the employer.

Question 16

Experts don't always agree on the best length for a résumé.

Question 17

While searching for a job, you should focus mainly on applying to company sites because very few jobs can be found through networking.

Question 18

Résumés using the functional style are most appropriate for people who have had minimal work experience but have demonstrated relevant skills.

Question 19

If you aren't sure who in the company will be reading your résumé, you should call the company to find out.

Question 20

You shouldn't waste your time contacting companies that have no current job listings.

Question 21

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah is wondering how to handle the list of people who have given her permission to name them as references. Which of the following would probably be her best decision?

A)She doesn't have very many references at this point, so she includes a reference that isn't totally positive.
B)She includes the line References available upon request at the end of her résumé.
C)She doesn't include a list of references in her résumé since they are not normally necessary to secure an interview.
D)She includes several personal and character references along with her professional references.

Question 22

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah is writing the "Education" portion of her résumé. She follows the advice she remembers reading in Essentials of Business Communications, the text she used in the business communications course she took last year. Which of the following does she decide to do?

A)She gives course descriptions of the most relevant courses she took.
B)She lists relevant seminars and workshops as well as the colleges she attended.
C)She indicates that she has a diploma from every college where she completed coursework.
D)She lists her elective courses in addition to her core program courses to highlight her personal interests.

Question 23

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
According to the text, which strategy will Sarah probably find most effective when organizing the parts of her résumé?

A)ending her résumé with the heading "Work Experience" or "Employment History"
B)beginning her résumé with the heading "Summary of Qualifications"
C)using a maximum of six headings to organize the information in her résumé
D)including a career objective stating that she is looking for an entry-level position.

Question 24

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Because she has held only summer and part-time jobs, Sarah creates an effective résumé that highlights her skills and accomplishments rather than her employment history. What style does she use for her résumé?

A)Her résumé is set up in the functional style.
B)Her résumé lists her work history job by job, starting with her most recent position.
C)Her résumé describes her skills and accomplishments in detail, so it is four pages long.
D)Her résumé doesn't list her previous jobs, because they don't relate to the job she is seeking.

Question 25

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah begins to write her résumé, emphasizing her part-time employment and relevant coursework. How long will Sarah's résumé be?

A)One page, which is most appropriate for an entry-level position.
B)Three pages, which is most appropriate for a senior-level management position..
C)Four pages, to give a detailed account of Sarah's educational and professional experience.
D)The length of her résumé isn't very important; employers welcome all types of applications.

Question 26

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Which of the following résumé sections will most likely appear on Sarah's résumé after the main heading?

A)Experience
B)Education
C)Awards and Activities
D)References

Question 27

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
According to the text, which information is most appropriately included in Sarah's résumé?

A)employed part time, 2002-2007, Domino's Pizza: 6785-126 Ave.Surrey, BC
B)demonstrated superior efficiency and customer service skills by winning the Domino's Pizza 2009 "Hop-to-it" award for most valuable employee
C)Canadian Social Insurance Number: 765-854-236
D)graduated from St.Benedict High School, Surrey, BC, 2007

Question 28

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Which of these does the text identify as the first step that Sarah should take in the employment process?

A)Develop an effective résumé to send to prospective employers.
B)Locate job openings at desirable companies.
C)Research salary and benefits packages in the human resources field.
D)Assess her personal interests and qualifications.

Question 29

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah wants to use her résumé for three different purposes: she wants to be able to submit it to recruiters in printed form, she wants recruiters to be able to transfer it easily to a company's electronic résumé database, and she wants to be able to e-mail it and post it online. What will Sarah most likely have to do?

A)Save three different versions of the same résumé.
B)Write three different résumés from scratch.
C)Use the same font and formatting for all three purposes.
D)Create one version of her résumé to use for all three situations.

Question 30

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Which description of capabilities and skills will increase the effectiveness of a résumé?

A)managed many employees' tasks
B)made sure employees communicated effectively
C)I am quite knowledgeable about this company's communications policies.
D)supervised 40 employees on all internal and external communication projects

Question 31

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
One of Sarah's classmates advised her that it's very common for job seekers to embellish their education and experience on their résumés, as long as it's truthful. According to the text, which of the following self-promotion tactics is the most ethical?

A)List every academic and professional award you have been granted, including the source and the year of the award.
B)State that you have graduated from any university where you have completed coursework.
C)Create more impressive job titles for previous jobs that you think employers will overlook.
D)Imply that you held one position over one full year if the position only lasted a few months.

Question 32

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah has decided to use a wide variety of resources to increase her chances of finding a suitable position. According to the text, which of the following is likely to be the greatest source of hires?

A)She creates a LinkedIn account to make connections with potential employers and other people in her chosen career.
B)She checks the job openings listed on individual company Web sites.
C)She asks a previous employer from her summer internship to make an internal referral for a more permanent position.
D)She has checked the listings on Workopolis and has signed up for its free biweekly newsletter offering advice to job-seekers.

Question 33

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
When Sarah accepts a job and begins her new career, what can she look forward to in today's workplace?

A)She will continue to use the job skills that she possesses when she is hired for the foreseeable future.
B)She will follow a clearly defined, predictable career path.
C)She may change careers three times and change jobs more than seven times in a lifetime.
D)She will be employed in a permanent position and have more job security than in the past.

Question 34

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Which is the best closing sentence for the cover letter Sarah is writing in response to an advertised job opening?
A)I am confident I would find a position with your company rewarding.

A)m.I am looking forward to meeting you and telling you all about my skills, background, and experience.
B)If you have further questions, please feel free to call me at your convenience.
C)To add a well-trained, knowledgeable human resources administrative assistant with proven analytical and communication skills to your team, call me at [phone] to arrange an interview.
D)I would like to request an interview on Tuesday, March 11th at 10:00

Question 35

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
How could Sarah strengthen the Work Experience section of her résumé?

A)She could describe her work experience using bulleted lists beginning with action verbs.
B)She could include full addresses for all employers she has listed in her résumé.
C)She could describe all job duties in detail for the part-time positions she held.
D)She could omit the dates of her work experience because the jobs she held were temporary and part-time.

Question 36

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
According to the text, what is the most important thing Sarah can do to create a résumé that is customized to apply for a particular position?

A)Limit the length of her résumé to one page.
B)Post a copy of her résumé online.
C)Print her résumé on high-quality bond paper using a good laser printer.
D)Emphasize skills and achievements that target a particular job and company.

Question 37

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Sarah has a friend who also received his diploma just last spring and who is also applying for a permanent job. She asks to see the résumé he has written. She notices that he hasn't included "Career Objective" as a heading. Instead, he has included a different heading near the top which, according to the text, illustrates a major change in résumés over the last decade. What heading has he likely included instead of Career Objective?

A)Cumulative GPA
B)Personal Information
C)Capabilities and Skills
D)Summary of Qualifications

Question 38

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
What would be the most effective statement of Sarah's career objective for her résumé?

A)to obtain an entry-level position in accounting
B)to work for a company that provides good benefits and room for advancement
C)to obtain an accounting position with responsibilities in accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll
D)to obtain a challenging position where I can use my skills and abilities and practise what I learned in my college program

Question 39

Human Resources
Sarah Guo will complete two years of college in April and graduate with a diploma in human resources. She is ready to begin searching for full-time employment. Sarah has held several part-time, temporary positions while attending high school and college, but this will be her first permanent position. She has taken many courses in human resources as well as a variety of general business, communications, and optional courses. She hopes to find a job with a medium-sized or large firm somewhere in British Columbia, preferably in or near Vancouver, where she has lived since she was born.
Which is the best opening sentence for the cover letter Sarah is writing in response to an advertised job opening?

A)I read your advertisement for a human resources administrative assistant, which appeared in the careers section of The Globe and Mail on October 19, with great interest.
B)I would be an ideal fit for the position you advertised last week.
C)Please consider me for a position in your human resources department.
D)Do you need an energetic, resourceful employee in your human resources department?

Question 40

The _________________ of a cover letter applying for an advertised job opening should identify the position very precisely, as well as the name and date of the publication where the advertisement appeared.

Question 41

A smart job seeker can maximize the number of __________________ that a computer program will recognize (increase the number of "hits") by incorporating words from the advertisement or job description in a résumé.

Question 42

When preparing a résumé for e-mailing, you may be asked by the recruiter to save it as a(n) _______________ file.

Question 43

Although recruiters and applicants complain about _____________ ______________ (two words), they are useful for gathering job-search information about things such as résumés, salaries, and interview tips.

Question 44

Some organizations might request you to input your résumé information into their company _______________ to allow for quicker searches of qualified candidates.

Question 45

A job seeker with little work experience but relevant certifications, skills, and coursework should start a résumé with a summary of _________________.

Question 46

You should include your contact information in the ________________ of your cover letter to motivate action from the reader.

Question 47

A résumé that lists work history job by job, starting with the most recent position, has been prepared using the __________________ style.

Question 48

Students who have little work experience should write a cover letter that spotlights their ______________ and how they can apply it to a specific job.

Question 49

If you decide not to include a(n) ______________ ______________ (two words) in your résumé, you need to be sure to discuss your work-related goals in your cover letter.