Questions and Answers of Excellence In Business Communication

How much personal data should you put on a résumé aimed at U.S. employers?a. You should list your age, marital status, and physical handicaps that might require special accommodation.b. You should
Which of the following best describes the level of quality you should achieve when producing your résumé?a. With the advent of email and social networking, most companies are much more relaxed
Most résumés are now subjected to ___________ in an applicant tracking system or other database, in which a recruiter looks for résumés most likely to match the requirements of a particular job.
A/an _______ version of your résumé has the same content as a traditional résumé but has had all the formatting removed so that it can be easily emailed or copied into online forms.
Which of these is a significant advantage of an online résumé?a. You can expand on the information contained in your basic résumé with links to projects, publications, screen casts, online
What is the primary reason for sending an application letter? a. To encourage the reader to look at your résumé.b. To ask for a job.c. To itemize your qualifications.d. To ask for an
Why are unsolicited application letters more challenging to write than solicited application letters?a. Nobody wants to receive unsolicited application letters. b. With an unsolicited letter,
Which of the following is a good technique to gain attention in the opening paragraph of any application letter?a. Make sure you “jump off the page” with an eye-catching design.b. Explain how you
What are the two vital functions of the final paragraph of an application letter?a. To ask the reader for an interview (or other appropriate action) and to express how happy would you be to work for
What should you do if your mind goes blank after an interviewer asks you a question?
Which of these interview stages happens first?a. The selection stage.b. The screening stage.c. The filtering stage.d. The sorting stage.
A/an ______ interview, often used in the screening stage, features a series of prepared questions in a set order.
How does a behavioral interview differ from a situational interview?a. A behavioral interview asks you to relate incidents and experiences from your past, whereas a situational interview puts you in
What are the two most important factors employers look for during interviews?a. Fit with the organization and motivation.b. Motivation and ability to perform the job.c. Motivation and years of
Which of the following pre employment tests might you encounter while applying for jobs?a. Integrity tests.b. Substance tests.c. Personality tests.d. All of the above.
If an interviewer asks you to describe your biggest weakness, which of the following is a good strategy for your response?a. The interviewer is just trying to rattle you, so what you say is less
Google yourself, Bing yourself, scour your social networking profiles, review your Twitter messages, and explore every other possible online source you can think of that might have something about
What is the best strategy for asking questions of your own during an interview?a. Try to ask all of them at the beginning of the interview so that you don’t run out of time.b. Wait until after the
If you believe that you have a particular disadvantage related to some aspect of your appearance, interviewing skills, job skills, or work experience, how should you handle the situation when
If you’re not sure what style of clothing to wear to a particular interview and you’re not able to ask someone at the company for advice, what should you do?a. Dress in a fairly conservative
Studies show that many interviewers, particularly those with poor training, make up their minds about candidates.a. In the first 20 seconds of the interview.b. In the final 20 seconds of the
Which of the following is an advisable response to an interviewer who asks you about your marital status, how many children you have, and what their ages are?a. Answer the questions; it is perfectly
What should you do if the interviewer tells you the salary for the job being offered?a. Always take whatever the company offers.b. Respond with a figure higher than what is offered.c. Respond with a
Write a short email to your instructor, discussing what you believe are your greatest strengths and weaknesses from an employment perspective. Next, explain how these strengths and weaknesses would
After a job interview, you should send a follow-up message a. Within two days after the interview.b. Only if you think you got the job.c. That follows the AIDA organizational model.d. That does
Will you notify your employer that you are joining a competing firm? Explain.
Will you use the direct or the indirect approach? Explain.
Will you send your letter by email, send it by regular mail, or place it on your supervisor’s desk?
Which of the following sentences lacks parallelism?a. Consumers can download stock research, electronically file their tax returns, create a portfolio, or choose from an array of recommended mutual
Which of the following sentences does not have a dangling modifier?a. Lacking brand recognition, some consumers are wary of using Internet-only banks.b. Because Internet-only banks lack brand
When editing for conciseness, you should look fora. Unnecessary words and phrasesb. Dangling modifiersc. Lack of parallelismd. Awkward references
Which of the following is not an example of a redundancy?a. Visible to the eyeb. Free giftc. Very usefuld. Repeat again.
A well-designed documenta. Includes a wide variety of typefacesb. Balances the space devoted to text, artwork, and white space.c. Fills as much of the available space as possible with text and art.d.
Any blank areas in a document are referred to as ____ ____.
Type that is justified isa. Flush on the left and ragged on the rightb. Flush on the right and ragged on the leftc. Flush on both the left and the rightd. Centered
Why is it a good idea to think in small chunks when writing for mobile audiences?a. Mobile users consume information one screen at a time. b. More than 50 percent of mobile users refuse to
The best time to proofread isa. As you are writing.b. Immediately after you finish the first draft, while the information is still fresh in your mind.c. A day or so after you finish the first
When proofreading, you should look for errors ina. Spelling and punctuation.b. Grammar and usage.c. Typography and format.d. All of the above.
As a general rule, the cost of distributing a business message should be balanced againsta. The importance and urgency of the message.b. The length of the message.c. Your career goals as they relate
Which of the following concerns is the most important to consider when distributing messages through digital media such as email?a. The difficulty of reading on screenb. Privacy and securityc.
The auditing procedure on the books was performed by the vice president.
Where is the most emphatic place to put a dependent clause?a. At the end of the sentenceb. At the beginning of the sentencec. In the middle of the sentenced. Anywhere in the sentence
Using jargon isa. Often a good idea when discussing complex subjects with people who are intimately familiar with the subject and common jargon relating to itb. Never a good ideac. A good way to
If you’re not sure about the meaning of a word you’d like to use, which of the following is the most appropriate way to handle the situation?a. Your readers probably have instant access to online
Which of the following is a concrete word?a. Littleb. Mousec. Speciesd. Kingdom
Which of the following defines the connotative meaning of the word flag?a. A flag is a piece of material with a symbol of some kind sewn on it.b. A flag is a symbol of everything that a nation stands
The ____ voice usually makes sentences shorter, more direct, and livelier.
If you want to avoid attributing blame or otherwise calling attention to a specific person, the ____ voice is a more diplomatic approach.
Plain English isa. Never recommended when speaking with people for whom English is a second language.b. A movement toward using “English only” in U.S. businesses.c. A way of writing and arranging
Why can it be difficult to use the indirect approach for a complex message that will be read on mobile devices?
A good way to achieve a business like tone in your messages is to.a. Use formal business terminology, such as “In re your letter of the 18th”b. Brag about your company.c. Use a conversational
If you have developed a reputation for missing deadlines on projects you manage, which of the following statements would do the best job of helping to rebuild your credibility? a. No April
Does using plain language make you come across as less of an expert? Explain your answer.
Credibility is a measure ofa. Your power within the organizationb. The length of time the audience has known youc. Your confidenced. The audience’s perception of your believability
How is your audience likely to respond to a message that doesn’t seem to be about their concerns or that is written in language they don’t understand?a. They will ignore the message.b. If they
Millions of people in the United States are allergic to one or more food ingredients. Each year, thousands of these people end up in the emergency room after suffering allergic reactions, and
Why should you take the time to adapt your messages to your audience?a. People are more inclined to read and respond to messages that they believe apply to them and their concerns.b. Adapting
Which of the following is the most accurate description of the role that communication will play in your career?a. Ideas matter more than anything, so as long as you are creative and have strong
Effective business messages area. Entertaining, blunt, direct, opinionated, and persuasive.b. Practical, objective, concise, clear, and persuasive.c. Personal, clear, short, catchy, and
Why is it important for a business message to clearly state expectations regarding who is responsible for doing what in response to the message?a. To make sure other employees don’t avoid their
What changes would you make to your email messages if you know your recipients are typically walking or riding on mass transit when they read your messages?
Which of the following is not a skill employers will expect you to have?a. Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.b. Using communication technologies
Which of the following is not one of the six traits of professionalism identified in the chapter?a. Striving to excelb. Being dependablec. Being ethicald. Being loyal to the company no
You’re the CEO of a company whose sales are declining, and there is a 50/50 chance you will need to lay off some of your employees sometime in the next two to three months. You have to decide
An audience-centered approach to communicationa. Starts with the assumption that the audience is always rightb. Improves the effectiveness of communication by focusing on the information needs of the
Sensitivity to business etiquettea. Reduces the chance of interpersonal blunders that might negatively affect communicationb. Is considered by most companies to be a waste of time in today’s
Communication style using the social communication model is best described asa. Conversationalb. Multilingualc. Technicald. Playful
Identify a video clip (on YouTube or another online source) that you believe represents an example of effective communication. It can be in any context, business or otherwise, but make sure it is
Which of the following pairs of attributes best describes the social communication model?a. Interactive and conversationalb. Technical and instantaneousc. Electronic and printd. Relaxed and
Choose a business career that sounds interesting to you and imagine that you are getting ready to apply for jobs in that field. Naturally, you want to create a compelling, audience-focused résumé
For audience members to successfully receive messages, they must first __________ the presence of the message, then __________ it from other sensory input, and then __________ it as a message.
For the receiver of a message to respond in the manner desired by the sender, the receiver needs toa. Remember the messageb. Be able to respond to the messagec. Have the motivation to respond to the
Which of these is a potential disadvantage of the constant connectivity enabled by mobile communication devices? a. Blurring the lines between personal and professional timeb. Losing contact
Which of these is not one of the advantages of mobile communication discussed in the chapter?a. Giving employees more flexibility to meet their personal and professional obligations.b. Guaranteeing
Communication technology has value only if it helps deliver the right __________ to the right __________ at the right time.
Using a mobile device, visit the websites of five companies that make products or provide services you buy or might buy in the future. Which of the websites is the most user friendly? How does it
The information technology paradox means thata. Communication tools can sometimes waste more time than they save.b. Computers lose as much information as they save.c. People are no longer needed to
Reconnecting frequently with colleagues and customers in persona. Is widely considered an inappropriate use of time, given all the electronic options now availableb. Is frowned on by successful
Ethical communicationa. Is the same thing as legal communication.b. Costs more because there are so many rules to consider.c. Is important only for companies that sell to consumers rather than to
An ethical __________ exists when a person is faced with two conflicting but ethical choices or alternatives that are neither entirely right nor entirely wrong; an ethical __________ occurs when a
Teams can achieve a higher level of performance than individuals alone because.a. They combine the intelligence and energy of multiple individuals.b. They can foster motivation and creativity.c.
Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of working in teams?a. Teams always stamp out creativity by forcing people to conform to existing ideas and practices.b. Teams increase a
Conflict in team settings can be ____ if it forces important issues into the open, increases the involvement of team members, and generates creative ideas for solving a problem.
Which of the following is the best way for a team of people to write a report?a. Each member should plan, research, and write his or her individual version and then the group can select the strongest
Why do you think people are more likely to engage in rude behaviors during online communication than during in-person communication?
Which of the following steps should be completed before anyone from the team does any planning, researching, or writing?a. The team should agree on the project’s goals.b. The team should agree on
You’re giving your first major presentation at your new job and you notice at least half the people in the small conference room are looking at their mobile devices more than they are looking at
Which of the following is not a benefit of using social media for business communication?a. Social media are “out in the open,” so messages are easier for managers to monitor and control.b.
What are the three key steps to making sure meetings are productive?a. Planning, planning, and more planning.b. Preparing carefully, conducting meetings efficiently, and putting meeting results to
Robert’s Rules of Order is a guide to ____ procedure.
In this project, you will conduct research on your own and then merge your results with those of the rest of your team. Search Twitter for messages on the subject of workplace safety. (You can use
____ teams are teams whose members work in different locations and interact electronically.
____ technologies enable realistic conferences in which participants thousands of miles apart almost seem to be in the same room.
After receiving messages, listeners ____ what they’ve heard by assigning meaning to the sounds.
If you’re giving an important presentation and notice that many of the audience members look away when you try to make momentary eye contact, which of the following is most likely going on?a. These
If you don’t agree with something the speaker says in a large, formal meeting, the best response is toa. Signal your disagreement by folding your arms across your chest and staring defiantly back
Nonverbal signals can be more influential than spoken language because.a. Body language is difficult to control and therefore difficult to fake, so listeners often put more trust in nonverbal cues
Select a business letter and envelope you have received at work or home. Analyze their appearance. What nonverbal messages do they send? Are these messages consistent with the content of the letter?
Which of the following is true about nonverbal signals?a. They can strengthen a spoken message.b. They can weaken a spoken message.c. They can replace spoken messages.d. All of the above are true.
Which of the following is the best characterization of etiquette in today’s business environment?a. Business etiquette is impossible to generalize because every company has its own culture; you

Showing 700 - 800 of 849