Resume Writing Test 2015

1. What's most wrong with this resume sentence: "I generated $200,000 in sales last year for my company"?

Answers:

• Doesn't tell what was sold

• Uses first-person pronoun

• Doesn't identify the year

• Too specific

2. Where might you mention a professional membership on a resume?

Answers:

• At the beginning

• In Education

• Near the end

• In Experience

3. What's wrong with this resume sentence: "Acheived promotion to district manager."

Answers:

• Lacks adjectives

• Does not give date of promotion

• Spelling error

• Does not say who gave promotion

4. What type of resume is most appropriate for academic positions?

Answers:

• Curriculum Vitae

• Functional resume

• Chronological resume

• Education-only resume

5. When do you include an objective?

Answers:

• Only when it adds value, is required/requested, clarifies the purpose of your application or job you are applying to, or is otherwise appropriate.

• Never

• Only if you have a cover letter to accompany the resume.

• Always, regardless of whether what you want to do for a career is obvious on your resume or not.

6. When is it acceptable for a resume be several pages long?

Answers:

• If you recently graduated from college

• Always

• If you are an executive, or have a PhD with several years of research experience

• If you have a couple years of work experience

7. When it is okay to bend the truth on a resume?

Answers:

• In the skills section, just to make yourself look more well-rounded

• With the dates, to get rid of evidence that you were out of work for a while

• It is never okay

• With a job title, to help potential employers better understand the nature of the position

8. Should a resume have ALL of your work experience?

Answers:

• No, just the most recent or most relevant experience.

• Yes, all of it is equally important to an employer.

9. Should you mention your age in your resume?

Answers:

• No

• Yes, unless you are 50 or older

• No, unless you are relatively young

• Yes, unless you are younger than 21

10. Should you put your race or ethniciticy on a resume?

Answers:

• Yes, but only if you have met the recruiter in person

• No, unless you are a minority

• Never

• No, unless you know the company would react favorably

11. Recruiters tend to concentrate the most on ____ page of your resume

Answers:

• First

• Fourth

• Second

• Third

12. The education section on a typical resume should include, if possible,

Answers:

• Your GPA (if it is high)

• The university or college you attended

• Any special awards or honors you receive

• (All of these)

13. What's wrong with this resume sentence: "Responsible for assisting with numerus projects."

Answers:

• Unclear what "assisting with" means.

• Describes your responsibilities, not your accomplishments.

• All of these

• Spelling error.

14. The current convention for including references on resumes is:

Answers:

• They should always be included on a separate page so that potential employers can easily contact prior employers

• They should not be included. Instead, applicants should always use the phrase References Available Upon Request.

• They should always be included at the end of a resume so that potential employers can easily contact prior employers

• They should be included on a separate page only if specifically requested by a job advertisement

15. What should you include in your contact information?

Answers:

• Your permanent address

• Your phone number

• All of these

• Your email address

16. What should you include in your resume?

Answers:

• Your most recent jobs and ones that are most meaningful

• Jobs from well known companies

• All the jobs you ever had

• Jobs that lasted longer than 6 months

17. Which of these should you NOT include in your resume?

Answers:

• Age

• Race

• All of these

• Disabilities

18. For whom is a functional resume format useful?

Answers:

• Contract employees

• Job seekers with work history gaps

• Career changers

• All of these

19. Which of the following is the best description of a managerial position?

Answers:

• Manage 8 employees and $300K budget. Revised customer response procedures to cut client response time by 20% while still providing high-quality service.

• Manage multiple staff members. Coordinate their activities to ensure reliable office functionality.

• Manage 8 staff, 300,000 budget. Reduced customer response time 20%.

• Manage staff of eight and also budget of $300,000. Changed procedures to improve customer response time.

20. Why is adding "references available upon request" to your resume incorrect?

Answers:

• It is more appropriate in a cover letter.

• Employers already know this.

• You should list references in your resume.

21. Which resume format is most popular with employers?

Answers:

• Portfolio-based

• Functional

• Reverse chronological

• Competency-based

22. What kind of paper should you print a resume on?

Answers:

• Use a bright color to get noticed

• White printer paper

• Paper choice does not matter.

• Heavy stock, white or cream

23. For the typical resume list your prior job experience...

Answers:

• By importance

• In reverse chronological order

• Alphabetically

• In chronological order

24. Which of the following most closely follows current best practices for resume writing in terms of style, tense, and content?

Answers:

• Served as supervisor for 80 employees in the Sales Division and increased productivity.

• I supervised 80 employees in the Sales Division and increased productivity by 50%

• Supervising the Sales Division, during which time employee productivity was increased by 50%

• Supervised 80 Sales Division employees and increased productivity by 50%

25. Which of the following sections is NOT optional on a resume?

Answers:

• Hobbies and Interests

• Languages

• Education

• Professional Memberships

26. What is an example of something you would NOT put under skills?

Answers:

• Computer experience

• Volunteer Work

• Abilities

• Foreign Languages

27. Which of the following should likely never appear on a resume?

Answers:

• Marital status

• Height and weight

• Social Security Number

• All of these

28. Your former employer, Resume Industries, has since changed their name to Perfect Resumes. What is the standard way to list them on your resume?

Answers:

• Resume Industries (now Perfect Resumes)

• Perfect Resumes

• Perfect Resumes (formerly Resume Industries)

• Resume Industries

29. Your resume should not...

Answers:

• Be written in the active voice

• Use Pronouns (such as "I" or "Me")

• Be less than 3 pages

30. Which of the following should NEVER be included on a resume?

Answers:

• Volunteer activities

• Foreign languages spoken

• Salary information

• Hobbies

31. Which does not belong on a scannable resume?

Answers:

• A consistent font style and size

• Plain formatting with no boxes or pictures

• Left justification

• Decorated text with shading, italics, or bold formatting

32. What belongs in a Skills section of a resume?

Answers:

• The applicant's hobbies and extracurricular activities

• A list of the applicant's abilities and traits (i.e., goal oriented, detail-oriented)

• Bullet points detailing what the applicant has learned from each position and degree

• Computer, language, and other skills that are relevant to the job for which the applicant is applying

33. What should be on the top of your resume

Answers:

• Your contact details

• A Goal statement

• An introductory paragraph

• Your work experience

34. Which are examples of words/phrases to consider removing from a resume?

Answers:

• Words like "energetic"

• All of these

• Words like "experienced" and "seasoned" when you have little experience in the field or outside of school

• Phrases like "people person" because you are expected to be friendly and professional

35. A Summary of Qualifications or Profile is a way to:

Answers:

• Include keywords from the job advertisement

• All of these

• Summarize the ways in which you are a good fit for the position

• Quickly let the potential employer see that you are qualified for the job

36. Which of the following does NOT belong on your resume?

Answers:

• Volunteer activities

• Statement of goal or objective

• Foreign languages spoken

• Reason for leaving previous employment

37. What is a cover letter?

Answers:

• A cover letter is a letter of introduction attached to your resume

• A cover letter is a letter you send to a potential employee after they have been given a reasonable amount of time to examine your resume

• It is the first page of your resume where you list your contact information

• If your resume is in a binder, the cover letter, would be the front of the binder

38. What is a targeted resume?

Answers:

• A resume with a complete work history

• A resume customized for the position wanted

• A resume sent to a specific person

• A resume full of buzzwords

39. What is a Functional resume?

Answers:

• A resume that lists only your skills, certifications, and awards

• A resume that focuses on your skills and experience, emphazing your professional capabilities rather than your chronological work history.

• A resume that lists your work experience in non chronological order

• A resume that focuses on your education and academic background

40. Under the Work Experience heading, an applicant with 30 years of work experience should include:

Answers:

• All of the work experience that the applicant has had in his or her career

• All of the work experience that the applicant has had since graduating college

• All of the work experience that the applicant has had in the past 20 years

• Recent work experience relevant to the job for which the applicant is applying

41. What should NOT be included in a cover letter

Answers:

• Your contact information

• Your work experience

• Your educational background

• Questions about the position

42. On your resume, how should you hide a gap in your employment history?

Answers:

• Say you were in the military and are not at liberty to reveal the details of your service.

• Say you were going to school during that time

• Change exit and start dates for jobs around gap

• You should not hide the gap

43. What is wrong with describing yourself as being "goal-oriented with a can-do attitude?"

Answers:

• Does not say what goals are or what you can do

• All of these

• It's just puffery

• Does not differentiate you from other candidates

44. An effective resume will ______________.

Answers:

• be sent only in response to an advertised position.

• demonstrate how your skills match an employer's requirements.

• use the most complex vocabulary possible.

• show every job you've had, no matter how old.

45. What should be included in a cover letter?

Answers:

• A brief summary of your work experience and education

• Dear [Insert Name]

• All of these

• The job title you are interested in applying for

46. How many pages should a typical entry level non-government resume for a college student have?

Answers:

• 3 - 4 Pages

• 5 - 6 Pages

• 1 - 2 Pages

• 7 - 8 Pages

47. Which of the following sections are optional on a resume

Answers:

• Volunteer Experience

• Work Experience

• Education

• Contact Information

48. Your resume should...

Answers:

• All of these

• Emphasize the postive

• Be truthful

• Have all of the text be the same font

49. Which of the following is the recommended font to use for a resume?

Answers:

• Times New Roman

• Helvetia

• Comic Sans

• Courier New

50. Which of the following fonts are widely accepted for use on a resume?

Answers:

• Times New Roman

• Garamond

• All of these

• Arial

51. What should be in bold type?

Answers:

• All dates

• Your name and section headings

• Job titles

• Bold type should not be used.

52. What is a functional resume?

Answers:

• A resume that focuses on positions the applicant has held and is organized in reverse chronological order

• A resume that focuses on positions the applicant has held and is organized chronologically

• A resume that is organized by the applicant's relevant skills and experiences rather than chronologically

• A basic template that an applicant can use to help them draft and organize a coherent resume

53. What should all your sentences start with?

Answers:

• Personal pronoun

• Action verbs

• Positive adjectives

54. What is the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV)?

Answers:

• In the United States, a curriculum vitae is primarily used for applications to academic, education, scientific, and research positions.

• All of these

• A resume tends to be shorter and a more concise summary of your education, work experience, and skills while a curriculum vitae is often longer and a more detailed synopsis.

• Curriculum Vitae is more widely used in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

55. Which of these is NOT a potential strength of a reverse chronological resume?

Answers:

• It shows your age along with your experience

• It shows continuity in your employment history.

• It is a traditional format that hiring professionals are accustomed to.

• It highlights a clear career path.

56. An applicant's high school education should:

Answers:

• Always be included under the Education heading

• Always be included under the Education heading if the applicant's high school achievements were exemplary

• Be included under the Education heading if the applicant did not go to college

• Never be included under the Education heading

57. Which of these is not a type of resume?

Answers:

• Functional resume

• Hybrid Resume

• Reverse chronological resume

• Serviceable Resume

58. Which of the following should a recent college graduate include on their resume if they don't have much work experience?

Answers:

• Internships and volunteer work, only

• List of all courses taken with a description of their relevance to the position

• Internships, volunteer work, and a list of all courses taken

• Internships, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities

59. A statement of goals or objectives is most useful for whom?

Answers:

• Those seeking a higher position at own company

• Career changers

• Those seeking a higher position at another company

• Those needing to explain a gap in employment history

60. What is the standard order for educational achievements on a resume?

Answers:

• Chronological order with the most recent degree first, excluding degrees that the applicant has not yet completed

• Chronological order with the most recent degree last, excluding degrees that the applicant has not yet completed.

• Chronological order with the most recent degree first, including degrees that the applicant has not yet completed

• Chronological order with the most recent degree last, including degrees that the applicant has not yet completed

61. What is the P-A-R method for writing job descriptions?

Answers:

• Present - Assess - Record

• Pinpoint - Accomplishment - Recap

• Problem - Analysis - Report

• Problem-Action-Result

62. What is the primary component of a functional resume?

Answers:

• List of work experience

• Description of job skills

• Statement of objective

• Educational background

63. What information should always be included for jobs listed under Work Experience?

Answers:

• Position name, company address, company address, dates of employment

• Position name, company name, company location, dates of employment

• Position name, company name, dates of employment

• Position name, supervisor name, company name, company address, dates of employment

64. True or false: Descriptions of past jobs should be in the passive voice.

Answers:

• False

• True

65. Which of these is NOT a potential drawback of a functional resume?

Answers:

• De-emphasizes work history not relevant to job sought

• May not clearly identify which skills were acquired at which job

• Does not highlight clear career path

• Different from what HR departments usually see