The Quintessential Careers Cover Letter Quiz

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The Quintessential Careers Cover Letter Quiz

by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

Test your cover-letter knowledge by responding to the following questions to the best of your ability. For multiple-choice questions, choose the BEST response. Here's one quiz where it's OK to "cheat;" feel free to refer to the Quintessential Careers Cover Letter Tutorial to find answers.

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What will a good cover letter get you?
a document to go with your resume
a job
lots of praise
an interview

Which of the following is NOT a function of a cover letter?
To tell the employer what kind of job you seek
To show how well you write or express yourself
To inform the reader of what you expect to get out of the job you're applying for
To entice the reader to want to get to know you better by interviewing you

When should you send a cover letter?
Only when an ad specifically requests it
Every time you send out your resume
When you need to list your salary requirement
When you need to list references

Which of the following is NOT one of the 3 types of cover letters?
The Referral Cover Letter
The Uninvited/Cold Contact Cover Letter
The Hot Prospect Cover Letter
The Invited Cover Letter

Why is the Uninvited/Cold Contact Cover Letter the most common type?
Because it's better to catch employers by surprise
Because most people don't know any better
Because employers prefer them
Because 75-95 percent of jobs are not advertised

What job-hunting technique does the highly effective Referral Cover Letter spring from?
Networking
Prospecting
Cold-canvassing
Interviewing

Other than getting attention by name-dropping, how can the Referral Cover Letter help you get interviews?
It contains a special paragraph that employers find hard to resist
It does a better job of highlighting your resume than other types of cover letters.
Since it mentions the name of a mutual acquaintance between the writer and recipient, it would be rude for the recipient not to interview the person referred to him/her by the mutual friend.
It contains more ways to get in touch with you than other cover letters do.

The Self-referral Cover Letter. . .
Reminds an acquaintance of your previous association
Tends to be very boastful
Is generally a mistake
Shows off your marketability

Which of the following is NOT something that a cover letter writer should always do in his or her opening paragraph?
Tell why he or she is writing
Flatter the employer with knowledge of the company
Be specific about the position sought and what the job-seeker can offer.
Attempt to arouse the employer's interest.

True or False: The effectiveness of taking risks with the opening paragraph of your letter depends greatly on the field in which you are are seeking a job.
True
False

Which of the following is NOT something that a cover letter should always contain in its closing paragraph?
Suggestion/request for an interview.
Statement that the letter-writer will follow up with a phone call to arrange the interview.
Statement that the letter-writer looks forward to hearing from the recipient.
Statement thanking the employer for considering the letter-writer.

Which of the following is NOT one of the 3 most common cover letter mistakes?
Leaving out salary requirements
Not addressing the letter to a named individual
Failing to be proactive; leaving the ball in the employer's court.
Telling what the employer should do for you rather than what you can do for the employer.

True or False: It is wise to include phrases such as "I feel" and "I believe" in cover letters.
True
False

What's the best way to make value judgments or claims of personal attributes more credible in a cover letter?
Use very positive language in making the claims
Substantiate the claims by attributing them to a third party
There is no good way to make such claims, so omit them
Refer the reader to your resume

How could you rewrite this passage so that the writer takes credit for himself/herself instead of crediting others? "I was placed in a management position and received the Employee of the Month Award. My supervisor required me to oversee five employees and be accountable for their performance."

How could you rewrite this sentence so that it doesn't contain a negative qualifier? "Although I am not very familiar with Lotus, I am experienced in other spreadsheet programs."

True or False: Employers like candidates to express a willingness to perform any available job.
True
False

True or False: If you are not fully qualified, it's always a good idea to state in your cover letter that you are a fast learner.
True
False

An "Autobiography Letter . . ."
is the best kind of cover letter to write
should be used when you don't have a lot of work experience
is generally rambling and unfocused
is a good choice for college students

The best way to fix a "Kitchen Sink" paragraph is:
break it into smaller paragraphs and tie them to the job sought
omit it altogether
add more adjectives
make sure it is the first paragraph in the letter

True or False: It's OK to mention skills gained in school even if they have nothing to do with the job sought.
True
False

How can you make the most of your college experience in your cover letter?
describe skills gained in the classroom
describe sports and extracurricular activities
discuss hands-on projects
all of the above

True or False: Transferable skills should be portrayed in the resume only, NOT in the cover letter.
True
False

The fact that very few jobseekers demonstrate their knowledge of the company in their cover letters means that:
it's an incorrect practice
it's hard to research companies
you will stand out if you do demonstrate such knowledge
they are not really interested in the job

The best way to tailor your cover letter to a want ad is to:
avoid the keywords and buzzwords in the ad because that's plagiarism
tell the employer that your resume is scannable
use keywords and buzzwords from the ad
try to sound a little overqualified

True or False: The tone of your letter should align with the type of job you're applying for.
True
False

True or False: It's a bad idea to include bullets in your cover letter because it makes the letter too much like a resume.
True
False

True or False: Keywords can be used as a form of "word bullet" to draw attention to your most relevant skills.
True
False

True or False: The worst possible way to tailor your cover letter to an ad is to use a 2-column format.
True
False

A postscript (P.S.) on your cover letter . . .
should never be handwritten
will be the first thing the employer notices on your letter
should be avoided
should avoid mentioning your USP

What's the best way to make an employer want to get to know you better by interviewing you?
imply that you have information that could be used against the employer
write a paragraph that opens a window into your personality
tell a hiring manager of the opposite sex about your alluring physical traits
use very flowery language

Your USP is:
Your Unilaterally Simplistic Paradox
Your Unequaled Sexual Prowess
Your Unique Selling Proposition
Your Unforgettably Superior Popularity

The PEP Formula tells the employer that:
you can help the company save money
you can increase the company's productivity
you can help the company make money
all of the above

Write a sample cover-letter sentence that includes an example of quantifying.

Write a sample cover-letter sentence using a "superlative" or "first."

True or False: It's a good idea to start every sentence with "I" in a cover letter to show ownership of your qualifications.
True
False

Rewrite this sentence with a more descriptive verb: "I worked as a supervisor of three team members."

Rewrite this sentence with a more descriptive verb: "I was a writer for a catalog company."

Rewrite this sentence with a more descriptive verb: "I did a business plan as part of a class project."

Standard Business Letter format calls for leaving how many lines of space for your signature?
2
6
4
3

True or False: It's OK to write a formulaic cover letter because most employers don't read them anyway.
True
False

True or False: Long paragraphs are expected in cover letters so job-seekers can elaborate on qualifications
True
False

True or False: College students should be sure to indicate that they seek an entry-level job.
True
False

True or False: Never make an unsolicited salary request in a cover letter.
True
False

True or False: It is still considered perfectly acceptable in the business world to use a salutation such as "Dear Sirs" or "Gentlemen:"
True
False

True or False: As a college student, you should approach your cover letter primarily from an academic point of reference.
True
False

True or False: A cover letter should not rehash your resume.
True
False

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her personal Website or reach her by e-mail at kathy(at)quintcareers.com.

Want to take another one of our job-seeker tests and quizzes? Go to our Test and Quizzes for Job-Seekers

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