Resume Strategy Quiz

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Resume Strategy Quiz
A Quintessential Careers Quiz

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

It's one thing to know how to write a good resume, but once you've developed a solid resume, do you know how best to use it? Take our challenge and test your knowledge of resume strategy!

Just complete this form. Click on Submit button when ready to send.

You will receive a set of correct responses via e-mail.

IMPORTANT: To ensure that you receive a set of correct responses to this quiz, please be sure to (a) enter your full e-mail address in the space provided and (b) please enter your email address twice to ensure that we get your correct e-mail address. We cannot provide you with feedback if your e-mail address is incorrect or not supplied. Read our Privacy Policy if you have any concerns about providing your email address to us. If you don't want to take this quiz interactively, print out this page and mark your answers. Then go to our detailed Resume Strategy Quiz Answer Guide, which includes explanations to each question (including resources to get more information). And don't forget to check our Resume Strategy Quiz Scoring Guide to see where you stand on your knowledge of resume writing.

Your name:

Your email address:

Re-enter your email address:

Directions: Please choose the best answer to the following questions.

The purpose of a resume is:
To get an interview
Structure the interview process
Remind the interviewer of you after you're gone
All of the above

A resume should:
serve as a sales tool, designed to market the job-seeker to each prospective employer
omit no detail in telling a comprehensive story of your career
focus on past job duties and responsibilities
include as much personal information as possible to "humanize" the job-seeker

The way that most career experts recommend you e-mail your resume to employers is:
Send your resume as an e-mail attachment only
Send your resume as an e-mail attachment, with a text version of your cover letter and resume also pasted into the body of the e-mail
Send your resume and cover letter in the body of the e-mail only and don't send attachments
Send a brief e-mail referring the employer to a Web-page where your resume can be either viewed or downloaded

What is the current resume page-number preference among employers?
Readability is not as important an issue as page length, so reducing the type size to fit all the information on one page is better than having a two-page resume
A two-page resume is fine if you have relevant material to fill two pages, but don't go to more than two pages without an extremely good reason
Keeping your resume to one page is an ironclad rule
Employers expect the best candidates to have lengthy resumes of three to four pages.

A complete job-search package includes an excellent resume and a dynamic cover letter.
True
False

An outstanding resume is a virtual guarantee that you will get the job.
True
False

Should you use the same resume for every job you apply for?
No, because a "general" resume that is not focused on a specific job's requirements is seen as not competitive
Yes. It's way too much trouble to change your resume for every job
Yes. If it's a great resume, it should work for any job
Yes. If you tailor your resume to a specific job, the employer will thinking you're trying to "suck up"

What different versions of your resume should you consider, depending on your situation?
A formatted "print" resume for mailing, faxing, and presenting at the interview
A text-based version of your resume for electronic submissions
A Web-based version of your resume to be published on a Web page
All of the above

A chrono-functional resume should be considered by:
Career-changers
Job-seekers with diverse job histories that don't point in an obvious career direction
Job-seekers with gaps in their job histories
All of the above

To give your resume a pleasing appearance, consider the following:
Adequate white space, bullets, type in a readable size, judicious use of type varieties (such as bold and italics), and an occasional rule line
Extensive use of columns and tables
Adding your photo to the resume
Extensive use of underlining and all caps for emphasis

Which of the following should you include on your resume:
Reasons for leaving previous job(s)
Salary information
The title "Resume"
None of the above

The most effective way to produce a resume is to use a template in Microsoft Word.
True
False

In a recent survey of hiring managers, these resume characteristics were rated at or near the top of employer preferences:
Resume has a readable appearance
Resume uses bullets rather than paragraph form
Resume presents a clear job history
All of the above

Of employers who prefer to receive resumes via e-mail attachment, what is the preferred word-processing format:
WordPerfect
Portable Document Format (PDF)
Microsoft Word
HTML

You should NOT consider a chrono-functional resume if:
You are primarily applying to job boards, such as Monster, that don't allow this format
You are primarily applying to recruiters/headhunters
You have a straightforward job history without problems that need to be de-emphasized.
All of the above

When should you have your resume with you?
Only when you go to job interviews
Only when you know you'll be in a networking situation
Only when you want to show it off to your friends
At all times

Once you distribute your resume to prospective employers, your strategy should be which of the following?
Clear your calendar while waiting for an onslaught of job interviews
Sit back and wait for the courteous employers to respond to your resume
Plan a detailed follow-up schedule with each employer
Get angry that a vast majority of employers are too busy or rude to respond

To make your resume stand out, it's a good idea to have it printed on paper in bright, shocking colors.
True
False

Whenever possible, job-seekers should pre-register for career fairs -- or at least obtain the list of recruiting companies -- so that they can bring different versions of their resumes for different employers and different positions.
True
False

If you have an e-mail address such as Nasty_Chick@domainname.com, it's best to change it or use an alternate, more professional e-mail address on your resume.
True
False

Like this quiz? Consider taking the companion Quintessential Careers Resume Strategy Quiz. And don't forget to check out our entire collection of Tests and Quizzes for Job-Seekers.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this quiz? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

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.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press, including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter, QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his personal Website or reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.

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Resume Strategy Quiz A Quintessential Careers Quiz

Resume Strategy Quiz
A Quintessential Careers Quiz