Quiz

Chapter 1 Quiz—Communication Skills as Career Filters

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

     1.   Communication skills

	are not as important as technical skills for career success.
	are not necessary in today’s competitive job market.
©.	are ranked by recruiters at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers.
	cannot be learned; they are innate.

 

 

Studies confirm that recruiters rank communication skills at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers. Your ability to communicate will make you marketable and continue to be your ticket to success regardless of the current economic climate. The good news is that effective communication can be learned.

 

    2.   Which of the following statements is most accurate?

	Because today’s workers are more geographically dispersed, the need for well-written messages has declined.
	Employers rank oral and written communication skills as less valuable than hard skills such as mathematical computation, computer literacy, and troubleshooting.
©.	Communication skills are critical to your job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success.
	Business letters and interoffice memoranda remain the top forms of business correspondence.

 

 

     3.   On the job you are more likely to be taken seriously and promoted if you

(a).	look and sound professional.
	frame your degree or certificate and hang it on your office or cubicle wall.
	appear to be busy even when you’re not really doing anything.
	attend office parties.

 

 

     4.   Which of the following statements is most accurate?

	Workers today communicate less than in previous years.
	Technology has not affected how and why we communicate.
©.	Businesses today generate a wide range of messages in a variety of media.
	Writing is a skill set used only by managers and corporate executives.

 

 

     5.   Major trends in today’s dynamic world of work include increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams, heightened global competition, innovative communication technologies, new work environments, and focus on

(a).	creating an entirely online presence.
	promoting from within.
	restructuring and downsizing.
	business ethics.

 

 

     6.   Which of the following statements about today’s business environments is most accurate?

	The number of telecommuting employees is expected to decline in the future.
	All companies assign offices for employees.
©.	Many employees today no longer need an office; they can work anytime and anywhere.
	Workers today spend more time in offices than workers in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

     7.   Which of the following statements is correct?

	Ethics is a priority for many businesses.
	Because of economic concerns, American companies are relying on local markets.
	Most companies encourage workers to work independently.
(d).	Today’s businesses are expanding their hierarchies to meet the demands of their workers and their competition.

 

 

     8.   Communication is defined as “the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another.” The crucial element of this definition is

(a).

 

 

     9.   Converting ideas into words or gestures to convey meaning is called

(d).	nonverbal communication.

 

 

   10.   The communication process begins when the sender

	determines the appropriate communication channel.
	has an idea.
©.	encodes an idea into a message.
	plans for feedback.

 

 

   11.   Translating the message from its symbol form into meaning involves

(b).
	nonverbal communication.

 

 

   12.   Which of the following statements about feedback is most accurate?

(a).	Feedback is the verbal response from the receiver.
	Senders should provide as much information as they can to their receivers to show their intellectual capabilities.
	Paraphrasing a speaker’s message is a waste of time.
	Feedback can include both nonverbal and verbal responses.

 

 

   13.   The medium over which the message is transmitted is the

	context of the message.
	encoding process.
©.	communication channel.
	decoding process.

 

 

   14.   Communication noise

	includes anything that disrupts the transmission of a message.
	is also called feedback.
©.	describes only externally produced sounds.
	occurs only during the encoding process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   15.   Many of us are poor listeners because

	the brain can process information at least three times as fast as people talk.
	we tend to “tune out” speakers whose ideas run counter to our own.
	we would rather talk than listen.
(d).	All answer choices are correct.

 

 

 

   16.   According to research, what percentage of our work time is spent listening?

(a).	50 percent
	90 percent
	10 percent
	25 percent

 

 

 

   17.   Which of the following statements is most accurate?

	Very few management problems are related to listening.
(b).	The average person remembers nearly three quarters of what he or she hears following a10-minute presentation.
	We misinterpret, misunderstand, or change very little of what we hear.
	Most people are not very good listeners.

 

 

   18.   Approximately how many words per minute do most North Americans speak?

	375
	500
	250
(d).	125

 

 

   19.   Peter must inform his employees that his company will need to let go of employees. Which word would be best for Peter to use when conveying this idea to his employees?

(a).	Layoff
	Streamlining
	Downsizing
	Rightsizing

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.      You can improve your listening skills if you follow tips for active listening, including

(a).	keeping an open mind, establishing a receptive mind-set, and listening between the lines.
	establishing a receptive mind-set, concentrating on appearance and delivery, and sifting information through biases.
	capitalizing on lag time, concentrating on your next comment, and taking as many notes as possible.
	asking questions immediately, focusing on the speaker’s face, and concentrating on the details presented in the message.

 

 

   21.   Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts. However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?

	Language problem barrier
	Psychological barrier
	Physical barrier
(d).	Nonverbal distraction barrier

 

 

   22.   A listener who nods her head and maintains eye contact with a speaker is probably

	listening actively to what the speaker is saying.
(b).	not understanding what the speaker is saying.
	faking attention while she listens to music on her MP3 player.
	formulating her response to a point with which she disagrees.

 

 

   23.   Brian is attending a seminar on workplace efficiency and must make a presentation on this topic when he returns to work. Brian can increase his comprehension by keeping an open mind, listening for main points, taking selective notes, and

	closing his eyes.
	speaking up immediately when he has a question or does not agree with the speaker.
	filling in the lag time by mentally reviewing other tasks he must do that day.
(d).	judging ideas, not appearances.

 

 

   24.   Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts down her computer, turns off her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?

	Keeping an open mind
	Establishing a receptive mind-set
	Capitalizing on lag time
(d).	Controlling her surroundings

 

 

   25.   Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is most accurate?

	Nonverbal communication comprises approximately 10 percent of a message.
	When verbal and nonverbal messages contradict, receivers believe that the verbal message is more accurate.
©.	Meanings of nonverbal behaviors are often influenced by one’s culture.
	Nonverbal communication applies to only intended messages.

 

 

       

 

 

Persuasive Letter

Dear Mr. Brink

I am writing to request a promotion. My responsibilities have grown significantly since I was hired two years ago, and I believe that this fact and the quality of my work warrant a raise.

My current position is Foreman; however, for the last year I have been performing all of the duties of a Field Manager without having the job title or, of course, being paid commensurate with it. My responsibilities and achievements that call for a promotion include:

• Innovating a dig-less re-piping system
• Maintaining customer relations with potential customers
• Attaining my Master Plumber certification
• Developed a more efficient customer feedback system which has helped our brand image

Based on the feedback that I have received, I believe that you and your manager think I have been performing excellently the duties of this higher position. I expect that you will give my request all due consideration as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Griffindor

Foreman

Apology Letter

Dear Donna K. Lilly:

 We’ve looked into your order of #502-3385779-9590624Monoi Tiare Tahiti(Gardenia)Bar Soap, 4.6 oz. three 4-ounce bottles of coconut oil, Monoi Coco (Natural Coconut Oil), Monoi Pitate (Coconut Oil w/Jasmine), and Monoi Santal (Coconut Oil w/Sandalwood) and #502-8112203-6442608(Coconut Oil w/ Gardenia). Secondly, thanks for letting us know about the error so quickly.

Our technical team has informed us that while using EasyPay, customer account statements have shown multiple orders, but no extra chargers where made towards your account. The invoice record is accurate for reading $58.88.

I’m sorry for the confusion this caused. Our accounting department has been reminded of the arrangement, and I can assure you that this won’t happen again.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

CWO

Letter to employees

Dear valued employees of Contact PR,

We would like to thank you for the time you have given to this company. We are aware of how important social media usage is to you, however being an employee of a public relations agency, there must be sanctions put in place to protect the brand of our company. We encourage you to continue the bonds between fellow employees, in and outside the office.

Social media use has reduced focus and general quality of work as of late. In our company we encourage you to be up to date on all the current events, although we fear that the professionalism of our employees has been compromised.

As stated in our company’s comprehensive internet and social media policy, the use of personal media during company time is strictly prohibited. Contact PR’s major concern is the leaking of confidential information on social networking sites. It is in our best interest to disallow Facebook use during work hours, and to caution all employees against dangerous breaches of company policy and media netiquette.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Human Resources, (555)-423-6996.

Sincerely,

Judy L. Shea

Contact PR. Director

Thank you Letter

Harry Potter

Hogwarts, Gryffindor Suite

February 24, 2014

Dumbledore

Hogwarts Grounds

Headmaster

39446 Hogwart Ave

London, England 78765

Dear Dumbledore,

Yesterday I received from my owl an enthusiastic letter of recommendation on behalf of my urgent request.

I was ecstatic to see the skills what you have endorsed me for, I am pleased to announce that I was accepted into the company I applied to. The Aurora department in the Ministry of Magic was very impressed with my application and especially the letter of recommendation you have provided me with.                        

I’m grateful for it. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Professional Plan

Kim Simonetti
Paths to Innovation
December 8, 2013
Matt Mayberry

                                                Near- term Professional Plan

1)      To own my own electrical company that not only helps the customers, but is seen as a family that reaches out to the community is the type of career I strive to achieve. With my strengths being working with the community, knowledge of my field, and perseverance, my career interest should be successful. I hope to achieve good grades in my courses, while reaching out to all the opportunities I can to network myself properly. To work as an Residents Assistant would be the ideal opportunity, that both challenges me and benefits me in the end.

2)      I need to build on my resume more by increasing my work with the community, and getting employed so I have more work history. By achieving these two things I will be able to network myself more.

3)      My objectives for academic courses are to attend every class, make sure to do all my assignments so I stay focused on my long-term goal.  I need to also increase my extracurricular activities that show how I can be a leader and be able to help others, the things I want to do when owning my business.  I would like to join/be a part of the Poultney 20/20 initiative and be more involved in the community, maybe even if a local electrician needs an apprentice.

4)      A. I will need to complete all my courses and retain what my professors tell me in order to succeed. During my next 2 years at college, I plan on working at the dining hall or somewhere similar. Once I graduate I will consider calling Bruce Whear from Wire 4 Hire for a job as an electrical apprentice.

B.  January 2014- May 2016 work part time jobs on/off campus for the work experience.

January 2014- Start looking into the community for community service projects needed by the town.

May 2014- When I get home for the summer, network myself with electricians to get my name out there for when I graduate. Look for business related jobs so I can see how business owners run their businesses.

June 2014- Continue working as a lifeguard for the summers of college- steady job, going on 3 years working there.

Twitter Is Like . . .

Dorkymum | Stories from Tasmania

I was out for coffee the other day with a non-tweeting friend. “So what’s Twitter actually like?” she asked.

I ummed and ahhed, and explained it all very badly, mumbling some fairly dry stuff about retweets and hashtags and follows. She didn’t look convinced. So I’ve been thinking about it ever since, and here’s what I’ve come up with.

View original post 886 more words

Enough of the landscape stuff…

Stories from home

Heeeeeere’s Oliver! It was so cold when we walked the golf course on Sunday, the shutter button on my camera literally froze. Seriously. Before it did though, I managed a few snaps of my baby boy. He’s already 16 months old, though in these photographs I can still see glimpses of the cute little puppy we brought home just over a year ago. He amazes me every single day with the amount of joy and affection he has to offer, and I wonder just what we did to deserve such unconditional love. The least I can do in return is take him to the golf course and let him run off his leash. Like most dogs, he loves tennis balls and sticks… give him either, and he’s one happy boy!

For those interested in the semi-technical stuff… Canon 5D II in A1 Servo mode with a 70-200mm f4 lens mostly…

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Saint Patrick’s Day

The one day a year people pretend to be irish so they can drink on a Monday