Q&A Hero

Q: A rsum is a persuasive message designed to help you get an interview.

Q: Because the competition for most jobs is so great, even a seemingly minor mistake on a rsum can eliminate your chances of success.

Q: Networking is not simply putting yourself in contact with powerful people and asking them for a job.

Q: You can find information about job hunting on the Internet, but it's not a good source for information on specific companies.

Q: As part of your job search, it's essential to stay abreast of business and financial news.

Q: Employers generally treat major job boards such as Monster as their last resort when seeking qualified candidates.

Q: The best approach to rsum writing is to create a single, solid version and send it to all prospective employers.

Q: For college students, attempting to develop a job-search strategy before the senior year is a waste of time.

Q: When emailing your rsum to a prospective employer for a particular job, you should A) always send it as a Microsoft Word attachment. B) make it less formal than you would for other formats. C) include in the subject line the reference number or job ad number. D) use lots of colors to make your rsum stand out.

Q: When mailing a rsum, it is a good idea to A) have it delivered via Priority Mail. B) use a standard white #10 envelope. C) pay to have it delivered the next day. D) use a large kraft envelope.

Q: The most common file format for uploading rsums directly to websites such as Monster.com is A) WordPerfect. B) PDF. C) Microsoft Word. D) Microsoft Publisher.

Q: Describe some considerations to keep in mind in timing the distribution of your handouts.

Q: Explain five types of materials that are often best presented on handouts.

Q: Explain the content and function of the three types of navigation and support slides.

Q: Describe the eight factors you should consider when completing slides and other visuals.

Q: Describe seven strategies for writing readable content for slides.

Q: What is the potential disadvantage of distributing handout copies of your slides before your presentation begins?

Q: What is a title slide?

Q: Briefly explain the function builds play in electronic presentations.

Q: You're tired of wasting hours making design changes to one slide at a time in your electronic presentations. What software feature (common in presentation software such as PowerPoint) would be helpful in this situation, and what is its function?

Q: How can you determine the best font size for the text in an electronic presentation?

Q: What two types of artwork can be included in the foreground of electronic slides? Briefly explain the distinction between these types.

Q: A colleague uses dozens of clip art images in almost every presentation. She asks you for advice on how to improve the quality of her electronic slides. What advice would you give her on using clip art, and how would you explain it?

Q: Describe at least two advantages of using color in business presentations.

Q: What presentation tools are often used for small-group sessions?

Q: List at least three types of visuals commonly used in business presentations.

Q: A good way to give audiences additional information without overloading your slides is to provide ________ for them to take away from the presentation.

Q: ________ slides appear at each major section break and announce the title of the section you're about to begin.

Q: A(n) ________ ________ slide signals that you are moving from one major part of the presentation to another.

Q: ________ slides tell your audience where you've been and where you're going in your presentation.

Q: A(n) ________ slide is the equivalent of a report's cover and title page.

Q: ________ ________ are preprogrammed hyperlink icons available in presentation software.

Q: ________ enable you to make individual elements on a slide appear one at a time rather than all at once.

Q: ________ control how one electronic slide replaces another on screen.

Q: Software programs such as PowerPoint offer a(n) ________ ________ feature that allows you to preset all your design choices, which are then automatically applied to all new slides.

Q: For electronic presentations in dark rooms, it is best to use dark colors for the ________, a midrange of brightness for illustrations, and light colors for the ________.

Q: When modifying text for electronic slides, it is best to ________ the amount of words each one contains.

Q: To make the text on your slides more readable, write short ________ phrases rather than long sentences.

Q: Unlike free-form slides, ________ slides follow the same basic format throughout the presentation.

Q: A(n) ________ consists of large sheets of paper attached at the top like a tablet.

Q: Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote are popular software programs for creating ________ slides.

Q: You should always distribute handouts before you begin your presentation.

Q: Electronic presentations do not necessarily eliminate the need for you to provide the audience with handouts.

Q: You can use "moving blueprint slides" at several points in your presentation, but not at the end.

Q: The title slide is similar to a report's title page and serves as the first slide in your presentation.

Q: A "title slide" is a basic slide with just the word "Introduction" on it that serves as the first slide in your presentation.

Q: The "slide sorter view" in presentation software allows you to see a batch of slides, either all at once or in significant portions.

Q: Including hyperlinks limits your ability to customize a presentation for different audiences and situations.

Q: Using builds can help prevent your audience from reading ahead during your presentation.

Q: When it comes to using special effects in electronic presentations, the key is to make sure that the effects you use support your message.

Q: On slides for business presentations, a good rule of thumb is to use as little white space as possible.

Q: Your graphic slides will be more effective if you keep the details to a minimum, such as showing a trend line without including all the numerical data.

Q: When writing content for electronic slides, it is best to use passive voice whenever possible.

Q: In most cases, text slides should contain a maximum of 4-5 lines with no more than 4 or 5 words per line.

Q: When selecting fonts and type styles for slides, you should avoid script or decorative fonts.

Q: Overusing clip art can give your slides an unprofessional, cartoony appearance.

Q: The best background for your slides is one with a colorful, interesting pattern that will grab the audience's attention.

Q: The colors you use for slides should, above all else, reflect your personality and individual style.

Q: Regardless of language differences, colors have the same meaning in all cultures.

Q: Studies have shown that as long as the content of a presentation is compelling and well organized, it will have basically the same effect whether or not it's presented in color.

Q: When creating text or graphics slides, it is important to keep content and graphics as simple and readable as possible.

Q: "Slideument" refers to a slide set that is intended to be a stand-alone item that can be appreciated without the aid of a speaker.

Q: Because they contain more textual information than structured slides, free-form slides require less preparation and practice on the part of the speaker.

Q: It is preferable to work on the design of an electronic presentation before concentrating on the content.

Q: Screencasting allows you to record what takes place on your screen into a little video that can be emailed to other users so they can view how to use software programs.

Q: Flip charts are often used to show how to demonstrate new software programs to large groups.

Q: Flip charts are particularly effective for recording ideas during group brainstorming sessions.

Q: Chalkboards and whiteboards are old-fashioned and inappropriate for any serious business presentation.

Q: It is a good idea to have a separate plan for each slide you make for a presentation.

Q: Overhead transparencies are old-fashioned visuals that are no longer used in business.

Q: Major disadvantages of electronic presentations include the potential for hardware and software malfunctions and the time and effort it takes to master software programs.

Q: A major advantage of electronic presentations is the ability to make changes easily at the last minute.

Q: Effective visuals should take center stage during your presentation and become the focus of the audience's attention.

Q: Thanks to software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, preparing presentation visuals now requires almost no planning.

Q: Microsoft PowerPoint is still the only viable software option for creating electronic slides.

Q: The use of visuals can improve learning by up to 400 percent.

Q: Which of the following would be an appropriate handout to accompany an oral presentation? A) An interesting but unrelated news article B) A list of relevant websites C) A photo of you, with a caption listing all of your qualifications D) Any of the above

Q: ________ slides indicate which material has been covered and which section you are about to begin. A) Title B) Agenda C) Navigation D) None of the above

Q: In an upcoming presentation, you plan to cover three important changes to your employees' working hours. The proper place to list this plan would be the ________ slide. A) cover B) introduction C) agenda D) teaser

Q: A title slide A) is the equivalent of a report's cover and title page. B) defines the topic of the presentation and informs the audience why you are speaking on the topic. C) lists the topics you plan to cover in your presentation. D) always contains the word "Introduction."