Q&A Hero

Q: Abigail, who is working on the "Clean Energy" campaign, needs to write a business plan to install solar power panels in 30 villages of Jakarta. The section of the report that the funding agency will read to make initial decisions about her proposal is the: A. background/history. B. executive summary. C. conclusion. D. appendix. E. body.

Q: Which of the following guidelines need to be followed while writing sales proposals? A. Understanding the buyer's requirements and priorities B. Using technical terminology and jargon which indicate expertise C. Assuming that the buyer will understand benefits of products D. Indicating benefits only for specific, important products or services E. Using "me-attitude" to present benefits which indicates confidence

Q: Jada is preparing a budget for a business proposal. Which of the following guidelines will help Jada obtain the required budget? A. Asking for a minimum sum to sound realistic B. Making the basis for her estimate specific C. Excluding costs pertaining to use of office space D. Quoting a lower figure than the going rate for skills required E. Excluding less obvious costs such as overhead costs

Q: Derek is preparing a budget for his research project, and the institute he is submitting the proposal to receives many funding proposals. Which of the following budgeting guidelines should Derek follow? A. Always ask for as little as possible, since the lower the budget the more chances it will be approved. B. Pay particular attention to costs that may appear to benefit him more than the sponsor. C. Costs pertaining to travel and equipment should be ignored. D. Avoid including indirect costs for administration and infrastructure. E. Do not include costs that will be paid from other sources.

Q: Yosef is writing the budget section of a proposal on funding for a concert, "Music for a Cause." After careful calculation, he concludes that a total of $12,000,000 will be required for the event. Which of the following is an appropriate guideline that will help him win the bid? A. State an amount much lower than $12,000,000 which will increase his chances of winning. B. Exclude less obvious costs such as overhead which can be negotiated. C. Avoid including costs that will be paid from other sources since they are irrelevant. D. Ask for $12,000,000 since it is required for the event to be successful. E. Find out what others are bidding and quote a budget accordingly.

Q: Ambrosio wants to obtain financing to fund his research project and is writing a proposal for it. He is currently writing a section that includes information about his relevant knowledge and skills to complete the project. Which of the following sections is he writing? A. Qualifications B. Introduction C. Project plan D. Cost and benefits E. Current situation

Q: Cody is writing a proposal to solve a problem and also to show the consequences of not solving it. Which of the following parts of the business proposal is he writing? A. Cost and benefits B. Project plan C. Introduction D. Current situation E. Qualifications

Q: Which of the following is a feature of a good work schedule for a proposal? A. It provides idealistic time-frames for challenging activities. B. It avoids time for unexpected snags and delays. C. It shows that you may be unable to complete work within the deadline. D. It provides realistic estimates for each activity. E. It avoids using a chart to maintain schedule details.

Q: Joshua, who works for a telecom company, recently prepared a proposal for a road show in Manhattan. In the proposal, he listed out activities, such as producing banners and props, getting permission from government officials to host the show on Houston Street, organizing volunteers to interact with crowds, and setting timelines for each activity to be completed. In which of the following sections will this information most likely be included? A. Work schedule B. Call to action C. Methods D. Feasibility E. Qualifications

Q: Noam is writing a proposal on "Relief Efforts for Flood Victims in Laos." In the proposal, he states that he will gather information by interviewing flood victims and government officials. He also mentions that he will contact news reporters who have covered this catastrophe. In which of the following sections will this information be covered? A. Topics to investigate B. Methods/procedure C. Audience D. Qualifications/resources E. Problem/opportunity

Q: Jayla is planning to write a proposal titled, "The harmful impact of chemical fertilizers." In this proposal, she intends to talk about how chemical fertilizers cause the contamination of groundwater and also about the seriousness of this issue. In which of the following sections in the proposal would this information be included? A. Audience B. Procedure C. Facilities D. Resources E. Problem

Q: Gomez is writing a proposal that asks for funds to provide "spinning-wheels" to the underprivileged women of Myanmar. He is writing the proposal as part of the "Empowering Women Campaign" of his organization. Which of the following questions should be addressed in the audience section of the proposal? A. Why does the opportunity of providing spinning wheels need to be explored? B. Is there a history on the usage of spinning wheels in Myanmar? C. Can 100 spinning wheels be provided to Myanmar's villages by the end of the financial year? D. Who in the organization will serve as a gatekeeper? E. Is the necessary information provided to the audience?

Q: Which of the following questions does the feasibility section of a proposal discuss? A. Is there a background to the problem discussed? B. Who in the organization will serve as a gatekeeper? C. Why does a problem need to be solved or explored? D. Can a solution be found in the allotted time? E. What problem or opportunity exists in a situation?

Q: Which of the following sections of a proposal for a student report welcomes any suggestions from an instructor for improving the research plan? A. Work schedule B. Methods/procedure C. Feasibility D. Qualifications/facilities E. Call to action

Q: The problem/opportunity section of a proposal for a student report should address which of the following questions? A. Why does a certain issue need to be solved? B. How do you know that an opportunity can be explored? C. What watchdog audiences may read the report? D. Can a solution be found in the available time? E. Who will be affected by a recommendation?

Q: Proposals should generally end with: A. a brief, but strong, summary of major benefits. B. an elaborate summary with technical terminology. C. a brief informal personal note. D. an unstructured thank you note. E. a vague statement hoping for acceptance.

Q: Which of the following should you do while writing proposals? A. Ensure that unimportant information is provided in the beginning. B. Pay close attention to the ending of the proposal, as it is very important. C. Use a different structure from the RFP to help the proposal stand out better. D. Use headings different from those in the RFP when replying to it. E. Avoid using the same terminology as used in the RFP.

Q: Which of the following should be undertaken if you are not following an RFP? A. End the proposal with a statement of why you are doing the job. B. End the proposal with the implications of a proposed action. C. End the proposal by explaining why a certain action is important. D. Begin the proposal with a statement of what you are proposing to do. E. Begin the proposal with the major benefits of having you do the job.

Q: Which of the following should you undertake in order to write a good proposal? A. Use a language that your audience expects to see and understand. B. Use bragging wording to gain the respect of your audience. C. Use "believing" wording to make your arguments more convincing. D. Choose an unexpected format to capture your audience's attention. E. Avoid the use of facts and figures which makes your proposal boring.

Q: Ethan works for Small Steps, a children's rights organization, and is writing a proposal as part of a literacy campaign he is working on. The proposal is written with the aim of seeking funds from a large corporation for the purchase of computers for underprivileged school children in Taiwan. Which of the following sentences should Ethan be using in his proposal? A. "The campaign has massive potential to tackle illiteracy in the Chung-li city of Taiwan." B. "The campaign will transform the current education system in Chung-li city." C. "The campaign will help educate children in 20 districts in Chung-li city." D. "We feel that the campaign will educate children in 20 districts in Chung-li city." E. "I believe the campaign has huge capacity to transform the education system of Taiwan."

Q: Kylie is writing the concluding section of a proposal on "Renewable Energy used in villages of Vietnam". Which of the following sentences would be most appropriate for her proposal? A. "We will try to install a high number of solar power panels in the Dak Lang province." B. "We hope to install many solar power panels in several villages of Dak Lang province." C. "We are thinking of installing 50 solar power panels in the Dak Lang province." D. "We plan to install 50 solar power panels in the Dak Lang province of Vietnam." E. "We are visualizing the installation of 50 solar power panels in many villages of Vietnam."

Q: Which of the following best defines a good proposal? A. They are created exclusively for experts. B. They avoid supporting generalizations and inferences with data. C. They anticipate and answer questions by readers. D. They are complex in form and nature. E. They limit benefits to those for the most influential reader.

Q: Which of the following questions should a proposal answer? A. What are your future organizational plans? B. What is your profit margin? C. What problem are you going to solve? D. Why are rates offered by other companies higher? E. What benefits are your competitors offering?

Q: Which of the following guidelines needs to be followed while preparing a proposal? A. Define a problem as you see it, not as the audience sees it. B. Avoid predicting the consequences of a problem if it is left unsolved. C. Provide a vague schedule that shows overall work instead of work completed in each phase. D. Show that money, time, health, or social concerns do not support solving the problem. E. Specify the topics which will be investigated and explain how data will be gathered.

Q: Which of the following is true of competitive proposals? A. They have no real competition from other proposals. B. They do not include applications for research funding. C. They involve fighting against other proposals for limited resources. D. They are always awarded to the less qualified agent. E. They rarely get accepted to be implemented.

Q: A student applies to a government organization seeking funds for his research project. Which of the following types of proposal is he more likely to seek? A. An evaluation proposal B. A supplemental proposal C. A noncompetitive proposal D. An unsolicited proposal E. A competitive proposal

Q: Which of the following best represents noncompetitive proposals? A. They often lose out on resources against competitors. B. They consist primarily of applications for research funding. C. They often aren't fighting with other proposals to win the bid. D. They are always awarded to the lowest bidder. E. They rarely get accepted to be implemented.

Q: If a company needs to change and knows what needs to be done, but it needs help doing it, a proposal helps in: A. accessing whether change is a good idea or not. B. providing a plan for achieving desired changes. C. providing insight on positive and negative impacts. D. implementing the plan to bring about the change. E. suggesting alternate outcomes if it decides not to change.

Q: Which of the following purposes does a proposal serve when a company knows it needs to change, but is unsure of what they should do? A. Providing a record of the implementation and evaluation process B. Assessing whether change is a good idea and analyzing why C. Developing a plan to decide what course of action should be taken D. Providing insight on whether change is desirable or not E. Implementing a suitable plan and increasing measurable outcomes

Q: A manager finds that a lot of his employees are demotivated and is convinced that the work culture of the company is the reason behind it. Since he is not sure how to bring about such a change, he seeks a proposal from the Human Resource department. Which of the following will such a proposal provide? A. A list of measurable outcomes B. A plan for achieving the desired change C. A record of the evaluation process D. An assessment whether change is a good idea E. A record of the implementation process

Q: If a company is unsure about whether it needs to change or not, a proposal serves the purpose of: A. creating a record of the implementation process. B. developing a plan for achieving the desired change. C. implementing a suitable plan which meets its needs. D. increasing measurable outcomes of possible changes. E. assessing whether change is a good idea.

Q: Salma is writing a proposal to the Wildlife Foundation for a project titled, "Protecting the endangered snow leopard." The project aims at providing a safe habitat for the animal. Which of the following is most likely to be a primary goal of her proposal? A. To analyze if the snow leopard can still be protected B. To review the feasibility of the project and the possible outcome C. To analyze the costs and resources required for the project D. To monitor the current statistic figures of the species E. To get the project accepted by the Wildlife Foundation

Q: For which of the following reasons are proposals generally created? A. When projects are shorter than routine work B. When projects involve costs lower than routine work C. When project activities are similar to routine work D. When projects activities require less time and effort E. When projects create larger changes than routine work

Q: In chronological progress reports, you should summarize your progress in terms of goals and the original schedule, using measurable statements.

Q: A good progress report presents good news by speculating on the reader's feelings about the news.

Q: Describe how to maintain job-search activities once a job has been secured.

Q: While writing progress reports, it is essential to present every detail as equally important instead of emphasizing specific ones.

Q: Good writers of progress reports spend less space explaining the value of their work for the organization and more space writing about the details of what they have done so far.

Q: Explain the general layout of a thank-you message following an interview.

Q: Sales proposals which are long should be presented with a one-page cover letter that presents the proposal concisely.

Q: Explain how a person can participate effectively in an interview.

Q: Sales proposals, particularly for complicated systems costing millions of dollars, are often short and crisp.

Q: Briefly explain the plan along which a cover letter is organized.

Q: While writing a sales proposal, it is important to know a buyer's priorities.

Q: Describe the reverse chronological organizational layout for organizing information in a rsum.

Q: While writing the budget section of a proposal, it is important to clearly justify costs which might seem to benefit yourself instead of the sponsor.

Q: List the steps involved in constructing a rsum.

Q: Explain how the use of the Internet or the Web has affected the job-search process.

Q: When preparing a budget for a proposal, it is important to ask for few requirements to help the funder think that you understand the scope of the project.

Q: Explain how career centers can be useful for students seeking an internship or a job.

Q: The "call to action" section in a proposal for a class research project should ask an instructor for suggestions on improving the research plan.

Q: A good work schedule for a proposal of a class research project should provide idealistic estimates for each activity and not include time for unexpected, unnecessary snags.

Q: What are the internal factors to be considered when searching for a job?

Q: The methods section of a proposal for a class research project should clearly indicate how you will get information needed to answer the questions posed in the other sections of the proposal.

Q: Describe the importance of taking part in internships during the process of one's job search.

Q: Once a job has been secured, which of the following activities should be avoided? A. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the job market B. Updating a rsum only when applying for a new job C. Keeping up on one's professional reading D. Assessing and acquiring different skills required for the job E. Staying alert to better job opportunities

Q: You should begin a proposal with a brief, but strong, summary of the major benefits of having you do the work.

Q: While responding to a request for proposal, it is important to use the same headings, terminology, and structure as used in the requesting document.

Q: Which of the following is true about a resignation letter? A. A resignation can be offered only in one form, either written or oral. B. A resignation letter should point out the company's faults. C. You should justify your resignation by citing negative past working experiences in your message. D. A resignation letter should not be written in the direct order. E. The indirect order is usually the best strategy for writing a resignation letter.

Q: The following job-search message is an example of a _____. "Dear Mr. Hwang: Thank you for your generous job offer at your firm. However, as I mentioned during the course of my interview, I am keen on pursuing a career in nanotechnology. After much thought, I have decided to accept a job at a firm that offers extensive opportunities in the field. I appreciate the time and the courteous treatment you gave me. Sincerely" A. thank-you message following an interview B. follow-up to an application C. letter of resignation D. job acceptance message E. rejection of a job offer

Q: "RFP" stands for Research Funding Programs that are often requested by non-governmental agencies.

Q: Which of the following should be avoided by an applicant when preparing for or attending an interview? A. Investigating the company B. Making a good appearance C. Not asking the interviewer any questions D. putting himself or herself at ease E. Anticipating questions

Q: It is important to understand that all members of an audience are experts in the subject matter and you should prepare your proposals accordingly.

Q: Before appearing for an interview, you should _____. A. memorize detailed explanations for the answers to common interview questions B. dress in clothes that express your personality and style C. not waste time in preparing answers beforehand D. let your emotions flow so that the interviewer can see your true colors E. put yourself at ease and stay calm throughout the interview

Q: A proposal that goes outside an organization is usually considered to be a legally binding document.

Q: Which of the following questions would be asked as part of a behavioral interview? A. Why do you think we should hire you for this job? B. Are you comfortable working night shifts? C. How will you tackle a project with a deadline that you're sure you can't meet on your own? D. You have an excellent college record, but how does it translate into you being an efficient employee? E. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Q: Proposals must stress benefits for all affected audiences in order to achieve their goals.

Q: A proposal has one primary goal, which is getting a project accepted, and does not involve getting yourself or your organization accepted to do that project.

Q: If you are an interviewer, which of the following questions does the law permit you to ask? A. What religion do you practice? B. How old are you? C. Are you married? D. Do you plan to have children? E. How much are you expecting to get paid?

Q: Progress reports contain the work that needs to be done along with who will be doing it.

Q: Which of the following is the primary purpose of an email cover message? A. It requests for an interview. B. It identifies the exact nature of the job. C. It invites a reader to review the message. D. It highlights the personal information of an applicant. E. It highlights the qualifications for the job one is applying for.

Q: Jeremy is not sure about the reliability of the data his team has collected for the visuals in his presentation to the client. Jeremy should go ahead and use the visual, because he has included a verbal disclaimer.

Q: Marie is creating a written presentation for a client. In the presentation, she supports her text with visuals. The words in the written presentation essentially repeat the information that appears in the corresponding visuals. This technique will help Marie make a more positive impact on the client.

Q: When writing cover messages, you must _____. A. present your facts in reader-viewpoint whenever practical B. avoid presenting information about yourself in an order based on the job requirements C. use I-references as much as possible D. avoid using the you-viewpoint E. present your information using the we-viewpoint

Q: Which of the following is the best way to begin an unsolicited cover letter? A. At the suggestion of Ms. Deborah James of your staff, I am sending the following summary of my qualifications for work as your financial manager. B. I've always wanted to work for this company, and so I'm writing to apply for the position of financial manager. C. I would like to work as your financial manager. I have sufficient experience in the field, and I'm an efficient worker. D. Since I have the necessary qualifications and experience for the job, I would like to work as the financial manager of your company. E. Do you require a financial manager? If so, I'm exactly the person you're looking for. My qualifications for work are listed in the following summary.

Q: A visual allows important information to be emphasized only if the visual appears at the beginning or at the end of a document.

Q: Select the best choice for the action sought in a prospecting cover message written to a company 900 miles away. A. Request for the job. B. Persuade the reader to contact your references. C. Invite the reader to engage in further communication. D. Request for salary details. E. Request the reader to take a suitable decision.

Q: Visuals can be effective tools for ensuring that ideas are presented completely.

Q: Which of these phrases most effectively presents the idea in a cover message for a marketing job? A. Studied marketing for three years B. Took several courses in marketing C. Studied buyer behavior and marketing analysis D. Enrolled in three marketing courses this semester E. Completed a course in marketing last fall

Q: You should include visuals in your documents when you have them, not just to convey information the audience needs or wants.