Fundamentals of Management, 10e (Robbins)
Chapter 7a Career Module
1) The best way to define the term career is as a ________.
A) series of tasks
B) series of jobs or work positions over a period of a few years
C) series of jobs or work positions over a period of a lifetime
2) An unskilled laborer has ________ a software designer.
A) no real career when compared to
B) just as much of a career as
C) more of a career when compared to
3) Traditional career development programs of the past focused on helping an employee advance
________.
A) through a series of jobs for different organizations
B) by holding a single job in a single organization
C) by holding a series of jobs in a single organization
4) Traditional career development programs in an organization were a good way for the
organization to ________.
A) weed out poor performers
B) retain talented performers
C) keep costs down
5) In a traditional career development program, ________ were largely responsible for shaping
and guiding career paths.
A) individuals
B) companies
C) family and friends
6) In today's world, ________ are largely responsible for shaping and guiding employee career
paths.
A) individuals
B) companies
C) Internet services
7) Today, career development typically focuses on an individual advancing ________ on his or
her own.
A) through different organizations without ever improving his or her status
B) by holding a single job in a single organization
C) by holding a series of jobs in a single organization
8) This best describes the commitment a 1960s-era company made with respect to an employee's
full-time, full-benefit job.
A) It was a permanent job that could last a lifetime.
B) It was a month-to-month arrangement.
C) It was subject to change at any time.
9) In today's business climate, this best describes the commitment a company makes with respect
to an employee's full-time, full-benefit job.
A) It is a guaranteed lifetime job.
B) It is a week-to-week arrangement.
C) It is permanent but subject to change at any time.
10) Which of the following is NOT a reason why today's companies have largely eliminated
career development programs?
A) Companies aren't as stable as they were in the past.
B) Employees frequently move from job to job.
C) Fewer employees are interested in career development.
11) A boundaryless career is one in which an individual ________.
A) has no exact job
B) works for no particular organization
C) is responsible for his or her own career
12) The optimum career choice matches an individual's interests, abilities, and personality to
________.
A) the best opportunity in the market
B) a job that a person can competently perform
C) a high-paying job
13) An important goal for a career is that it leads to ________.
A) status and prestige
B) financial security
C) the life a person wants to have
14) The most important job characteristic in the opinion of today's recent college graduates is
this.
A) job security
B) benefits
C) starting salary
15) Which of the following issues is NOT one of the top three factors that have been identified
by today's college graduates as important in selecting a new job?
A) job security
B) job location
C) job benefits
16) Which of the following is an example of a well-defined career choice that is not too broad
nor too narrow?
A) pharmaceutical research
B) working in the medical field
C) researching new headache remedies
17) A college degree ________.
A) is valuable for status only
B) has educational, but not financial, value
C) has both educational and financial value
18) An individual with a college degree earns ________ than a person without a college degree.
A) over $20,000 more per year
B) over $800,000 more per year
C) almost $28,000 more per year
19) A ________ is an edge that makes a person attractive to employers in a job market.
A) job requirement
B) qualification
C) job skill
20) Which of the following is most likely to provide a competitive edge for a person applying for
a job in a law firm?
A) exceptional math skills
B) exceptional writing skills
C) computer programming experience
21) The phrase "Play to your strengths" when applying for a job means ________.
A) don't show employers your weaknesses
B) be aggressive during job interviews
C) apply to only the most ambitious jobs
22) Which of the following might be a competitive edge for a person applying for a firefighting
job?
A) athletic ability
B) exceptional writing skills
C) computer programming experience
23) In looking for possible jobs, a primary concern should be to pay attention to the ________.
A) jobs that are in high-tech industries
B) jobs that are in low-tech industries
C) industries that have the highest compensation scale
24) Which of the following might be a competitive edge for a person applying for an accounting
job?
A) exceptional writing skills
B) exceptional problem-solving skills
C) computer programming experience
25) In a society that is experiencing a widespread obesity "epidemic," one might expect
opportunities in this field to increase the most.
A) counseling
B) sports management
C) fitness
26) It is a good idea for people to think of their career as a business and themselves as ________
that business.
A) the CEO of
B) an employee in
C) a customer of
27) How might a job applicant position him- or herself to benefit from changes that occur in the
environment?
A) have highly specific job skills
B) have both general and specific job skills
C) have general job skills only
28) Which job skill is useful for just about every job?
A) interpersonal skills
B) computer programming skills
C) writing skills
29) Which job might require the highest level of interpersonal skills?
A) electrician
B) research scientist
C) teacher
30) Studies in a variety of fields show that super-high achievers ________ than others.
A) have higher IQ scores
B) work fewer hours
C) work harder
31) Studies of highly successful people show that they all did this in one way or another.
A) had enormous natural ability
B) put in 10,000 hours of practice, training, and experience
C) worked in lowly jobs as teenagers, learning humility
32) Which of the following jobs would be least likely to require thousands of hours of practice
and experience?
A) scientist
B) musician
C) tennis player
33) Many people in fields such as nursing, engineering, and accounting keep their skills up to
date by taking formal courses and ________.
A) getting internships
B) reading journals and attending conferences
C) getting fellowships and scholarships
34) Networking is useful ________.
A) only before you have a job
B) only after you have a job
C) both before and after you have a job
35) To extend the reach of their networks, people should do all of the following EXCEPT
________.
A) take networking classes
B) go to college alumni functions
C) attend conferences
36) An advantage of an online networking community such as LinkedIn is that you can search
for people according to their ________.
A) skills, experience, and interests
B) personality and temperament
C) reputation within the industry
37) A research scientist who needs a job is likely to accomplish this by giving a talk or poster
presentation at a professional meeting.
A) increase salary
B) directly create job opportunities
C) increase visibility
38) A more senior person than yourself who guides you through your career is known as
________.
A) a protégé
B) a mentor
C) a teacher
39) Mentors have been shown to be especially helpful to ________.
A) doctors and nurses
B) women and minorities
C) older employees
40) It is best to try to cultivate a competitive advantage in job skills that are ________.
A) technical
B) interpersonal
C) scarce
41) Generally speaking, the more ________ a job requires that you have actually acquired, the
better off you are.
A) technical skill
B) writing skill
C) speaking skill
42) Success in school often requires a person to be a ________, while success in the workplace
often requires the same person to be a ________.
A) specialist; generalist
B) specialist; conformist
C) generalist; specialist
43) Which of the following is a job that would allow a person who is a poor writer and speaker to
excel?
A) engineer
B) lawyer
C) basketball coach
44) One secret to a successful career is to identify your ________ and develop it to the fullest.
A) special ability
B) strength
C) main interest in life
45) In a career, major accomplishments often require a person taking ________.
A) the path more traveled
B) the path less traveled
C) the straightest path
46) This is the best time to take risks in your life.
A) when you are established
B) when you are young
C) when you are old
47) Today's employers no longer expect ________ from employees.
A) long-term loyalty
B) maximum effort
C) high performance
48) Employees in today's work world should think of themselves as ________.
A) members of a large, loyal family that will never abandon them
B) pawns who have no power to change or improve their situation
C) free agents who are constantly looking to improve their situation
49) The advice, "You don't leave a good job," ________.
A) was never true
B) is still true today
C) is no longer true
50) Which statement best summarizes the relationship between success and luck?
A) All successes depend partly on luck.
B) Most successes depend totally on luck.
C) Success has nothing to do with luck.
51) What element proved lucky for entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Paul Allen
early in their careers?
A) They were interested in computers.
B) They were born in the same time period.
C) They went to the same college.
52) One reason NOT to change jobs is to ________.
A) add new people to your network
B) keep your skills fresh
C) raise your income
53) The best way to describe success is that it is a matter of matching up opportunities,
________, and luck.
A) intelligence
B) talent
C) skill
54) Even the prepared person cannot take advantage of luck unless he or she ________.
A) is highly intelligent
B) can take action when opportunity knocks
C) can convince others to join his or her effort
57) The term career applies only to high-level professionals such as designers or physicians, not
58) In the past, career development was usually confined to advancement within a single
59) Traditional career development in which an individual advances through the ranks of a single
60) Today, the organization–not the individual–is responsible for the employee's career
61) A boundaryless career is a career in which an individual takes responsibility for his or her
62) The first goal in career development is to make a career choice in which you match your
64) Most of today's college graduates are saying that their number one concern in a job is that it
68) The difference in pay rates over a lifetime between college graduates and noncollege
74) All a job seeker needs in a tight job market is a single competitive advantage to get a good
76) The second step in constructing a career path is matching your strengths and interests to
77) It is a good idea to think of your career as your business and your boss as the CEO of that
78) Trying to "protect" your career from outside harm is probably a silly idea because there is no
79) Changes in the environment that can affect a career include negative things, such as
81) The key to being a super high achiever is usually some unique talent or ability that no one
83) Though many people think that "whom you know" is important for getting jobs, having
87) The secret to job success is identifying your competitive advantage and developing it to the
94) Explain why individuals in today's work world need to think of themselves as CEOs of their
