Cowboy Interview Preparation Guide

Some people are thrown when they are asked this Cowboy question when they are applying for a position to work alone. Every company works as a team, so you are a good team player, give an example of when you have worked well within a team.

Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.

Describe how you've come to develop a passion or interest in this industry and use variables like "culture, people, vision, career development, and the work itself" to define your choice

For most jobs, communication skills As Cowboy are important. It's hard to work as a team if people aren't communicating well.

At some jobs, like customer service or sales, communication skills are an absolute essential.

These questions are meant to help gauge a candidate's ability to communicate.

1. How do you prefer to build rapport with others?

2. How would you go about simplifying a complex issue in order to explain it to a client or colleague?

3. How would you go about persuading someone to see things your way at work?

4. How would you go about explaining a complex idea/problem to a client who was already frustrated?

5. What would you do if you there was a breakdown in communication at work?

6. Talk about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it did well.

7. How would you explain a complicated technical problem to a colleague with less technical understanding?

8. Do you prefer written or verbal communication As Cowboy?

9. Describe a time when you had to be careful talking about sensitive information. How did you do it?

10. What would you do if you misunderstood an important communication on the job?

11. Talk about a time when you made a point that you knew your colleagues would be resistant to.

12. Is it more important to be a good listener or a good communicator As Cowboy?

13. Tell me about a time you had to relay bad news to a client or colleague.

14. Rate your communication skills on a scale of 1 to 10. Give examples of experiences that demonstrate the rating is accurate.

15. How have you handled working under someone you felt was not good at communicating?

With anything comes sacrifice. The questions is how much of it are you willing to sacrifice with regards to work life balance, stress, etc?

Bad Answer: Going negative - if the candidate starts trash talking other candidates, it's a sure sign of a bad attitude. Also, if they can't provide a solid answer, it may show that they lack thorough knowledge of the skills the job requires, and an understanding of where they fit in.

Good answer: The candidate can name specific skills, abilities or understandings they have that apply directly to the job that other candidates are unlikely to have, or are in short supply.

During the interview As Cowboy process employers will want to find out how you respond to supervision. They want to know whether you have any problems with authority, If you can work well as part of a group (see previous question) and if you take instructions well etc.
Never ever ever, criticize a past supervisor or boss. This is a red flag for airlines and your prospective employer will likely assume you are a difficult employee, unable to work in a team or take intruction and side with your former employer.

I would like to retire from this company. I would like to make a difference in the company whether in the company or any other position or area of the company As Cowboy.

You can talk about what you're passionate about. What motivates you. What excites you.

Here being specific is probably not the best approach. You may consider responding, “I hope a very long time.” Or “As long as we're both happy with my performance.”

Ideally you'd like to state that you can take on a lot of work - this shows your work ethic, but at the same time it's okay to tell them that you value work and life balance.

The key is to show that the mentoring of a co-worker was first a higher priority than the task you had at hand (remember, you want to show that you focus on highest priority tasks first). Then, describe in detail how you helped them not only complete the task but learn to do it on their own. You want to teach them HOW to fish and not to simply fish for them.

Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "The company culture was too politically correct," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.

When discussing a professional disappointment, make sure to discuss a scenario you could not control. Be positive about the experience and accept personal responsibility where applicable.

No matter your previous job experience or educational background, be sure to tell the interviewer you have the knowledge and skills to successfully execute the job responsibilities.

An important part of research before the interview is what the company does and how the job role relates to that. This includes the company philosophy and working methods. Questions such as this seek to find out how a candidate will fit into the organisation As Cowboy. Answer positively; including practical examples of how you anticipate you would perform in the new role.

Depends on the situation... I like to label certain tasks as either A B or C...A being the one that requires immediate attention, and C which are tasks that aren't urgent but eventually need to get done... I like to focus my work As Cowboy on the things that need to get done, and done quickly... While balancing the other work alongside our first priorities.

The key here is to show that you were proactive. How did you find out about the potential problems? How did you address it quickly?

Brainteaser questions As Cowboy have become popular for interviews in recent years, as word has gotten out that top tech companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and IBM have used this type of question at one time or another.

Companies like Google aren't using these questions so much any more, but many companies, are, and it may be good to prepare for them As Cowboy. The key to these isn't so much getting the exact answer, as it is showing how you would come up with an answer.

Here's a sample of 12 of the best and most difficult.

1. How many street lights are there in New York City?

2. How many gas stations are there in the United States?

3. How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?

4. How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?

5. Why are manhole covers round?

6. How many times a day does a clock's hands overlap?

7. How would you test a calculator?

8. Describe the internet to someone who just woke up from a 30-year coma.

9. How much does the Starbucks in Times Square bring in, in annual revenue?

10. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown into a blender. Your mass is reduced so that your density is the same as usual. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

11. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? ;)

12. How many golf balls are there in Florida?

Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Some good answers may be the ability to achieve, recognition or challenging assignments.

Sometimes people want a job a little too bad - and they may fudge their credentials and experience a bit.

If you've run into this problem, are worried about it, or have credentials and experience that are absolutely essential, you may need to ask a few verification questions.

If you are a candidate, you should review your resume and make sure you know all the key points, and that nothing has been misconstrued.


1. What grades did you get in college?

2. What were your responsibilities when you worked in job x?

3. How many people were on your team at your last job?

4. What will your previous manager/supervisor say when I ask where you needed to improve?

5. What was your beginning and ending salary at job x?

6. What were your beginning and ending titles at job x?

7. Are you eligible for rehire at job x?

8. What tools are necessary for performing job x?

9. Describe to me how you would perform [x typical job task].

10. What was the focus of your thesis?

11. When did you leave company x?

You want to first understand why the policy was put into effect. From there, if you truly disagree with it, explain your position to your management. If they don't change it, then you must accept their decision and continue to work or the alternative decision would be to find a new job.

This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. Go into specifics from your resume and portfolio; show an employer your value and how you’d be an asset.
You have to say, “I’m the best person for the job As Cowboy. I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. For example…”

This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.

I would explain and show to him or her best way possible and if they have a better way then I will encourage him or her to let me know then we can see if it works or not As Cowboy.

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job As Cowboy. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

Some people enjoy it, others don't. Which are you? If you don't like it, can you at least do it well? And if you don't like it, be ready to explain why in a positive way (i.e. your potential is to do much more than simply be repetitive)

One of the best ways to answer this question is clearly articulate three points that demonstrate how articulate you are (and in a sense show that in a live setting) - for example: "I would say I'm articulate because one, I typically gather my thoughts before speaking, two, I organize my thoughts well, and three I'm concise when making a point.

Describe your ideal working environment. Do you like flexibility with work hours? Do you like working in a cubicle or independently? Do you like to be micro managed or empowered? Do you like to work on your own or in a team? Do you like being driven by metrics in your role? How much responsibility do you want?

Without a doubt, social media is becoming more and more pervasive in our jobs. You should stress that social media is not appropriate for personal use at work. However, if the company embraces social media in certain departments (for example marketing), then you may want to discuss how you could use it for work (as long as it applies to your role).