We had limited knowledge of our leads, so we could not plan our sales pitch in advance. We were calling people, trying to sell them products, services, and sometimes just dreams and illusions.
At the same time we were trying to meet a tight deadline, and could not afford wasting time with similar conflicts. It was one of those destructive conflicts when people spit at each other and basically threaten to kill each other, to exaggerate a little.
And though you make most of these decisions subconsciously, sometimes you have to use your brain. My daily job was one split-second decision after another one: you stop, or you go is there a car coming from the left who has the right of way, should I take left or right line should I adjust my speed to meet the schedule, and so on.
I’ve worked as a bus driver for over five years.Because if I waited and hesitated, the customers would wait only longer in average. But I still think I did the best thing for my employer, deciding quickly, giving my attention to someone. Sure enough, I didn’t always pick the right one, and a few times I had to bear with complaints from a customer I left waiting. In such situations, I typically went to talk to the customer who looked most impatient or most puzzled, and I always tried to help them quickly, and move on to another customer. We were understaffed, and I often found myself alone in the store with three different customers looking for something, or even demanding my attention. In my last job in a clothing store I experienced this situation on a daily basis.
And do not forget to read also my notes below the answers, where I explain what exactly you should focus on, and some common mistakes to avoid when facing this question in your interview.ħ sample answers to “Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision” interview question Pick one that resonates with you, and adjust it slightly to convey the message you want to convey in the interviews. I include both examples from work and from personal life in my selection. Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question first. You will have to decide quickly at times, and the hiring managers wonder how you approach such situations. And it doesn’t matter whether you apply for a managerial role, or for a job in a retail store. But we do not always have a luxury of time. Looking at the situation from different angles, considering various options we have, and pondering consequences they will have for us, for our colleagues, and for the entire company, we will eventually decide about the best course of action. As a rule of a thumb, we should think about the problems we face at work, before we make our move.