Any Recruiter or Hiring Manager knows that there is a certain amount of BS that goes into the interview process……
The first rule of BS is to expect it. If you want to detect BS you have to swallow some cynicism, and add some internal doubt to everything you hear. Socrates, the father of western wisdom, based his philosophy around the recognition, and expectation, of ignorance. It’s far more dangerous to assume people know what they’re talking about, than it is to assume they don’t and let them prove you wrong. Be like Socrates: assume people are unaware of their own ignorance (including yourself) and politely, warmly, probe to sort out the difference.
The first detection tool is a question: How do you know what you know? Often they can’t answer quickly. Even credible thinkers need time to sort through their logic, separating fact from fiction.
People so rarely have their claims challenged, that asking someone to explain how they know sheds light on whatever ignorance they’re hiding. It instantly diminishes the force of a BS driven opinion. However, someone who is bullshitting you won’t have researched or thought through anything.
Carrie Lewis 