Last updated 11/09

by Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

"I'm not wanted in this state."

"How many young women work here?"

"I didn't steal it; I just borrowed it."

"You touch somebody and they call it sexual harassment!"

"I've never heard such a stupid question."

Believe it or not, the above statements weren't overhead in bars or random conversations -- they were said in job interviews.

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

But maybe you got into a bar fight in college that went on your permanent record and you don't want to include it on your application. Maybe you got fired for standing up for what you believe but you're worried a potential employer won't see your side. Or, maybe you quit your job but haven't updated your résumé to that effect because you've found employers find you less desperate.

You're not supposed to lie, so how do you explain away all these things and remain in the running for a job? Or, the better question is, can you?

"The honesty police may arrest me but I'd have to say that everyone has probably shaded the truth in an interview," says Alan Guinn, managing director of The Guinn Consultancy Group. "It's not that as applicants we're inherently dishonest. It's that society places such a critical importance on success achievement that we look for ways to present ourselves in the best light possible."

Guinn says that honesty is generally the best policy when it comes to your interview, but in some cases, it can be hard to explain actions in which you have been peripherally involved or caught up. While you shouldn't flat out lie about anything, you should position your answers so that you are the responsible party, rather than the one to blame, Guinn says.

Some situations are more tempting to fudge the truth in than others. Here are 10 of those situations and how you can be honest with a potential employer and stay in the running for a job:

How to give the right answer to doubtful employers

by Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Tecently, Stephanie Somogyi Miller was interviewing candidates for an entry-level public relations position at her company, Spread PR, a Miller/Hamilton company. Over the course of 20 candidates Miller quickly realized -- much to her shock -- that many job seekers were unprepared when she asked them, "Why should I hire you?"

"I thought it gave people the opportunity to tell me what they wanted to tell me, versus me asking a million questions," Miller says. Only one candidate was able to give an answer without stumbling. What's worse, Miller couldn't envision any of these applicants having a coherent conversation with a reporter if her one question was causing so much distress.

"It is so hard to get a job these days, and I really expected people to be on their game," she says. "I guess it made my job easier though, because when I finally met someone who knew what was up, I hired her on the spot."

In today's job market, where many seasoned workers have found themselves out of a job and plenty of young but inexperienced graduates are entering the workforce, do you have the right answer to beat out the competition?

Here are three common scenarios job seekers find themselves in and how they might handle each one:

By Tag and Catherine Goulet, co-CEOs, FabJob.com

It's the question job applicants fear most: "So tell me," says the smiling interviewer, "what's your biggest weakness?"

If you think a good answer is you're "a perfectionist who won't quit until the job's done right," think again. The interviewer has probably heard the same thing from countless other applicants and doesn't believe it's a weakness any more than you do.

According to Vicky Oliver, author of '301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions,' the worst thing you can do is give your interviewer a "canned" answer, such as saying you are a workaholic.

Applicants who give such an answer may be perceived as dishonest or unoriginal. The interviewer is likely to say, "That sounds like a strength to me. What's another weakness you have?"

Oliver is one of more than 40 career experts and hiring managers who recently gave us their best tips for handling the weakness question. Here's a summary of their advice:

by CareerBuilder.com

Are you dissatisfied with your current job? If so, you're not alone. A recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com revealed that nearly 75 percent of workers are still in search of their dream jobs. To help you identify jobs that better suit your style and interests, consider taking a career or personality test -- or two.