Robert Half International

In an ideal world, all hiring managers would be highly skilled at conducting an effective job interview. They would ask intelligent questions about your work-related competencies and experience, while providing you with a solid understanding of the company and open position.

Unfortunately, not all prospective employers are master interviewers. If you haven?t yet encountered a bad interviewer, you likely will at some point in your career. They come in many shapes and sizes. Some are unorganized or aloof; others are focused and informed but intent on "testing" you.

Regardless of the type of interviewer you meet, there are ways to maintain your composure and leave a positive impression. Following are some common types of bad interviewers and tips for dealing with their idiosyncrasies.

Joe Turner, the Job Search Guy

"I was fully qualified and it makes no sense."

"They simply don't know how to hire."

"They told me that I was overqualified."

Randy Block, a seasoned career transition coach and consultant in the Bay area, hears these comments often.

If you're an "older" job hunter, more than likely, you already know that the ultra competitive job search process in today's economy is especially hard on you. Part of the challenge you're facing is a major generation gap between Baby Boomer job hunters and the Gen-Xer hiring managers of today. As Block noted, "30-somethings don't want to hire their parents. Unfortunately, that's how we often come across - as their parents."

Candidates Top 20 Wardrobe Malfunctions

CareerBuilder.com

What is the worst outfit ever worn to a job interview? For a career services director at the University of Chicago, it was the applicant who sported a Madras tie as a belt and a patterned cotton hat. Other contenders, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey of hiring managers, include candidates with dirty fingernails, micro-miniskirts, t-shirts with offensive slogans and even bare feet!

Are you guilty of one of these top 20 fashion faux pas?

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Sometimes the interview goes terribly wrong. We're not talking about little mistakes, like spilling coffee on your shirt while you're in the waiting room. No, we're talking about the odd behavior that 99 percent of us wouldn't commit. Hiring managers have given us some examples of the worst missteps they've seen in interviews, and we've compiled the best.

Here are eight interview faux pas hiring managers have witnessed and that you should avoid if you want to get hired.

Robert Half International

Performing well during the job interview is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. Every candidate wants to impress a prospective employer, but, despite their best efforts, not all do. Often, a simple mistake can cause an applicant to blow the entire meeting. Here are some errors to avoid: