By Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team

Most job-hunting aficionados can effortlessly recite their greatest strengths and weaknesses, succinctly describe their future career goals and present a compelling case when asked why they should be hired. Yet these types of sound bites, while helpful, may fall short when it comes to nailing down a job offer. Today's employers recognize that traditional interview questions such as, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" tend to yield rehearsed responses, so they're branching out into new territory. For candidates, this means preparing to answer new queries.

Following are three types of questions you might encounter and how best to respond to them:

By Ed Orum for AOL Find a Job

It takes more than a good résumé to land a job in this market. You have to be savvy and a step ahead of other applicants. Cosmopolitan recently teamed up with the Society for Human Resource Management for a survey on what it takes to be a winner in these highly competitive times. Turns out the smart use of technology often tops the list.

Let's start with those social networking sites you're on when you're not scanning job sites. While you might share every detail of your life on Facebook or MySpace, it's a good idea to make sure hiring managers don't have access to your profile. A majority - 86% - said unprofessional behavior makes you less desirable as a candidate. Yes, this includes party pics and off-color comments. Not that recruiters are always looking - 70% of the organizations surveyed said they do not Google you or check out social networking sites while making a decision. Still, better safe than sorry.

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.

5 ways to shake things up

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 38 percent of full-time workers were unemployed for 27 weeks or more in September 2009. That's equivalent to more than 5.4 million people.

Whether you're out of work for five days, five weeks, five months or five years, any period of unexpected unemployment can be frustrating -- especially when it seems to go on forever. Although the economy seems to be showing signs of recovery, any job seeker who has been out of work for a long period of time will tell you: It's still not easy to find a job.

Duncan Mathison and Martha I. Finney

Let's face it: Even when you're on top of the world, chances are good that the idea of networking sounds like a big, fat drag. You can probably think of 100 other things you'd rather do -- like cleaning the blades of your ceiling fan. But if you're one of the 14.9 million who are competing for what seems to be a handful of jobs, your confidence has probably taken a hit. So now is probably not the time to be meeting anyone new. In fact, now is not the time to get out of your pajamas.