Can This Interview Be Saved?

At some point in the job search process, it happens: You have a really bad interview. Except in some instances it's not you who blows it, it's the hiring manager.

There could be a million reasons why this person's not prepared for the job interview, from the fact that it's Monday morning to that he's out of practice. The challenge for you, the job candidate, is to try to turn the interview around, make a favorable impression and work the situation to your advantage.

It is possible to save a lackluster job interview -- it just takes a little bit of finesse mixed with some assertiveness. Here are three different problem interviewer types you may encounter and how to handle them.

The Harried Interviewer

Problem: This kind of hiring manager is late, completely unprepared, forgets your resume and maybe even spaces out that today is the interview.

Solution: "Give the person time to get settled, and express sympathy, [as in], ‘I can tell that your work here is important and busy,'" says Joanne Meehl, a career coach called The Resume Queen.