Dirty finger nails, limp handshakes and body odour are some of the worst mistakes job-seekers make at interviews.

These often ruin their chances of being hired, according to a report.

One in four job applicants fail at interviews because of their appearance.

The most common clangers are turning up late, slouching in the chair, dirty finger nails and limp, wet handshakes.

The survey of 700 jobseekers by online recruiters Fish4jobs also discovered:

A shy candidate who
went to a pub for some Dutch courage and turned up drunk for a bus driving job.

A man who got his
underwear stuck in his trouser zip and spent an entire interview with his pants sticking out.

A woman who went to
the washroom to check her appearance and walked into the interview room with toilet paper stuck to her shoes.

Chief executive of Fish4jobs Jonathan Turpin said employers scrutinised every aspect of a candidate's appearance, so dirty finger nails or inappropriate clothes were a big turn off.

One in five human resources managers lost interest in a candidate if their appearance was sloppy, even if they had an impressive CV.

Most people surveyed said they spent less than two hours researching the company where they were seeking work.

Mr Turpin said: "If you find yourself struggling with basic questions during the interview, you are wasting the interviewer's time and a great opportunity to sell yourself."