Skype interviews are quickly replacing phone screenings as a method for employers to qualify candidates, for even instead of, and in-person sit-down interview.

Tips for projecting the right persona in cyberspace and using Skype, include:

1.  Choose a professional username.  As with an e-mail address you use for business, a Skype account with a moniker like hotbody 123 or speedbiker is not a very bright idea.

2.  Practice talking to your computer.  Before a Skype interview  make sure you are familiar and comfortable with the technology and practice using it.  Write 20 interview questions and ask a friend to practice interviewing you using Skype. 

3.  Arrange the right setting.  You want to be seen in an uncluttered area with the plain background, no distracting objects, movement, or sounds. 

4.  Block out interruptions.  Turn off your cell phone, banish your family and pets for the duration, and make sure that everyone understands that you cannot be interrupted.

5.  Back it up a little.  Don't be too close to the monitor.  You don't want only your face showing.  Just as you want to allow room for personal space in a face-to-face interview, you need to do the same in a Skype interview.

6.  Make virtual eye contact.  Be seated at eye level with the camera.  Look at the camera while you are talking not at the computer screen.  But don't stare unblinkingly at the camera either which will make you look weird.

7.  Dress professionally.  Remember that first impressions still count and how you look as well as how you speak, and the amount of direct eye contact that you have can make a huge difference in whether you capture an opportunity.

8.  Never underestimate the impact of a smile.