Thanks to increased accessibility to computer and Internet technology in American households–and to the economic circumstances requiring some stay-at-home parents to telecommute–more and more individuals are find themselves located many miles away from their employers. Here are some tips for approaching a long distance interview.

1. Perform a trial run. Perhaps you are newer to video chat technology and need a few practice runs to be confident in your ability to quickly execute, maintain and disconnect a call. Make sure you know how to adjust volume, screen views, and alerts that may pop up on your computer and distract you. And even if you have Skyped a hundred times and FaceTimed two hundred, you can never be too careful.

2. Hone interview questions. If you have a pre-established set of questions you ask candidates in face-to-face interviews, it may be tempting to forego going over the list prior to your first interview. Take just a few minutes to make sure that none of the questions are irrelevant due to the nature of the interview. For instance, if you have a question about relocation listed but you will be interviewing telecommuters, it is unnecessary to gauge their reaction to relocation.

3. Practice with family or friends. If you are new to video communication, you may not yet be used to how self-aware you will become. Having a live feed of your mannerisms staring you in the face as you try to communicate with someone can be an incredibly self-effacing experience. get used to yourself on camera by practicing with family and friends. Instead of calling your wife