A few months ago, one of my friends in DC was preparing for an interview. She thought of intelligent questions, prepared answers for generic interview questions, donned her best button-up, and sat down at her desk. It was nearly 9 o’clock at night. The company with which she was interviewing was in China. The interview, which at one point may have been either impossible or conducted through the phone, was taking place via Skype.

Soon after this interview took place, I read an article in TIME magazine that sparked my interest even more. It explains the rising trend of conducting interviews through Skype, a free program that runs on any computer and can connect people across the world. The article goes on to offer tips on how to succeed within this new situation. Some of them are obvious (clean up the space around you, silence any noise such as a pet or TV) while some are less so (sit tall enough that you don’t look like a “floating head”, avoid wearing white, do not have a bright light on behind you). One of the most key pieces of advice is to practice talking on Skype with friends, so they can let you know if you are doing anything strange or unprofessional.

Initially, I thought this seemed to be a perfect system for someone like me, who is applying for Washington, DC internships from across the country. So far, phone interviews have sufficed, but I can’t help but wonder how much of the interview is lost without facial expressions and body language. The next time I schedule a long-distance interview, you can bet that I will suggest Skype. It will not only boost my interview (hopefully!), but the fact that I am bold enough to suggest it might prove to a potential employer that I am technologically up-to-date, willing to take risks, and prepared to go one step further than is asked of me – all qualities that most employers look for in intern candidates.