Even with instant messaging provided by Yahoo!, AIM, MSN and Skype, getting an online interview has not gotten easier. It has become more convenient, but the old practices and expectations prevalent in traditional interviews are still very much applicable to online interviews. For job applicants who wish to ace an online interview, they only need to follow certain tried-and-tested procedures.

Plan ahead. Online job applicants are no different from person-to-person candidates. As with conventional interview methods, an online interview will determine an applicant's skills through a series of questions, all designed to test the applicant's experience. They will also be grilled about their knowledge of the company and industry they are applying to. Online job applicants should still conduct some research regarding their job and their prospective employer.

Do it the old way. Online job applicants have to mentally and physically prepare for an online interview. Job recruiters recommend that online applicants review their qualifications and even practice typing their responses to standard interview questions. If video conferencing is involved, applicants should be dressed and groomed appropriately.

Talk, don't chat. Employers use chat programs for conducting interviews, but there are limitations as to how communication is done. According to Steven Rothberg, founder of CollegeRecruiter.com, applicants should not treat an interview with a prospective employer as they would a chat session with a friend. Rothberg discourages online job applicants from using acronyms and icons that are deemed inappropriate in a business situation. It would be better for an applicant to spell words correctly than to shorten them.

Have references ready. Online job applicants should take advantage of the online interview set-up and have their resumes, list of references and certifications ready. If they have taken notes on their previous research, they could use those to use as reference from time to time during the interview.