When you're structuring core responsibilities for an AV technician, it's essential to organise duties into logical phases that reflect the complete technical support cycle. Structure responsibilities around pre-event setup and technical preparation, live event operation and real-time support, and post-event breakdown and equipment maintenance to provide clear expectations.
Common misunderstanding: Listing responsibilities chronologically is less important than covering all technical areas.
Organising responsibilities by workflow phases helps candidates understand how their duties integrate with event operations and venue coordination. This structure demonstrates the technical precision required at each stage and shows how individual tasks contribute to overall event success.
Common misunderstanding: Generic technical descriptions are sufficient for responsibility lists.
AV technician roles vary significantly between venues, so responsibilities must reflect your specific technical environment, equipment complexity, and event types. Generic descriptions like "operate audio equipment" don't convey the actual technical demands or coordination requirements of your operation.
Include tasks like operating mixing consoles and lighting control systems, monitoring audio levels and video quality, coordinating wireless microphone distribution, troubleshooting equipment issues without disrupting events, managing lighting cues and design changes, supporting live streaming or recording requirements, and communicating with presenters and venue staff.
Common misunderstanding: Equipment operation is the primary focus of live event technical support.
While equipment operation is important, real-time coordination, problem-solving, and client communication often determine event success more than technical operation alone. AV technicians must balance technical excellence with professional interaction and seamless event coordination throughout live operations.
Common misunderstanding: Technical responsibilities don't need to address emergency situations.
Live events inevitably involve unexpected technical challenges, so responsibilities should include emergency troubleshooting, backup system implementation, and calm problem resolution under pressure. These scenarios often test technical competency and professional composure more than routine operations.
Technical responsibilities should be specific enough to help candidates understand actual duties without becoming overwhelming equipment lists. Focus on key operational tasks, problem-solving scenarios, and coordination requirements rather than exhaustive technical specifications. Include 8-12 bullet points covering essential duties that reflect your venue's operations.
Common misunderstanding: More technical detail always improves job description quality.
Excessive technical detail can overwhelm candidates and obscure the most important responsibilities. Focus on core operational requirements, coordination expectations, and technical standards rather than comprehensive equipment specifications that can be covered during training.
Common misunderstanding: Responsibilities should only cover successful technical operations.
Include responsibilities for handling technical challenges, equipment failures, and challenging coordination scenarios. These situations often require the most skill and significantly impact event outcomes, so candidates need to understand problem-solving expectations alongside routine technical operations.