How to Record an AV Technician Video Job Ad

Date modified: 2nd June 2025 | This article explains how you can record a av technician video job ad inside the Pilla App which you can share with external candidates. You can also check out the Job Ads Guide for more info on other roles or check out the docs page for Managing Videos in Pilla.

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AV technicians are the reason presentations work. They handle the projectors, sound systems, video conferencing, and lighting that corporate events depend on—and when something goes wrong, they're the ones fixing it while 200 executives wait. The best AV techs combine genuine technical knowledge with hospitality awareness; they solve problems quickly and calmly without making clients feel incompetent. Your video job ad should communicate your technical environment and event types, because AV technicians evaluate opportunities based on equipment quality, event complexity, and working conditions.

Step 1: Open with the Opportunity

AV technicians assess opportunities through a technical lens. Lead with what makes your environment interesting.

Equipment environment: What systems do you run? Projector specifications, sound systems, video conferencing platforms, lighting rigs. Technicians care about working with good equipment—both for job satisfaction and professional development.

Are systems well-maintained and current, or aging and problematic? Be honest—technicians will find out quickly.

Event complexity: Simple boardroom presentations, or complex multi-screen corporate productions? Basic microphone setups, or sophisticated audio for live events? The technical challenge level matters. Some technicians want variety and complexity; others prefer straightforward reliability.

Venue context: Hotel conference facilities, dedicated event venue, corporate campus, hybrid spaces? The physical context shapes the technical challenges.

Technical development: Is there opportunity to work with new technologies? Training on emerging systems? Career development toward senior technical or management roles? Technicians building careers want to keep skills current.

Step 2: Show Your Technical Environment

Film the AV systems, control rooms, and equipment storage. Technicians want to see what they'd be working with.

The equipment: Projectors, screens, sound systems, microphones, video conferencing setups, lighting systems if applicable. Show the actual kit—technicians read equipment quality from visuals immediately.

Control areas: Control rooms, tech booths, rack setups. Where does the technical operation happen? The workspace conditions for running events.

Event spaces: Conference rooms, ballrooms, meeting spaces—wherever AV is deployed. The variety of environments and their technical requirements.

Storage and prep: Equipment storage, preparation areas, workshop space if applicable. Where equipment lives and gets maintained.

Installation quality: Fixed installations—how professionally are they done? Cable management, rack organisation, system integration. The technical professionalism signals matter.

Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role

AV technician responsibilities vary by venue type and event complexity. Define what yours involves.

Event setup and operation: Pre-event room setup—projector positioning, screen configuration, audio system deployment. System testing before clients arrive. The preparation work that enables successful events.

During events: monitoring systems, managing presentations, troubleshooting problems, responding to client requests. The live operation component.

Post-event: breakdown, equipment return, preparation for next event.

Technical scope:

Video: projector setup and alignment, screen management, video switching, recording systems, video conferencing setup and support (Zoom, Teams, Webex integration).

Audio: microphone deployment—handheld, lavalier, conferencing. Sound system setup and mixing. Audio conferencing integration. Acoustic management in challenging spaces.

Lighting: basic event lighting? Complex production lighting? Architectural lighting control? The lighting element varies significantly by venue.

Client interaction: Working with clients who range from technically competent to completely lost. Explaining systems, solving problems, providing reassurance. The hospitality overlay on technical work.

Can they translate technical language for non-technical clients? Stay patient when asked to explain things multiple times?

Maintenance and infrastructure: Equipment maintenance and repair. System updates and upgrades. Inventory management. Keeping systems operational between events.

Documentation: Technical documentation and event specifications. Equipment tracking. Issue logging. The administrative side of technical work.

On-call or reactive: Last-minute troubleshooting? Being available when systems fail during events? The reactive element of the role.

Schedule patterns: Event-driven scheduling—setup before events, operation during, breakdown after. Early arrivals and late finishes depending on event timing. Weekend requirements for weekend events.

Step 4: What AV Technical Work Requires

The combination of technical skill and client-facing capability isn't universal.

Technical competence: System-specific knowledge or transferable AV skills. Video system operation, audio setup and mixing, video conferencing platforms. The technical foundation for the role.

What specific systems experience do you need? Crestron, Extron, specific projector brands, particular VC platforms? Be specific about technical requirements.

Troubleshooting ability: Things go wrong during events. Can they diagnose problems quickly? Stay calm while troubleshooting under pressure? Find workarounds when ideal solutions aren't available? Problem-solving under pressure is essential.

Client-facing manner: AV technicians interact with clients constantly—often when something's wrong. Can they explain problems without making clients feel stupid? Stay calm when clients are frustrated? Provide reassurance while solving issues?

Some technically excellent people have poor client manner. Both matter.

Physical capability: Lifting equipment, climbing ladders, cable running, extended periods standing and moving. AV work has physical elements.

Attention to detail: Event AV has no margin for error. Forgetting a cable, wrong settings, untested systems—problems become visible to entire audiences. Meticulous preparation and checking matters.

Flexibility: Event schedules change. Clients add requirements last minute. Technical problems require improvisation. Can they adapt without friction?

Experience calibration: What level do you need? Formal AV training or certification? Specific system experience? Entry-level learning the role? Be clear about requirements versus trainable skills.

Availability: Events happen evenings and weekends. What schedule flexibility is required?

Step 5: Make the Offer Compelling

AV technician compensation reflects technical skill level and market demand.

UK compensation context:

  • AV Technician (entry/junior): £24,000-30,000
  • AV Technician (experienced): £28,000-38,000
  • Senior AV Technician: £35,000-45,000
  • Technical Manager: £42,000-55,000

Regional variation applies—London commands premium.

Schedule and overtime: Event work means variable hours. How is overtime handled—TOIL, paid overtime, expected to absorb? This significantly affects real compensation.

What's typical weekly hours? How much weekend and evening work?

Equipment and technology: Working with good equipment has value beyond salary. Modern, well-maintained systems versus struggling with aging kit. Training on new technologies. The technical environment matters for job satisfaction.

Training and certification: Manufacturer certifications—Crestron, Extron, others. Industry certifications—AVIXA CTS. Training budget for skills development. Technicians building careers value this.

Career pathway: Senior technician. Technical manager. Operations management. The progression available for strong performers.

Benefits: Pension, healthcare, annual leave. Standard professional benefits.

Unsocial hours compensation: Premium rates for weekends, late nights, holidays? How is unsocial hours work recognised?

Work variety: Different events, different technical challenges, ongoing learning. For technicians who'd be bored with repetitive work, variety has value.

Step 6: The Application Process

AV technician hiring should assess technical capability and client-handling together.

Application requirements: CV highlighting AV experience—systems, venues, event types. Technical certifications and training. Specific system experience relevant to your environment.

Assessment approach: Initial conversation: experience, technical background, availability. Technical assessment: system knowledge, troubleshooting scenarios, practical demonstration. Client interaction evaluation: how they handle non-technical people.

What you're assessing: Technical capability: do they know the systems you use, or can they learn quickly? Troubleshooting: how do they approach problems under pressure? Client manner: can they work with frustrated non-technical clients? Reliability: will they show up prepared for events? Physical suitability: can they handle the demands?

Practical testing: Technical scenarios are more informative than interview questions. Give them a setup to complete, a problem to diagnose, a system to configure. Watch how they work.

Client scenario: Role-play a frustrated client with a technical problem. How do they respond? Can they explain without condescension? Stay calm under pressure? The client overlay matters as much as technical skill.

Reference checking: Previous technical performance. Client feedback. Reliability for events. Problem-solving examples.

Trial or shadow shift: If possible, have candidates work alongside current technicians during an event. Seeing how they respond to real event pressure reveals more than any interview.

Technical evaluation honestly: If candidates' technical skills don't match your needs, be honest. Misrepresented experience emerges quickly when systems don't work during events.

The best AV technicians make technology invisible—events run smoothly because they've anticipated problems and prepared solutions. Finding people who combine technical excellence with client awareness, who stay calm when everything's breaking down, creates a technical operation clients trust and return to.