— Where to Find AV Technician Jobs in the UK

AV technician jobs are everywhere in the UK, which is part of the problem. The same job title covers a technician rigging a conference stage, someone looking after meeting rooms in a bank, and an engineer installing screens in a university. Search a general job site and you get all of them mixed together. If you want to work in live events, you need to know where those roles are actually advertised and who hires for them. So, where should you actually look? Below, we cover the best places to find audio visual technician jobs in the UK, which employers are worth approaching directly and how to strengthen your application.

What counts as an AV technician job?

Before you search, it helps to know which kind of AV work you're after, because each one is advertised in different places.

• Live events AV. Setting up and running sound, lighting, video and staging for conferences, exhibitions, awards and brand events. Often involves travel, early starts and late finishes.
• Venue AV. Based in one place, such as a hotel, conference centre, theatre or arena, looking after the in-house kit and supporting visiting events.
• Corporate and education AV. Supporting meeting rooms, lecture theatres and video conferencing inside a business or university. More regular hours.
• Installation AV. Fitting and commissioning AV systems in buildings. Closer to an engineering role.

Job titles overlap a lot. You'll see AV technician, audio visual technician, AV engineer, event technician, sound technician, lighting technician and video technician used for similar work. Search for several of them.

Specialist events job boards

If you want to work in live events, a specialist job board saves you a lot of filtering. Every role is from an events employer, so you're not scrolling past office IT support jobs. On Events-Jobs.co.uk, AV roles sit in the Technical / AV jobs category. You'll find everything from AV technician roles through to technical director positions, covering sound, lighting, video and rigging. You can also browse by the type of employer. Technical supplier jobs lists roles with the companies that provide sound, lighting, video, rigging and power to events, and venue jobs covers arenas, conference centres and other event spaces.

General job boards

It's also worth searching larger job sites such as Indeed, Reed, Totaljobs and CV-Library. They're particularly useful if you're looking for venue, corporate or education AV work. To get the best from them:

• Search several job titles. Try "AV technician", "audio visual technician", "event technician" and "AV engineer".
• Add a location. Roles are concentrated in and around big cities, so search your nearest one.
• Set up email alerts. Good roles fill quickly, and alerts mean you see them on day one.
• Read the description, not just the title. Check whether the job is live events, in-house support or installation before you apply.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is useful for more than its jobs section. As well as searching advertised vacancies, follow AV suppliers, production companies and venues you'd like to work for. Some share vacancies on their own pages, including freelance and crew opportunities. It's also worth naming the equipment and software you've worked with on your profile, as recruiters may search for those specific terms.

Going direct to employers

Plenty of AV jobs are filled without ever being widely advertised, especially freelance and crew work. Going direct is how many technicians get their first break. The main types of employer to approach are:

• Technical suppliers and AV hire companies. They supply kit and crew to events, and many take on warehouse technicians who then progress to on-site roles.
• Production agencies. They manage the technical delivery of shows and conferences. See production agency jobs.
• Venues. Hotels with conference space, conference centres, theatres and arenas often have an in-house AV team or a resident supplier.
• Corporate in-house teams. Larger businesses with their own events or studio teams. See corporate jobs.

Check the careers page first. If there's nothing listed, a short email with your CV and availability is normal in this part of the industry.

Freelance and crew work

A large share of live events AV work is freelance. Technicians are booked by the day for a show or a run of shows, often through a supplier's freelance pool or a crewing company. If you're starting out, a permanent warehouse or junior technician role is usually the easier way in. You learn the kit, meet the people who book freelancers, and build the contacts you'll need if you go freelance later.

How to improve your chances

Finding the advert is half the job. A few things make a real difference once you apply.

• List your kit. Name the mixing desks, lighting consoles, video switchers, LED products and software you've worked with. Employers scan for them.
• Mention practical essentials. A full driving licence, flexibility on hours and willingness to travel matter in live events. If you have them, say so.
• Show your events. List the types of event you've worked on and your role on each.
• Tailor your CV. Our guide on how to write a CV for event jobs walks you through it.
• Know your worth. Check typical pay in our event industry salary guide before you talk money.

Ready to look? Browse the latest Technical / AV jobs on Events-Jobs.co.uk.